Lack of food and housing security entwined

Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of articles on food insecurity in Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico.

Every other Thursday, 500 cars weave through The Food Depot’s parking lot, each driving out with nearly 70 pounds of food for their families. These families include employed parents, seniors with pensions and longtime Santa Fe residents. The fact that so many community members need assistance symptomizes a larger problem in our community: a lack of affordable living, and often, a lack of affordable housing.

Food and housing insecurity are interwoven. According to Feeding America, in its most recent Hunger in America study, 48 percent of people experiencing food insecurity in New Mexico in 2014 had to choose between paying for food or paying rent, and more than 50 percent of New Mexico households needing food assistance include someone who is employed. In Santa Fe County, 10.6 percent of residents are food insecure and, according to The Food Depot’s Report to the Mayor, 46 percent of renters and 26 percent of homeowners in Santa Fe spend 30 percent or more of their incomes on housing. When individuals have to spend more on rent and mortgage payments, less can be allocated to basic needs like nutritious food, and lining up at The Food Depot on Thursday mornings becomes a necessity.

When we talk about affordable housing in Santa Fe, some community members worry about sprawl, while others worry about the physical character of the city changing. However, according to the 2021 Santa Fe State of Housing Report in the Santa Fe Metropolitan Statistical Area, “there is an estimated shortage of 7,343 rental units with approximately 5,328 renter households eligible for down payment assistance,” making it clear the need is real. We need to think creatively about housing to accommodate our population in a sustainable and affordable way.

While concerns about the landscape of Santa Fe are valid, we are in a crisis, and we need to be worrying more about losing the irreplaceable human character of the city. We need to keep Santa Feans in Santa Fe, keep families in neighborhoods, and have a quality housing landscape that makes room for affording other necessities, including nutritious food.

The first step in achieving affordable living is self-education. There are many resources community members can look to for insight when it comes to affordable housing, food security and alleviating the interconnected hardships Santa Feans face.

The Food Depot’s Report to the Mayor thoroughly displays the connections between food insecurity and household income, which undoubtedly affects housing security. Resources on food insecurity, such as Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap report and the Food Research & Action Center, offer a broader context. For resources about

housing, the Santa Fe Housing Action Coalition offers information on policy and resources for those in need, and the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority’s New Mexico Housing Strategy explains the housing landscape throughout New Mexico.

The city and county of Santa Fe will release housing plans within the next few months that will provide updated information and strategies on meeting housing needs.

Achieving a goal of affordable living is complex and involves buy-in from our city government and communities, continuous funding, and lasting support. It will require the community to make hard choices and compromises, and be active and willing participants in systems change in order to create equitable and thriving communities in Santa Fe.

Brooke Minnich is agency partnerships coordinator for The Food Depot and a member of The Food Depot’s Advocacy Committee. Signe Lindell is Santa Fe mayor pro tem and represents District 1; Jamie Cassutt represents District 4 on the Santa Fe City Council. Diane Sandoval is a member of The Food Depot’s Advocacy Committee.