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Holistic Student Supports

Information and Resources

College Survey: Food and Housing Insecurity

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Hope Center's #RealCollege Survey Results

In the fall of 2019, SCC students were asked to answer an anonymous survey developed by The Hope Center. Here are the results:  

  • 45% of respondents experienced food insecurity in the prior 30 days 
  • 54% of respondents experienced housing insecurity in the previous year 
  • 19% of respondents experienced homelessness in the previous year 
  • 64% of SCC respondents experienced at least one of these forms of basic needs insecurity in the past year 

SCC's Institutional Researcher, Christy Selway, put these results in context: “Compared to other community colleges across the nation, SCC respondents reported higher rates of food insecurity (45% vs. 42%), housing insecurity (54% vs. 50%) and homelessness (19% vs. 17%).” 

These facts are significant. Not only do they speak to the pervasiveness of food and housing struggles for community college students nationally, but they remind us that factors outside the classroom impact a student's ability to learn.

See Full Report below.

 

Actions: What can I do?

FAQ: "I'm working with a student, and they disclosed to me that they had to leave their apartment and do not have stable housing. What offices on campus can support them?"

  • Emergency Grants
    • Student Emergency Assistance Grant (SEAG) and Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness Grant (SSEH):
      • SEAG: The Student Emergency Assistance Grant (SEAG) assists students with unforseen emergencies or situations that affect a student's ability to continue attending classes.
      • SSEH: Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness (SSEH) may reduce barriers to help in obtaining access to resources on campus or within our community while experiencing homelessness.
      • Students may be eligible for either grant if: 1) They are currently enrolled at SCC; and 2) They have an emergent situation that arises and would prevent them from continuing classes. Emergent needs may include: 1) Books; 2) Childcare; 3) Food; 4) Healthcare; 5) Fees and Fines; 6) Housing; 7) Utilities; 8) Technology; and 9) Transportation.
      • For either of these grants, students complete an application with the Workforce Transitions office either onlineor by paper copy in the Workforce Transitions office.

 

FAQ: What can I do to support students facing food and housing insecurity?

  • Donate! The challenge dates are the same as the Winter 2023 Food Drive. Bring your non-perishable food and hygiene items to the donation bins around campus. Questions@ Email foodpantry@scc.spokane.edu.
  • Normalize this struggle. During the year surveyed, about 2/3 of our students experienced food and housing insecurity-- including homelessness. This is an experience shared by many of our students. Talk about this openly, and ensure that students who are struggling don't feel shame and don't feel that they are alone. Remind students that we all have a hierarchy of needs, and make sure that they know that food and housing problems are learning problems.   
  • Connect students to resources. You don't need to know all the community resources available to get students help. Use the Early Alert referral, and guide students to the Canvas resource titled "SCC Campus Resources." Frequently, it is not enough to simply let students know that resources like the Food Pantry exist, so find ways to make a deeper connection (campus tours, former student testimonials, email introductions to staff, walking students over, class assignments and/or reflections on resources, etc.).

  • Add statements to your syllabus about those resources. The Holistic Student Supports Subgroup for the Guided Pathways Steering Committee developed a sample statement that all faculty can include:
    • We learn as whole people. To learn effectively you must have basic security: a roof over your head, a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat. If you’re having trouble with any of those things, please talk with me or connect to resources. The faculty and staff on campus are here to help.
  • Understand that this is not an isolated issue impacting only a few students. There is a high prevalence of postsecondary student basic needs insecurity across all regions and sectors of Washington state colleges and universities, including the service regions of the Community Colleges of Spokane.
    • Throughout fall of 2022, students at two-year and four-year campuses across the state of Washington participated in the Washington Student Experience Survey to assess the rates of basic needs insecurity among postsecondary students throughout the state.
    • The findings of this survey, released in January 2023, demonstrate a staggering prevalence of basic needs insecurity, from food insecurity to homelessness. 39 colleges and universities and over 9,700 students responded to the survey, with broad representation: 45.3% students of color, 39.5% low-income students, and 51.8% first-generation students.
    • According to the findings of this survey: 
      • Students at two-year and four-year colleges had similar insecurity rates, with 1 in 2 experiencing food and/or housing insecurity.
      • Washington students struggled with food and housing insecurity at high rates:
        • 4 out of 10 students (38.3%) experienced food insecurity in the last 30 days
        • 3 out of 10 students (34.2%) experienced housing insecurity in the last 12 months
        • 1 out of 10 students (11.3%) experienced homelessness the last 12 months

    • In looking at regional findings from this survey for the service regions of the Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS), students experienced rates of basic needs insecurity in the Northeast and Southeast regions of the state at:
      • Northeast Region - 53.8%
      • Southeast Region - 48.8%
  •  
    • According to the Washington Student Achievement Council and Western Washington University (2023), Washington has made strides in recent years toward increasing awareness and state support of students’ basic needs, but has lacked statewide and regional data on unmet basic needs to help Washington colleges and policymakers more effectively tackle basic needs barriers to postsecondary attainment.
    • Continuing to understand and assess student needs on a statewide, regional, and institutional level will help colleges and universities throughout the state to continue to address basic needs barriers on our campuses. 

Additional Resources