More Northern Virginia families struggling to meet basic needs

A new report is underscoring the increase in Northern Virginia families struggling to afford basic needs.

In 2021, 20% of families in the region did not earn enough money for shelter, food, medical care and other essentials. Another 9% could not afford childcare in addition to these needs.

The report comes from the Community Foundation of Northern Virginia’s research arm, Insight Region. It says recent inflation has pushed many families into what is called income inadequacy.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, from December 2020 to December 2021, gasoline prices rose nearly 50%, food prices rose more than 6% and rent rose over 3%. A year and a half later, families are still feeling the effects of inflation despite its recent cooling.

“In the first half of 2023, a third of families in Northern Virginia reported difficulty paying the bills,” the report states.

Moderate and middle-income families – historically cushioned from income inadequacy – saw the highest increase in families struggling. The percent of families earning between $100,000 and $150,000 struggling to pay their bills increased from 15% in 2021 to 34% in 2023, according to the report.

Families whose primary earners did not have a bachelor’s degree, identified as Black or Hispanic, and whose primary job was in food service, construction, personal care and grounds/building work saw higher rates of income inadequacy.

The report states that needs tended to cluster, with more than 30% of families in Alexandria, south Arlington, Manassas, Manassas Park, Falls Church, and the Annandale-Bailey’s Crossroads area of Fairfax County unable to cover basic needs.

To deal with rising costs, the report says families at all income levels are changing their habits. Many are cutting back on discretionary spending, like dining out less frequently, switching to generic brands and looking for sales when they shop.

However, one in every five families has sacrificed more serious essentials such as medical care or food to make ends meet. About half of families have also compromised their financial health.

“Low and moderate-income families were the most likely to make changes overall in response to inflation, and also had exceptionally high rates of sacrificing a basic need (42%) to cope with rising costs,” the report reads.

For single-parent families and households with only one working parent, “getting by” in Northern Virginia can come with different financial considerations and sacrifices.

About half of families with children in Northern Virginia are headed by two working adults, and most families in Northern Virginia depend on two incomes.

The report says if each family with 2+ workers only had its primary (highest paid) source of income, 45% of the region’s families would not have enough income to pay for basic needs, and 67% would struggle with the cost of childcare.

Chanel and Crissy are single mothers living in Prince William County. They have well-paying jobs but struggle to keep up with basic expenses like utilities, gas, and food. Both women also say housing is the most difficult – yet most essential – expense to cover.

Crissy, 35, who did not want to share her last name, said she can afford only to pay her rent and partly fill up her gas tank. She has five children, lives paycheck to paycheck and receives help from different organizations to cover her utility expenses.

She has lived in her Prince William home with her children for 10 years. She previously shared the expenses with her boyfriend but was left to cover her bills alone after they split in 2021.

Her rent was $1,000 a month when she first moved into the home, but it has since increased to $1,600. She has tried to find more affordable housing but without success.

While trying to keep up with current expenses, Crissy says she’s not able to plan for the future. Her landlord offered to sell her the house she rents for $350,000, but she declined, knowing she could not get a loan.

She has worked at her retail job for 12 years and only recently started putting money in a 401(k). “I’m only able to worry about today and this month and this year. I’m not able to worry about my retirement – I can’t afford it.”

Chanel, who asked only to be identified by her middle name, has four children and says feeding her children sometimes means not eating herself.

“I just bought a couple of items – small items, and it cost me $50,” Chanel said. “That’s hard because once the food is gone, once you’ve cooked all the food or eaten all the food, then you gotta go back and get more.”

Despite having a roof over her head, Chanel says she considers herself homeless because she is “bunking from home to home.” She moved in with loved ones after the lease on her previous home ended and the owners sold the house.

When she had her own house, all her income went toward rent. “A three-bedroom would have been $1,500 to $1,700 [monthly rent],” she said. “Now, they’re $2,400 to $2,500, and that’s not affordable.”

The report says addressing income inadequacy in the wake of inflation requires tackling immediate and long-term challenges for struggling families.

Some immediate solutions put forth in the report include expanding program eligibility to families at higher income levels and further developing outreach and technology to connect eligible families with assistance.

Long-term solutions include expanding homeownership programs for lower-moderate-income families and supporting low-interest loans to low and moderate-income families.

This article was prepared in cooperation with the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia.

Can we have a few facts from the Media Elite? Like the current population of the USA is 335 million and will be 400 million by 2048. More than 1 million immigrants are granted legal residency in the USA every year. Hundreds of thousands more illegal immigrants cross our borders every year and will never leave. About 40 million persons resident in the USA are living in poverty. Talk about Russia...American Oligarchs (1% of the U.S. population) who control everything and own almost everything don't care and don't want to live near poor people. The American Oligarchy depends on vast numbers of poor people, many of them legal and illegal immigrants, to clean their mansions, staff their fast food restaurant chains, and provide cheap labor for everything else they control. Media Elite support the American Oligarchy and lead the same lifestyle while professing sympathy for the poor, migrants, persons of color, etc.

American sheeple have been putting up with Media drivel for decades. Twenty five years ago it was the Clintons, 50 years ago it was Nixon, today it's Trump.

Media Elite has no concern about the future except their kids should live in bigger McMansions than their parents, in outer-outer-outer suburbs.

Having 5 kids that u can’t afford is a bad decision. That’s on her, Ever hear of birth control?

Where are all Joe Biden voters? Bidenomics at work. This is the fantastic economy that uneducated patriot has been bragging about. JB and the dems crushing the middle and lower class!

They will show on election day just like 2024 to make sure the orange felon stays out of office and can't pardon himself.

Yes, it is a good economy. Low unemployment, positive growth, inflation at 3%.

Plenty of jobs for those will skills. Sorry/not sorry you are being left behind Fake.

I don't know, but they somehow show up in September for election day in November. It's who counts the votes not casts them anyway. Isn't that a Biden quote?

Bidenomics at work. Another perfect example of this failed administration.

Where is that deplorable non educated parrot with all his stats. This story contradicts everything he says. Didn't insidenove consult with him first? Bidenomics what a great campaign message. [thumbup]

You are the Deplorable Will. I don't support Trump and the GOP.

It contradicts nothing I have said. Rich counties have underclasses that struggle due to exorbitant cost of living. True in NoVA just like it is true in NYC and San Francisco.

As NoVA grows it will continue to be more expensive and working class will continue to struggle.

If you can't make it under Bidenomics, you can't make it. Not everyone wins. Funny Ronald Reagan understood that, but now the the GOP is mostly white working class (underclass) the GOP has stopped talking about free markets and responsibility. It is all about blaming China, immigrants, and LGBTQ.

Put some lotion on your soft hands

No matter the issue, you are always wrong. Bidenomics is killing Americans, literally and figuratively. Under Trump (before COVID) poverty was at record low levels for Blacks and Hispanics: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2020/09/poverty-rates-for-blacks-and-hispanics-reached-historic-lows-in-2019.html

Now, young families can't even afford to buy a starter home in a bad neighborhood because skyrocketing interests rates have priced them out. In addition, Biden has let into the US several million illegals causing rental payments to skyrocket.

And you are okay with this because your close-mindedness blinds you to reality. The GOP is gaining Blacks and Hispanics, especially men. Fortunaterly, you don't see it.

Your kind is okay with crony corruption if it pays off for you personally. Shameful.

Crony capitalism IS capitalism. Not just in the US, in the global economy.

Bidenomics has produced lower unemployment, more job growth, and higher GDP that Trump did.

Black and Hispanic poverty has been trending downward for two generations. It has nothing to do with any of Trump's policies.

Funny you only look at one year and conviently forget Trump was still in office in 2020, when the economy imploded and Trump's economic numbers (all of them) went to hell.

Current Black and Hispanic poverty numbers are lower under Biden then under Trump in 2020, 2018, and 2017.

Never debate data with a guy who does it for a living.

He is as crazy as FJB. GDP is horrible right now. Prices of gas, rent and food are very high. Government is paying for illegals to trash five star hotels, taking children’s rec centers and soccer fields for illegals. He sniffs little girls’ hair and nibbles on babies. What)s not to love?!! Gag me!!

I love how democrats say 2020 was a bad year economically for trump but fail to mention that covid happened and democrat run s-hole cities who he says over and over and over are the driving force of our economy were shutdown by democrat mayors and governors in 2020. A kumquat could get the economic results Biden got in 2021 as things were opening up...then bidenflation hit and the Biden price hike on gas/energy which is basically what this article is about.

@Swamp.

2020 was the worst years since the Depression. And Trump owns it.

But if you want to blame the Democratic Cities which make up most of the US economy, then they also get the credit for any economic performance in 2019.

I love how you cherry pick. Typical of the undedicated GOP which no longer believes in standards or methodology.

Remember, the real shi*tholes are rural GOP run communities.

Clearly you have learned nothing because you are incapable of learning.

Inflation is 3%. Oil is at a very stable price of $80 a barrel near its historic average.

This is right up your alley since "More college grads = Less Deplorables". I wonder how much of their tax dollar is going to pay off interest from college grads that got underwater basket weaving degrees and live in their parents basement?!

The people living in their parents basement ARE the Deplorables.

College graduates continue to have lower unemployment and much higher incomes than the GOP base (non-college educated "working class" whites).

The GOP base doesn't pay much in taxes. People with low paying jobs or on social security disability collect more than they pay.

Thank you, Kenn Knarr for exposing your true self.

Ken Knarr is also a person who is smarter and more accomplished than you will ever be Dale.

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