Affordability Crisis Hits Middle Class Families

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A middle-class writer describes the daily financial struggles her family faces, from scrounging for free food to worrying about losing employer-provided health insurance. She argues that the affordability crisis is worsening as government support for working families is cut in favor of tax breaks for the wealthy.

Why it matters

The affordability crisis is impacting millions of middle-class families who are unable to afford basic necessities like housing, food, and healthcare despite working hard. This threatens financial security and quality of life for a large segment of the population.

The details

The writer, a non-profit employee with a modest home and student loans, describes relying on community mutual aid and accepting expired food to feed her family. She notes that even with a master's degree and home ownership, the costs of childcare and medical issues have put her family under water financially. She was previously denied social safety net assistance for not having children, and now fears losing employer health coverage as Congress cuts Medicaid and ACA subsidies.

• The writer has struggled with affordability issues throughout her life, including when her parents raised three children on limited means.
• The writer recently faced a job layoff in a difficult job market, which would cost her family their employer-provided health insurance.

What’s next

The writer calls for restoring and expanding the social safety net to help working families afford basic necessities like housing, food, and healthcare.