Sac State students’ bare budgets, basic need

On the far northeastern side of Sacramento State University, inside Yosemite Hall, a new campus food pantry is proving to be an integral part in the university’s efforts to stave off food insecurity and other money-related problems.

Sac State is one of only 11 of 23 CSU campuses with a food program, and it’s part of a multitiered approach to helping students who don’t have enough funds for food, housing and other basic needs.

A recent study released by the CSU system estimates 21 to 24 percent of students are considered food insecure and 8.7 to 12 percent of students don’t have housing. Those are numbers that administrators like Danielle Munoz, Sac State’s newest case manager of student affairs, are trying to drastically reduce in the coming years.

“I see the same crisis everywhere, and if this is … stressful for the students, then we need to help,” Munoz told SN&R.

Since the study’s release in January, Munoz says she has helped more than 80 students with issues such as homelessness and food insecurity, and even mental-health problems. No matter the type of struggle, she says, they all get in the way of student education.

And such issues could be seen as a problem at a university trying to increase its graduation rates. Recent numbers from Governor Jerry Brown’s annual budget summary show only 9 percent of Sac State students graduate in four years—the third lowest rate in the CSU system. Student inability to secure permanent housing doesn’t help those numbers, Munoz says.

“Students are making great efforts in finding resources, but Sacramento has a housing crisis, so they’re still struggling,” Munoz said.

Like many in the community, students are limited to certain outside resources in finding housing, including assistance from the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, and shelters.

There are other options, however, Munoz says. Sometimes, getting students housing just takes looking into their financial aid to help them budget the money they already have.

The most effective option, however, is the university’s Student Emergency Grant Fund, which can be used to help students put a deposit down for an apartment, Munoz said. Since the start of the spring semester the fund has been used to help place 12 students into housing, she said.

But it’s not easy to qualify. The money is limited, because it comes from donation-only services like the university’s alumni fund.

“It has to be in context of emergency. We look at the student’s budget, financial aid and a list of other things before [awarding funds],” Munoz explained.

With more than half of the CSU campuses behind the curve when it comes to aiding students with housing and food security, Director of Student Engagement and Outreach Davin Brown says many look toward universities like Sac State as the blueprint.

According to Brown, the campus food pantry, which opened its doors to all registered students at the start of the fall 2015 semester, helped more than 600 students from September to December.

Although the pantry is run solely on outside donations, often coming from students, faculty and administration, it’s been considered a success, Brown says. Now, CSU Chancellor Timothy White is working on a system-wide initiative that would help establish food pantries on all campuses.

“This is not something that should be taken lightly,” Brown said. “Being a struggling student is often looked at like a rite of passage. Like eating ramen every day is OK, and that shouldn’t be the case.”