Hunger

Food Insecure
Students Are Often
Housing Insecure
Food insecurity is rarely an isolated condition, but instead is a sign
of deeper financial hardship. As a result, people who are food
insecure often experience other types of financial hardship as well,
such as housing insecurity.
There is less research available about student housing insecurity than
about food insecurity, but the existing research indicates a serious
problem. In the most recent data from the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA), 58,000 college students indicated that they
were homeless. The actual number is likely much higher, since the
FAFSA requires students to show complicated documentation of their
homelessness to be classified as such. 17 In addition, the FAFSA fails to
identify undocumented students who are homeless.
Sixty-four
percent of food
insecure students
also reported
experiencing some
type of housing
insecurity.
The survey conducted for this report found that
housing problems were commonplace among food
insecure students. Sixty-four percent of food insecure
students also reported experiencing some type of
housing insecurity in the past 12 months. Of even
greater concern, 15 percent of food insecure students
reported experiencing some form of homelessness –
the most extreme form of housing insecurity.
17 National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth, “Financial Aid for
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth,” 2014, http://www.naehcy.org/sites/default/files/dl/fafsasurvey-report.pdf.
18