Oakland County is one of the highest income counties in Michigan and has ranked among the wealthiest counties in the nation. Home to the Big Three, Automation Alley, and Oakland University, Oakland County has become a national center for technology and innovation, a hub for high-skilled engineering jobs and related occupations.

For many people, Oakland County is a place of opportunity and prosperity where achieving the American Dream isn’t just possible, it’s commonplace. Yet that prosperity not shared by all in Oakland County– far from it.

More than 150,000 residents of Oakland County are unable to afford adequate housing, food, or transportation. (United for ALICE, 2021) At least 3,000 people experience homelessness each year. (Alliance for Housing, 2019) Of those, 24% are children and young people, and more than 1 in 11 kids in Oakland County are food insecure, meaning they don’t have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. (Feeding America, 2020) 

Poverty is a real – and growing – problem in Oakland County and has serious consequences for our community as a whole. A high cost of living combined with a lack of affordable housing, public transport, and support services for people with low incomes threatens the health and vitality of our entire community and local economy.

Lighthouse is working to create a pathway out of poverty for people in our community. With your help, we can create a community that works for everyone. 

Will you join us?