No Place Like Home: A Qualitative Analysis of the Experience of Homelessness and Housing Instability Among College Students

Abstract

This research examines the sociological phenomenon of collegiate homelessness in the United States. Drawing on the present scholarship regarding the many obstacles faced by homeless communities - especially homeless youth - this project focuses on the unique hardships of students who struggle to find permanent, stable housing while also navigating college life. In-depth interviews with ten college students experiencing homelessness and/or housing instability reveal four major themes: (1) the lived experience of homelessness and/or housing instability is diverse; (2) housing instability is perceived as both an obstacle and a motivation for college success; (3) college students without stable housing create and maintain diverse support networks; and (4) these same students reject the trajectories prescribed for them and write their own success stories. The findings of this study call for more qualitative research which recognizes the voices of this understudied population and examines effective strategies and programs to support college students without stable housing.