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About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (May 23, 2018)
6A COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL MAY 23, 2018 Report shows 44 percent of Lane families struggling Fift y-three percent of CG families are living in poverty or struggling fi nancially By Caitlyn May cmay@cgsentinel.com A lmost half of Lane County residents are either living in poverty or are one expense away from a fi nancial disaster. Th is, according to the latest United Way Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) report that shows 44 percent of Lane’s 147,712 households struggling fi nancially. “Basically, the frustration and startling aspect of this, but really it’s no surprise since we’ve been talking about this but housing costs continue to rise so it’s not a surprise that 44 percent of households in Lane County are ALICE families,” said United Way of Lane County President Noreen Dunnells. “Th ey’re our neighbors and our friends.” In Cottage Grove, 53 percent of the city's 3,937 households qualify as ALICE households or fall below the poverty line. Four of the 12 other cities in Lane County (Florence, Oakridge, Springfi eld and Westfi r) have a higher percentage of struggling households. ALICE families, by defi nition, earn an income that does not fall below the federal poverty line ($11,880 annually) but does not meet the basic cost of living. In Oregon, 42 percent of households qualify as ALICE households with 58 percent of jobs in the state paying less than $20 an hour and 60 percent of those jobs paying less than $15 an hour. “A single adult, just to survive, has to make $11 an hour or $22,000 annually,” Dunnell said, noting that the salary did not include having money set aside for an emergency. And while food was a large percent of a family’s budget when the poverty line was created more than 40 years ago, other costs such as technology and housing have since dominated household budgets. Local realtors in Cottage Grove placed the average cost of a one-bedroom apartment between $450 and $600 a month. A person making $11 an hour will earn $1,760 per month prior to taxes meaning that rent can account for 34 percent of the individual’s gross pay for the month. Th ree-bedroom apartments can reach up to $1,600 per month. ALICE takes into account monthly expenses including housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, technology, taxes and miscellaneous expenses, labeling the subsequent costs as a survival budget. Th e data, from 2016, shows in increase in housing, health care in technology since the last report released in 2016. "Food has stayed steady since we started engaging in this study," Dunnell said, noting that in increases the report did show had an impact on families and their ability to maintain a survival budget. As housing prices continue to rise and wages lag or remain stagnant, emergencies like a cavity or care repair could mean the diff erence between being housed and being homeless. Other factors including student loans, are harder to pinpoint. Th e ALICE report draws data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Bureau of Labor and Statitics and other governmental agencies to help shape the report. However, student loans are not reported through a single agency and vary between governmental and private lenders. And while national studies have shown American families to lag behind in savings, ALICE points out that every day expenses can become a tipping point for families who make too much money to fall below the poverty line but not enough to survive. Such expenses can include an increase in rent, car insurance, childcare or cell phone usage and data plans as well as an unexpected care repair or urgent trip to the emergency room for a non life threatening injury. n The Northwest’s Finest Gardening Seed n Flowers, Herbs, & Shrubs n Vegetable Transplants n Fruit Trees Annual Lion Pride Pageant earns $14,800 for children By Caitlyn May cmay@cgsentinel.com J ackson Perkins is the new Lion King. During an award ceremony held on April 28, Perkins earned the most money and points to be crowned the winner of the an- nual Lion Pride Pageant put on by Cottage Grove High School in an eff ort to raise funds for the Children's Miracle Network. Th is year, the group earned $14,800. "It's something that we do with other schools in Lane County and it's actually nation- wide," said Carmen Adler, the coordinator for this year's pag- eant. Th e event, formerly the Lion King pageant, has changed in the last two years, allowing fe- male students to embark on the long journey towards the crown. "It's a process," Adler said. Students have to apply, under- go and interview process, have a 2.5 GPA and get teacher rec- ommendations before they can spend months doing extracur- ricular activities and raising money. 20 Palmer Ave. n Cottage Grove n (541) 942-0510 OPEN NOW ine B eer , W er id an d C N o w ble ! Av ail a COURTESY CARMEN ADLER LION PRIDE-Contestants for the Lion Pride Pageant visit the NICU AT RiverBend in Eugene. COTTAGE GROVE SPRING Tune-Up It’s Mowing Season! Largest selection of Power Lawn & Garden Equipment We’ll make sure your system is running eff ectively and effi ciently. Call for details and an appointment today, and beat the spring rush! In South Lane and North Douglas Stop in today! Only $99* Complete Heating & Cooling System Service Reasonable Rates • All Work Guaranteed HOUSE-MADE CARLTON FARMS PORKSAUSAGE 100% GRASSFED BEEF LOCAL & IN-HOUSE BREADS German-ish German inspired cooking • Housemade Breads & Meats Many Menu Items Gluten Free • Locally Sourced Foods 60 Gateway Blvd. Cottage Grove, OR 97424 541-942-6130 www.pigandturnip.com Check out our online menu! Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30am-6:00pm, Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 11am-4pm 418 A St. Springfi eld, OR 97477 • 541-968-2403 118 Gateway Blvd., Cottage Grove (Next to Bi-Mart) • 541-942-7377 Playground Safety For more information playgroundsafety.org Playgrounds are great places to have fun. But you need to have fun without getting hurt. Here are some rules to remember: Always slide down facing forward. NEVER slide down headfi rst! Wait until the person in front of you is on the ground and has moved away from the slide. KIMWOOD Corporation 77684 Hwy 99, CG 541-942-4401 S entinel C ottage G rove + www.shoppelocal.biz Be Make careful when you an walk sure in adult front of moving is swings. You present don’t want to when get hit playing accidentally! S entinel C ottage G rove 116 N. Sixth Street P.O. Box 35 Cottage Grove 942-3325 fax 942-3328 --- est. 1889 --- Never Avoid leave climbing or the on sliding YOU’RE COVERED playground equipment $65 per year GROUND GROUND MEMBERSHIP MEMBERSHIP • $65 per year with GROUND & AIR support MEMBERSHIP per year • $110 a or poles 942-4493 beams. stranger Cottage Grove/Creswell/Lorane/Dorena 541-836-2282 531 S. CEDAR ST. DRAIN, OREGON 97435 Be kind and caring to everyone. g T f Be careful when you walk in front of moving swings. O P E N D A I L Y 1 1 A . M . To Go Orders Call... 541-942-5531 At the corner of Gateway Blvd. & Main Street. You don‛t want to get hit accidentally!