A New Mexico group has been tabbed to help the White House in its efforts to address hunger and homelessness. 

Across the state, college students are not immune to those conditions and neither are faculty or staff.

A survey released last year by the New Mexico Basic Needs Consortium found that 17% of students and 12% of faculty and staff at New Mexico colleges and universities had experienced homelessness in the 12 months leading to March 2023. 

The consortium is one of 141 organizations involved in the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities. Joe Biden’s administration announced last week that it was making $1.7 billion in commitments to address hunger and health issues.

Extent of problem was unknown

The consortium’s survey also found that students and staff were struggling in other ways.

According to the survey, 66% of students had experienced recent food insecurity; 58% of respondents reported housing insecurity. Significant numbers of faculty and staff responding to the survey also reported experiencing those difficulties, 36% for food insecurity and 47% for housing insecurity.

A majority of those without adequate food reported “very low” food security, meaning disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake. “Low” food security indicates that food is available, but the quality, desirability or variety of available food is subpar.

“We knew there was a problem,” said consortium leader Sarita Cargas, an associate professor in the University of New Mexico Honors College. “We just didn’t know the extent of the problem, especially with faculty and staff.”

Cargas said that homelessness among faculty is probably related to higher education’s dependence on part-time adjunct faculty, who teach a substantial portion of the coursework, but don’t necessarily make a living wage.

She defined homelessness as not having a roof over one’s head, possibly living in a car or in a space not intended for human habitation. Cargas said individuals who were “couch surfing” or in other temporary housing were not counted as homeless.

The survey collected responses from 13,837 students, faculty and staff at 27 of the 29 public institutions across New Mexico. The majority of respondents were employed, with 40% working full-time and 29% holding part-time jobs. Another 17% were listed as unemployed and looking for work, while 5% were unable to work due to immigration status or academic program requirements.

Data Cargas shared with City Desk ABQ showed students of color and LGBTQ+ students bore disproportionate negative impacts in almost all categories. More white students — 15% — experienced homelessness than Hispanic students — 10%. Black students had the greatest rates in food insecurity, housing insecurity and homelessness.

“We need to do more to help our minority students cross the finish line and get a degree,” Cargas said.

She said that the issues also dampen graduation rates, and that students who leave college with debt and no degree are worse off than when they started.

Student stories

The survey report included a video that featured students sharing their stories of food and housing insecurity. They spoke of eating ramen three times a day or relying on coffee instead of food in advance of important exams.

They also said the process of applying to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (also known as food stamps) is arduous and time-consuming and the eligibility interviews can conflict with class or work schedules. Once gained, they said, the SNAP benefits made a measurable difference in their food security.

The students also discussed hardships such as sudden rent increases and vehicle thefts and their impacts on their housing and food security, and ultimately on their academic performance.

The consortium evolved from the UNM Basic Needs Project, a collaborative effort by faculty, students and staff to better meet the needs of those at institutions of higher education in the state. It began in 2019, conducting research on food and housing insecurity in the Southwest.

Possible solutions offered

The consortium plans to work on improving food security, housing security, financial stability and health and wellness among campus communities, Cargas said.

She said the tools to bring about those improvements include policy changes, data collection (which is important in showing the success of programs to potential supporters) and education. Cargas said students should be informed of available services and legislators need to be educated on the changing demographics and needs of student bodies.

She said the number-one response of colleges and universities to food insecurity has been the creation of campus food pantries, but without data measuring their success, it will be hard for them to get sustainable funding.

The survey also says colleges and universities can help address the issues by creating emergency grant programs to help students out when unexpected expenses arise and allowing students living out of their cars to park overnight in patrolled, secure lots.

State legislators, the consortium says, could change SNAP requirements to allow coursework to count toward work requirements and simplify the application process.

State leaders could also fund basic-needs centers at public colleges and universities, which would employ staff to help students navigate public benefits applications and assist them with finding safe and affordable housing, the consortium suggests in a 2022 video. 

Cargas expressed confidence in the likelihood of improving the conditions on New Mexico campuses.

“We have the knowledge and experience in New Mexico to solve a problem in New Mexico,” she said.