Study: People in North Fair Oaks, Redwood City facing food insecurity

Stanford University’s John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities conducted the Redwood City and North Fair Oaks Community Needs Assessment Survey with support from dozens of local organizations and institutions.

Brandon Balzer Carr, a Gardner Center research associate who worked on the study, said interest in conducting the research started in April through conversations with the nonprofit Redwood City Together, formerly known as Redwood City 2020.

“We recognize that the livelihood of the whole community affects the child,” said Balzer Carr. “Unmet needs among anyone in the community create cascading effects.”

In September and October, nearly 900 households in Redwood City and unincorporated North Fair Oaks were surveyed, representing more than 3,500 residents. About 44% of respondents identified as Latino, 40% as white and 8% as Asian. Up to 150 respondents reported immigrating to the United States, noted Balzer Carr.

Of surveyed households, 64% had a combination of two adults and children and more than 80% of children were between the age of 6 and 11. Most also reported having at least a college degree with 11% having a high school education or general education diploma and 14% having less than a high school education.

Food insecurity

As thousands of pounds of food has been distributed within the county over the past year, food insecurity has been a known concern.

In Redwood City and North Fair Oaks, moderate to severe food insecurity has doubled since the start of the pandemic, now affecting 15% of households in Redwood City and North Fair Oaks. Fear of running out of food has also greatly increased from 25% of households before the pandemic to 40% during.

More than 760 children live in homes with adults who worry food will run out, and 255 children are living in food insecure homes, the study found.

“We have kids at home and food is going quickly,” said Rafael Avendaño, the executive director of the nonprofit Redwood City Together. “The boxes people are getting at food programs are supposed to last a month but are going in a week.”

Spanish speaking residents were reportedly six times as likely to be food insecure, said Balzer Carr, suggesting a “patchwork” of food resources can be difficult to navigate. Other resources like health care and housing assistance are often centralized, he said.

Housing and child care

Housing insecurity has been a known issue exacerbated by the pandemic. In Redwood City and North Fair Oaks, more than one third of households have not been able to pay their full rent. Of those who’ve missed rent payments, 75% are unaware of rental assistance.

Despite the current moratorium on evictions that has spanned much of the pandemic, eviction threats have doubled. Utility shut-off notices have also almost doubled with one in seven renter households having been informed they were at risk of losing a utility due to missed payments.

Spanish speakers were twice as likely to be housing insecure. More than 300 Redwood City and North Fair Oaks children are living in homes where a rent payment has been missed and at least 176 children live in homes that have received utility shut-off notices, according to the study.

And while less money is being spent on child care, 40% of households and a third of full-time employees are providing 12 hours or more of child care on workdays compared to only 14% before the pandemic.

Digital access

A digital divide was also recognized through the study that found 99% of households had access to some form of technology but almost 30% of Latino homes do not have an installed internet service. Fewer Latino households have computers as well with 63% reporting access.

One in 5 households with school-age children do not have a home computer, the study found. And almost a third of families lacked the private space needed to work last spring when schools moved to remote learning.

Homes with English learners and special education students were disproportionately affected by lack of private space, according to the study. Nearly 40% of homes with English learners reported struggling due to a lack of private workspaces while 30% of homes with special education students struggled as a result.

But when asked to rank their preferences for community resources, more than 60% of respondents placed free meals and pantry bags as their number one priority, noted Balzer Carr.

“More than anything else people want food,” he said.

Free WiFi near Redwood City schools was second with 50% and rental assistance third came in third with 49%. Then followed hot spots and computers at 46% and student workspaces at 43%.

Applying the data

With data from the ongoing study affirming suspicions around who was being hardest hit by the pandemic, Avendaño said he hopes to see policies developed that better reflect and address community needs.

Beth noted the city has responded to the pandemic with more than $3.3 million in rental relief services and food support to more than 2,000 people.

During a Redwood City budget update in February, the City Council approved a recommendation by City Manager Melissa Stevenson-Diaz to direct $2.85 million from its end-of-year balance to pandemic relief. The funds will go to the Redwood City Fire Department for vaccine support, a Utility Bill Forgiveness Program and small business support.

Some work beyond city officials has also already commenced, Avendaño noted. Local organizations typically looked at by political leaders as channels for building trust with the community have already begun partnering together to address food and housing needs, he said.

“Work is being done … by all of the community based organizations that really put forth time energy and hard work — I mean sweat — to make sure these families get what they need,” said Avendaño. “The beautiful silver lining is we’re trying to do it together now.”

In the next few months the study will be conducted again to monitor how areas of need evolve. Additional attention will be given to mental health concerns, access to vaccines and feelings around business and school reopenings.

“We at Redwood City Together in collaboration with the Gardner Center want to do right by the people and organizations that represent us,” said Avendaño. “We’re trying our best to make sure … [the community’s] struggle is documented so we’re able to alleviate some pain this pandemic has caused.”

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

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