Address Student Basic Needs: Food and Housing Insecurity

Stakeholder Education

Educate campus leaders about the issue

Today, more than one-third of students on campus are struggling with food or housing insecurity. Students cannot be expected to achieve academic success or personal wellness until their basic needs are met. Supporting food and housing security on campus should be a crucial priority, but presidents, provosts, board members, and other senior campus leaders can be unaware of the challenges students face and how these challenges can impact their success.

Decision Support

Streamline access to support

There are easy ways to strengthen support for students experiencing food insecurity. Break down barriers preventing students from accessing existing support on campus and in the community; then, create structured channels to connect food-insecure students to surplus campus resources.

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Action Support

Create referral mechanisms for campus partners

From campus dining and recreation to financial aid, staff across campus regularly encounter students who are experiencing food or housing insecurity. Make sure these frontline partners know how to connect students with resources such as the campus food pantry, emergency fund, or community food banks.

Decision Support

Scale up campus services

As more and more students face basic needs insecurity, colleges and universities should be prepared to scale resources to address growing demand. Make sure you have sustainable infrastructure, including funding or staffing, to support increased need.

Now that you've read the roadmap

• Explore the best practice study Addressing College Students’ Basic Needs