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The UNM Basic Needs Project (BNP) is a collaboration of University of New Mexico faculty, staff, and students, with all higher educational institutions and the wider community. The aim of the project is to research and improve the basic needs security of college and university students in New Mexico. Through the utilization of research and community feedback, BNP members seek to develop solutions to the problems of food/housing insecurity, and advocate for the human rights of those in higher education.
To date, the UNM BNP has performed three studies of note, researching the basic needs security of those in higher education. Two studies pertaining to students at the University of New Mexico in 2020 and 2021 are available to read below. Information about the BNP 2023 statewide study can be found at the UNM Basic Needs Website.
Find the 2021 Basic Needs Project Report.
Find the 2020 Basic Needs Project Report.
Visit the UNM Basic Needs Website.
Food insecurity on college campuses has become an area of intense study over the past decade, and research on housing insecurity is on the rise. According to the 2021 report by The Hope Center, a research and advocacy institution housed at Temple University, 3 in 5 college students experience basic needs insecurity in the U.S. According to the report, housing insecurity impacted 48% of students nationally, and homelessness impacted 14%. Food insecurity impacted 29% of students at 4-year institutions, and 39% of students at 2-year institutions (The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice 2021).
Here in New Mexico, BNP studies have noted that in 2020, 32% of UNM students experienced food insecurity, while 42% experienced housing insecurity. Research indicates that minority populations, including those who identified themselves as American Indian, Hispanic, or LGBTQ+ were most at risk, with American Indians experiencing food insecurity at 52% and housing insecurity at 51% (Cargas et al. 2020).
The Basic Needs Project data collection and reporting utilizes a longitudinal study method to examine food and housing security in the student population at UNM. Through both qualitative (interviews and focus groups) and quantitative (surveys) data collection, the BNP is the first representative study of basic needs security in college students in the state of New Mexico. The inaugural survey was conducted in among UNM students in April 2020, amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic. Follow up data collection took place in Spring and Fall of 2021, and currently the research team is working on preparing a follow-up report. In 2023, a large-scale comprehensive statewide survey of NM public higher education institutions was conducted, and the research team is currently in the process of developing follow up reports. More information on this study can be found at the UNM BNP website.
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