Food and Housing Needs Survey

Addressing Housing and Food Needs

The initial Food and Housing Needs Survey was launched in fall 2021 to assess food and housing needs at University Park. To expand on the initial results, an additional survey was administered to students at all campuses in fall 2022. 

In light of the initial results, an additional survey was launched in fall 2022. The census survey went to all students across the University, including World Campus. In total, 17,231 students (84.8% undergraduate, 15.2% graduate) responded to the survey for a 19.5% response rate. The survey was conducted to learn more about students’ experiences with food and housing insecurity across each of Penn State’s campuses, including World Campus.

The survey included questions around food and housing security, affordability and accessibility of food and housing, current employment, current financial resources or support, the impact of food or housing insecurity on academic responsibilities, and overall health and well-being.  

The national impacts of food and housing insecurity 

Food and housing insecurity can look different for everyone, including students. A 2021 report from the Hope Center summarizes the responses from a fall 2020 survey on student basic-needs security. Drawn from the responses of more than 195,000 students attending 202 colleges and universities nationwide, the report showed college students are increasingly experiencing food and housing insecurity, which can have a range of academic, social, emotional and health-related consequences.  

The report shows nearly 3 in 5 students at participating college and universities faced basic needs insecurity, with food insecurity impacting 29% of respondents at four-year institutions and housing insecurity impacting 48% of respondents. 

The Survey Results

A summary report of results will be available in late fall 2023.

• The fall 2022 survey confirmed that a need exists among some students on the University Park campus, with 14.6% of respondents indicated that they identify “moderately well” to “extremely well” with the statement that they have “trouble securing enough food each day” and 13.2% indicating they have trouble securing adequate housing. At the campuses, including World Campus, 18.4% of respondents indicated food security concerns and 14.5% indicated adequate housing concerns, reflecting national trends. 

• Over 14% of students (across all campuses) indicated that within the last 30 days they did not eat for an entire day due to being unable to afford food. 

• While the majority of students did not indicate an impact on course load, 3.0% of students at University Park are taking fewer classes to have more money for food, while 6.1% across the rest of the Commonwealth and World Campuses indicated doing so. 

• Students have indicated a need to work more hours weekly to be able to afford basic needs. Over 68% of students at University Park are working more than 11 hours a week to support themselves; at the campuses, 75.3% of students responded similarly. 

• Results indicate that some students are selling possessions, skipping bills, and avoiding medical care to buy food. Across all campuses, 5.8% of students report selling possessions, 6.5% needed to skip a bill and 6.2% avoided medical care.  

• Results show heightened impact among respondents who self-identified as members of an underrepresented minority group, international students, students who have disabilities, or students who self-identified as sexually diverse or gender diverse, in line with national trends: 

• Among respondents across all campuses, U.S. students who self-identified as African American or Black; Hispanic or Latinx; Native American or Alaskan Native; Middle Eastern, North African, Arab or Arab American; Southeast Asian, Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian; other Asian or Asian-American; or other (20.1%) and international students (32.3%) responded that they have trouble securing food each day at a higher rate than U.S. students who self-identified as white (10.6%).  

• Students who self-identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, queer, questioning, or not listed when asked about sexual orientation indicated they could not afford to eat a balanced meal at a higher rate (41.9%) than heterosexual students (29.3%).  

• Sexually diverse students (students who indicated gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, queer, questioning, or not listed when asked about sexual orientation) were more than twice as likely to leave their household because they felt unsafe (4.8%) compared to heterosexual students (2.2%). Gender diverse students (students who responded transgender, genderqueer, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, or not listed when asked about gender) showed a similar trend (4.3%) compared with women (4.0%) and men (3.4%).  

• Some of the difficult housing situations students faced included living with others beyond the capacity of the house or apartment (5.3%), or having to move often (3 or more times in the last 30 days) (6.5%). Respondents also reported facing legal consequences from their housing situations, such as defaulting on an account (4.2%) or having to appear in housing court (2.7%).   

• Among respondents, 42.2% indicated they have a current job, including work-student and graduate assistantships; 10.5% of those who work do so more than 40 hours per week.  

• Among students who completed the survey, 13.5% reported that housing or food concerns impacted their ability to focus on their academic responsibilities “a lot” and 26.3% reported that they lost weight due to food insecurity. 

How we are responding

Housing and food insecurity in our communities is an important issues that impacts the health and well-being of our students. Data from the survey has been shared with leadership at each campus location so they may assess needs and identify gaps in resources for various groups in their communities. Penn State is committed to supporting our students and ensuring that they can succeed while feeling safe and supported.

• The survey served a pathway for direct and confidential outreach to students. Case managers within Student Care and Advocacy reached out to over 7,000 students whose survey results indicated an immediate need.

  • Students were provided with resources and the opportunity to connect with a case manager if desired

• Partnerships with Swipe Out Hunger have continued with the opportunity for students to donate directly to support their peers at any residential dining facility or via a mobile order during select drives coinciding with National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and Earth Week.

• Students United Against Poverty, a student organization affiliated with Student Care and Advocacy, is combatting poverty and student hardship while advocating for change through research, volunteerism and project execution.