The Survival Basics

No More Normal

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.

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.

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 a.m.

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No More Normal is brought to you by Your New Mexico Government, a collaboration between KUNM, New Mexico PBS, and the Santa Fe Reporter. Funding for our coverage comes from the New Mexico Local News Fund, the Kellog Foundation and KUNM listeners like you, with support for public meida provided by the Thornburg Foundation.