A single parent with two young children needs to make $31.71 an hour — $66,966 a year — to afford housing, food, child care, transportation and other necessities in Orange County, says the Orange County United Way. The current California minimum wage is $8 an hour ($16,640 a year).
O.C. total costs for self sufficiency includes $1,595 for housing for the family. An adult with no children could get by on $15.24 an hour ($32,177 a year) because they would pay a lesser $1,330 for housing and not have to cover childcare costs, says the report.
The numbers come from a California family economic self-sufficiency standard created jointly by United Way, The Insight Center for Community Economic Development and more than 13 community-based organizations and other agencies. It was designed to show the gap for the working poor whose income exceeds the poverty levels that would allow them to get government aid, but who still can’t make ends meet because of the high cost of living here.
The United Way says part of the problem for O.C. families is that they have been beset by skyrocketing costs over the last five years, including a 31% jump for housing. Child care is up 22% and health care soared 26%.
Over the next year, the United Way project said it plans to have pilot agencies use the self-sufficiency calculator in conjunction with job training, workforce development, education, housing and other family support programs as a larger program and policy strategy to get families off of public benefits and into high-wage, family-sustaining jobs for the long-term.
“Our pilot agencies and network of community partners have provided the resources to connect families to services and programs they need to truly prosper,” said Maria Chavez Wilcox, president of Orange County United Way. “With the over 150,000 households in Orange County earning less than $25,000 a year, we know the need to build self-sufficient lives is great.”
Other housing news…
- North County sees biggest rent hikes
- O.C. calls up 23% for advice on late rent, house payments
- Rents go flat at O.C.’s 3-bedroom townhomes
- O.C.’s empty apartments seen at 6-year high
- 20-somethings coming home to roost
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everyone i know makes more than 66,966. story is a dud.
Is “trs” Larry Kudlow’s nom de plume?
TRS IS THE 2ND COMING OF THE TROLL
like everyone he knows trs is vastly
overpaid and will be shocked to
soon find this out… the hard way
What exactly IS the point of this story?
hey trs……..everyone you know makes 66k. does this include your mommy and daddy at whose home you live in? What a stupid statement. everybody you know????????????
Please use family income data to see the % of qualified buyers in buyers Market!!
At current rate and prices we need more than 100,000 income to qualify and be able to buy home.
Yeah. Exactly what is the point of this story? Who cares what is affortable? The Congress and Bush WILL bail us out if we do get in trouble, so don’t worry everyone. Just go out buy the house you like, if you fall behind on your payments, give our government a call.
TRS
IS THE NEW TROLL IN A DIFFERENT NAME……LOLLLL
The only thing this story did for me was remind me that people who cop out and get divorced only end up cheating their children. Unless it’s a widow, I’ve got little sympathy for single parents raising two kids on a middle income salary.
And yes, I’m a child of divorce. Three times over. Divorce is a cop out and divorced parents don’t get much sympathy from me if they’re only making 66K per year.
OC: welcome to the third world country, where the typical working person can’t raise two kids.
The point eludes too many. Doesn’t it cost over a mil to raise ONE kid these days? Having two in a single parent household in a premium area smacks of poor planning. Are we supposed to think this is an injustice?
Here’s some comic relief. This is what Bankrate thinks are reasonable expenses to raise a child to 18. How many people think you can feed a child on $4.17 per day? How many think you can buy health insurance for a child for $300 per year? Or recreation at $330 per year? A bigger home at $2,900 per year? These absurdly low numbers total $190,528 over 18 years, and do NOT include a college education. The real numbers are at least quadruple these. This is the economic reality of having children.
Child care: 4,300
Groceries: 1,525
Clothing: 606
Gift giving: 330
Bigger home: 2,900
Bigger car: 1,250
Education: 600
Recreation: 330
Additional insurance: 300
Health care: 300
Miscellaneous: 330
……….. poor / uneducated americans have kids like they are rabbits…….
…….. anyone who has a good job….. pays for all of those kids……. those kids mostly grow up to be more poor / uneducated rabbits…..
…….. another reason our country is going down the drain……..
…….. on another note……i wonder how many divorces the great OC housing bubble is going to cause……
provider,
I know lots of people who do it on far less than that.
You cant always blame the parents or at least not both. My mother divorced my father in the 70’s. She had some education, but not much. She was the typical stay at home mom. Dad leaves, mainly to be with his new woman. He decides to leave the state and not pay child support. My mom is stuck alone raising two kids. She does her best, gets an AA and tries to advance her career. She didnt have that much luck.
I agree divorce is wrong, and many people should not have kids. Life throws people curve balls. It isnt a perfect world. Once you get divorced you have to make it work some how.
It is nice to see that some of you have perfect lives and no financial or emotional problems.
The bottom line for this case is all of rely on middle and lower income people to support the lives we live. Are these folks expected to be bused in from the county borders? These are the same folks that many of you landlords rent to. Without them who will pay your rents?
We live in an economic melting pot. We have to learn to deal with it as best we can. If you have problems with it, than it only makes sense that more and more people should be able to afford to live here. This will help to free up more money that can be used to support the economy as a whole….but we know how difficult it is for some when things make sense.
Yes, but far less than that requires TWO parents (the per diem above for child care (to age 11) was a laughable $16.53). I applaud anyone who can make it happen, but it takes tremendous sacrifice.
Samson, people like your mother are superheroes, but you already knew that. No offense to your father, but I have nothing but disgust for child support deadbeats.
No I agree he was a deadbeat. It wasnt like he hadnt had the education or ability. He moved out of state fathered five more children. Has lived a very comfortable life.
I had to work since I was 15, paid most my way through school on my own. The fact that we basically owned our house and I had to include my fathers income as related to financial aid regardless of the fact that he gave zero support, kept me from getting any type of financial aid for school. I was better off than most in many ways, so I never complained.
I guess I just take offense, because life isnt as black and white as many think. Many women and men make horrible choices in life partners. Many people have children from multiple partners they shouldnt have…etc…etc.
I have just known many people personally who go into a marriage with the right intentions and things go south to no fault of their own.
These are the people I feel the stats above represent. They are the working poor, trying to do the right thing, but continually getting knocked back. It is sad that it appears to take such large incomes to survive.
Those that do it, my sister and her husband and 3 kids, are amazing people. The effort, time and sacrifice it takes to just live is incredible. They dont live in the OC though, but my brother in-law does work here. You should hear his stories about the elder abuse that goes on in Orange County. Usually by the very wealthy….It is sad to see what money does to some people.
Samson: money is the root of all evil. There is no question.
“It is sad to see what money does to some people.”
That’s not fair. It’s the person, not the money. Some of the best people you’ll ever meet have money. Sometimes, believe it or not, it’s because they are good people that they become successful — or at least the benefits of success come to them.
Hope Mulli had tongue-in- cheek, not head up butt.
PDU,
That is why I said SOME people. He has just told me many stories have going to multi-million dollar homes, only to find the parent/grandparent locked up in a room upstairs, barely hanging on. He finds them in extremely unclean conditions, finds that children/grandchildren have in one illegal way or another obtained power of attorney…only to squander or imbezzle monies…etc…etc…
This isnt the rule by any means, but it happens.
I agree many people do wonders with the money they have like Buffet, Turner, and Gates. I think most do the right thing by their parents/grandparents who without they would probably have no wealth of their own.
It just amazes me at times how people will treat each other over money, regardless of how rich they are.
…and Mulli.
Actually it is “THE LOVE OF money is the root of all evil.”
There is a difference. Probably why we are in this mess in the first place.
Sampson,
I know what you are saying and generally agree with your posts.
Just don’t assume that the people you speak of became bad because of the money. They were bad to begin with or wouldn’t have been capable of such acts.
It’s not the money that’s bad….it’s the acts of the people because of the money, maybe……and yes, for some, the money might be the catalyst.
Some people are evil, some are greedy. It’s amazing to see how depraved some can become when there is money at stake.
Mary Ann Milbourn from O.C. Register is always coming up with a worst story. Free advertisement for United Way.
It is fun to read her useless reports from time to time.
GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Troy and soms compassion!!!!!!
I feel sory for the women stuck with you….
trs….guess what….. What single parent do you know that makes over $85,000 a year w/ two kids.?? THATS what a single parent would need to make to live in a 2 BDRM in Irvine!!! SAD
Prices will continue to drop