The Survival Basics

Shelter, Health Care and Food

Summer is winding down and harvest season is quickly approaching. The change of the season is always very beautiful, but before the excitement of the leaves changing colors begins, we have to understand the dangers that many people are facing. With food security concerns around the state and a potential eviction crisis on the horizon it is important to ensure that everyone has the basics for survival. In Episode 7, we look at the essentials of survival—shelter, health care and food—and attempt to see not only what the problems are, but how they can be fixed.

New Day Youth and Family Services is a shelter for young people in New Mexico. CEO Steve Johnson talks about how fewer people than he expected are seeking help from New Day during the pandemic, and that could mean young folks are staying in hard situations instead. He also discusses the impressive ability of young people in trouble to heal once they are in a safe place, and to build a future for themselves.

Cholla Khoury is the director of the Division of Consumer and Environmental Protection at the Attorney General’s Office. She works on a program called Keep Your Home New Mexico, which provides advice and help to homeowners who are facing foreclosure and renters facing eviction.

With an eviction crisis looming, examining the data to learn who is bearing the brunt of the burden helps policymakers determine how to prioritize assistance. Steven Brown is a research associate at the Urban Institute, a think tank focused on economic and social policy based in Washington D.C. He says the numbers show nearly twice as many Latino and Black people around the country say they may not be able to pay rent next month, and one-fifth of Black and Brown families were not getting enough to eat at the end of July—even before the coming decrease in unemployment benefits.

We’ve made it a point to cover the stories of people who are without shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic. Estimates say that number is about to go up. KUNM’s News Director and reporter Hannah Colton brings us a snapshot of what it’s like out there on the streets five months into the pandemic.

Ed Williams is a reporter who covers public health for Searchlight New Mexico. He talks with us about the quality and standards of treatment at nursing homes and the lack of transparency in regards to pandemic safety measures. Here’s his story: ‘An anything-goes situation.’ Full response from the Governor’s Office about the contract awarded for COVID care for seniors at the bottom of this post

Ismael Camacho is the staff attorney on the farmworker project at New Mexico Legal Aid. He breaks down the pandemic-driven concerns of the people who pick most of the state’s food and the lack of access to coronavirus testing.

Felipe Guevara is another attorney working for the benefit of farmworkers in the state as part of the New Mexico Center on Law & Poverty.

For many, their time collecting unemployment benefits is running out, and Congress has still yet to pass another relief package. State Secretary of Workforce Solutions Bill McCamley stops by to give the update on the status of those payments and explains overpayments that happened for some people in New Mexico receiving benefits.

With food insecurity predicted to be on the rise for many New Mexicans, we talked with Sonya Warwick, spokesperson for the Roadrunner Food Bank, about the growing need in New Mexico.

Nikole Garcia is a case manager at the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico. She tells us how everyone in the community must have access to food and what the center is doing to help.

Next Week: We are talking mental wellness. What have you been doing to keep your mind balanced in these turbulent times? Tune in Sunday, Sept. 6, at 11 am

RESOURCES:

SHELTER & UTILITIES

FOOD

HEALTH CARE

FOR WORKERS

Special thanks to:

  • Rachel Popowcer and Robbie Sugg for the artwork this week.
  • Jazztone the Producer, Cheo, Dahm Life, Ow Lawd Records for providing music for the show. Khaki, Pope Yesyesyall, and Bigawatt composed some of the show’s themes.
  • Ty Bannerman and Megan Kamerick for the editing help.
  • KUNM News Director Hannah Colton for her reporting and contribution to this episode.
  • And as always thanks to our guests for sharing their stories, lives, and perspectives.
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