ST. JOSEPH, Mich. (WNDU) – Nearly 29,000 households in southwest Michigan are not making enough to cover basic essentials, according to data released Tuesday in partnership with United Way of Southwest Michigan.
The data from 2024 includes Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties. The households fall above the poverty line but are not making enough to afford housing, food, groceries and transportation.
“It is the absolute best data that we have available that helps us understand what are people going through that are at a level of income from a family standpoint or maybe senior citizen standpoint where they might be on the verge of poverty,” said Zack East, senior director of United Way of Southwest Michigan…