Survey: Many in Connecticut just getting by

[Excerpt from article by Alex Putterman that appeared on the top of the front page of all Hearst Connecticut newspapers, Sunday, December 1, 2024]

About 40% of Connecticut adults are struggling financially or "just getting by," a new survey has found. The survey, from the nonprofit DataHaven, found that more people report being worse off financially than they were a year ago than report being better off, amid increases in food and housing insecurity.

For its survey, DataHaven partnered with Siena College to interview 7,458 randomly selected adults across every Connecticut town, with statistical weights to ensure representation across demographic categories. The group says results have a maximum margin of error of 1.5%.

Here are some takeaways from the findings.

Connecticut residents are less economically stable than before

This survey marked the sixth time since 2016 that DataHaven has asked Connecticut residents about their financial security. The trend? Not good, the data shows.

Asked how they are managing financially, 29% said "living comfortably" and another 30 percent said "doing all right." That left 21% who are "just getting by," 11% who are "finding it difficult" and 8 percent who are "finding it very difficult."

The total share of people "just getting by" or worse was up 12 percentage points from the previous survey in 2022 and was the highest on record.

DataHaven's survey backs up findings in several other recent reports, which similarly showed a rise in economic precarity in Connecticut. In October, the United Way of Connecticut found that the number of residents earning less than a living wage has increased in recent years, leaving more than 560,000 households below the threshold at which they can afford essentials.

Just weeks later, a separate report from Connecticut Voices for Children found that poverty in the state rose more than 40 percent from 2021 to 2022 as key federal programs expired.

Housing and food costs are particularly challenging

Connecticut in recent years has seen a spike in rental costs and a rise in homelessness, so maybe it's no surprise that DataHaven's survey shows an increase in housing insecurity.

According to the survey, 12% of Connecticut adults have lacked money to pay for adequate housing in the past year, up from 10% two years ago and the highest figure since DataHaven began asking the question in 2015.

Food has also become an issue for a growing number of people. The survey found that 12% of people have received groceries or meals from a food pantry or similar emergency food service over the past year, while 18% said there has been a time in the past year when they couldn't afford adequate food.

Food insecurity dipped in 2021 amid a wave of federal pandemic-relief efforts, including stimulus payments and an expanded child tax credit, but has risen again since, DataHaven's survey results show.

In a response to increases in economic stability, the United Way of Connecticut and Connecticut Voices for Children, among other groups, have called for the creation of a state child tax credit, which would benefit households below a certain income level.

Mark Abraham, DataHaven's executive director, said this week housing could also be an area for policymakers to focus on if they want to help Connecticut residents achieve greater financial security.

"I think there are probably a lot of approaches to making housing more affordable in Connecticut, mainly building more of it," Abraham said.

The problems are worst for poor, Black, Latino and indigenous residents

Across essentially every category, poorer Connecticut residents reported being in worse shape than wealthier residents, and Black, Latino and indigenous residents reported being in worse shape than white residents.

Take, for example, housing: According to DataHaven, 20% of Black adults, 20% of indigenous adults and 18% of Latino adults have lacked money for adequate shelter in the past year, compared to 9% of white adults and 7% of Asian adults.

Similar patterns hold for food insecurity, transportation challenges and other categories. Only 66% of Black adults and 65% of Latino adults said they have access to a car, as compared to 86% of white adults.

Unsurprisingly, poorer people across racial and ethnic groups were far more likely to report issues with food, housing or transportation than wealthier people.

Wealthy people were also more likely to like where they live: 92% of people with incomes over $200,000 said they're satisfied with their city or area, compared to 75% of people with incomes under $30,000.

These trends may help explain the recent election

Struggles with housing and food costs likely help explain why nearly every state -- including Connecticut -- shifted in the recent presidential election toward Donald Trump, who many voters saw as representing change from the status quo.

Even in Connecticut, where Democrat Kamala Harris defeated Trump comfortably, only 42% of adults trust the federal government either "somewhat" or "a great deal," according to DataHaven's survey.

Abraham noted that low-income people, who are struggling most financially, moved most toward Trump.

As government gets more local, the survey found, trust improves, perhaps explaining why Democratic incumbents fared well in Connecticut even as Harris lost ground. DataHaven reports that 56% of adults in Connecticut trust the state government, while 65% trust their local government.

Despite struggles, people mostly like life in Connecticut

For all those troubling results about economic instability, housing prices and food insecurity, in other parts of the survey Connecticut residents reported feeling happy with aspects of life in the state.

Asked whether they're satisfied with the city or area where they live, 82% of people said yes. Asked whether the place they live is getting better or worse, 30% said "better" and 46% said "about the same," while only 22% said "worse."

Respondents also gave relatively good marks to the police (67 percent said they do a "good" or "excellent" job keeping residents safe) and to public parks and other public recreational facilities (which 71 percent said were in "good" or "excellent" condition). Meanwhile, 68 percent said their area was a "good" or "excellent" place to raise children, with only 9 percent responding "poor."

As for the people in their communities, 81% of people said those in their neighborhood can be trusted, and 73% said those in their neighborhood are trying to improve it.