When 46-year-old Alexandria Bass underwent surgery last summer, it kept her from her job as a restaurant manager for a month. She shares the rent on an apartment in Richwood, Texas with her daughter, who has a one-year-old son. Alexandria’s weeks-long recovery put her $600 short on their rent.

A friend told Alexandria about United Way of Brazoria County’s Rent and Utilities Fund, which provides financial assistance to people in the same situation as Alexandria.  She called and was directed to a website to apply for help. “I gave them all the information that they asked for and they got right on it,” Alexandria recalled.

In fact, Gloria Luna, United Way of Brazoria County Community Outreach Director, met Alexandria at her apartment after Alexandria’s first day back at work. “She gave me a check, allowing me to pay my portion,” Alexandria said. “United Way was really great to me, helping me when I needed help. It’s a great program that helps families in need.”

Alexandria’s situation is similar to the 352 others who received rent and utilities funds in 2023 from the United Way (HELPline) Rent & Utilities Funds, which assists with emergency rent, and/or utility assistance when available. The St. Luke's Health Community Health Needs Assessment identified the need for rent and utility assistance among certain groups in Brazoria County. The program received a $25,000 CommonSpirit Health Community Health Improvement Grant from St. Luke’s Health-Brazosport Hospital to help with the shortfall.

“The United Way of Brazoria County offers a helping hand to people during some of the most vulnerable times of their lives," said Robert Trautman, President of St. Luke’s-Brazosport. “That aligns perfectly with the mission of St. Luke’s Health and we are proud to support the impactful work this wonderful organization does in our community.”

A 2023 Texas ALICE Report by United Way of Texas identified significant economic challenges in Texas, with 43% of households struggling to afford housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care, and technology in 2021. "ALICE" denotes Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed households, earning above the Federal Poverty Level but grappling with living costs. The COVID-19 crisis worsened housing insecurity, particularly among renters, despite federal aid like stimulus packages and unemployment benefits.

“The ALICE population are those who are barely making ends meet,” Ms. Luna explained. “Just because there's growth in Brazoria County doesn't mean that we're growing in every aspect. People's wages and pay are all staying the same, but everything is going up. A lot of people are having to decide, ‘Do I pay this light bill versus my medication or something else that I need.’”

United Way fully vets each applicant and meticulously reviews finances like prior paychecks and bank statements, before awarding assistance.  Individuals who are not employed and can be employed are referred to an Essentials To Life class to learn about budgeting, resume writing, job searching, and applying for work.

“We do the best we can when we're vetting the individuals, always making sure that donor dollars are respected 100%,” Ms. Luna said.