Affording basic needs is difficult for many Oregon households

ALICE, an economic hardship measure, indicates that in some parts of the state, more than half of households face choices between food and rent. By Khushboo Rathore Oregon Journalism Project Affordability was a key campaign issue in the blue wave that washed over Oregon and the country on Tuesday, with many voters worried they could be just a surprise medical bill or emergency car repair away from financial crisis. It turns out that Oregon, a solidly blue state, is among the least affordable states in the nation, where 4 out of 10 households don’t earn enough to afford their basic needs, according to a national report released earlier this year. The report used an economic measure called ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) to identify households that earn above the federal poverty line but not enough to afford such basics as sufficient gas to get to work or fresh fruit to eat.

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