Veterans in Financial Hardship
Because U.S. military veterans have served and sacrificed for this country, there is a national sense of responsibility to ensure that their basic needs are met. And overall, veterans have fared better economically than nonveterans. Yet not everyone has been included in that trend: In 2019, a substantial 128,525 thousand veterans — 32% — still struggled to make ends meet in Tennessee.
According to the outdated Federal Poverty Level (FPL), 7% of veterans in TN lived in poverty in 2019. But United For ALICE data shows that another 24% — more than three times as many — were also struggling, in households that earned above the FPL but less than what it costs to afford the basics. These households are ALICE: A sset L imited, I ncome C onstrained, E mployed.
Combining families in poverty and those who are ALICE, nearly one-third (32%) of all veterans lived in a household with income below the ALICE Threshold in 2019, struggling to afford essentials in the communities where they lived.
The link below offers a more detailed view of veterans experiencing financial hardship.
