The higher education research group Wisconsin Hope Lab defines food insecurity as “the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods.” According to a new study they published in March, two in three community college students they surveyed are food insecure — an increase of 50 percent from their 2015 report.
And students are not just lacking in food; many don’t even have a kitchen. The same group confirmed the findings of two studies that estimated an average of 13 percent of community college students may be homeless. Half of the community college students surveyed in both studies were housing insecure, which refers to the inability to pay rent or utilities or having to move frequently.
More than 400 colleges and universities have joined the College and University Food Bank Alliance, a professional organization committed to alleviating food insecurity and hunger by providing free food or meal plans for students who need it. That’s a good start, but it’s not enough. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 provides resources in the form of financial assistance and services to make college accessible for homeless youth. Many colleges are using these services to keep dorms open between semesters, provide off-campus housing or offer other services linked to homelessness, but these services don’t seem to be meeting the need.
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