Families struggle with food insecurity, depression
Study shows N.M. tops categories compared to other states amid pandemic
New Mexico families are struggling more than those in most other states when it comes to food insecurity and mental health issues during the COVID19 pandemic, a national nonprofit said in a report Monday.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation, a charitable organization focused on the well-being of children, issued a study that examined data from the U.S. Census Bureau. It found 27 percent of parents surveyed in New Mexico reported feeling down, hopeless or depressed, and 20 percent said their families sometimes or often did not have enough food. New Mexico was at the top of those categories, tying Pennsylvania and Mississippi regarding emotional well-being and Mississippi on lack of food.
The national average of parents feeling depressed during the pandemic was 21 percent, and 14 percent said they struggled with providing enough food, the report said.
The report was based on data from weekly surveys by the Census Bureau on how families are meeting basic needs during the public health and economic crises while managing school, work and mental health. It also said the pandemic is exacerbating challenges for vulnerable families who often were unable to fulfill basic needs before the crisis.
James Jimenez, executive director of New Mexico Voices for Children, an Albuquerque-based nonprofit that works with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, said the New Mexico Legislature’s recent approval of relief measures for small businesses and residents will help mitigate those issues. However, he said, Congress also needs to enact legislation
providing more help to families.
Jimenez expressed hope that the state’s improved revenue outlook for the next fiscal year might embolden legislators to target funds toward families with the greatest need.
“That [help] would look like an improvement in what we call the low-income comprehensive tax rebate,” Jimenez said. “A second one could be expanding who qualifies for earned-income tax credit and getting that money out the door quickly.
“A third one was something they did during [November’s special session], which was provide more money for food assistance programs. I think that is something they need to do, unfortunately, for an extended period of time.”
New Mexico families with children fared better in the report when it came to their confidence in paying rent or mortgage on time.
Only 18 percent expressed no confidence in keeping up with housing payments, which was right at the national average.
Only 11 percent reported they did not have health insurance, which was one point lower than the rest of the country.
“It’s not all bad news,” Jimenez said. “It’s nice to get reports where it’s mixed, especially as far as how New Mexico is doing with some of these metrics.”
The report said the nation is on the verge of a national housing crisis, especially for communities of color.
It showed that 31 percent of Black families and 26 percent of Hispanic families reported concerns about missing a rent or mortgage payment.
The foundation recommended, among other things, engaging community stakeholders to determine the most prominent needs, leveraging increased federal funding for behavioral health programs and expanding a variety of safety-net programs to better aid families.