By Jake Thomas
When people think about homelessness, they usually think of someone out on the street or in a shelter. While that definition wouldn’t be incorrect, it’s a limited view on housing instability and fails to mention a lot of struggles that people do not always see. Francesca Morris, the financial and community resource specialist of the Student Enrichment Center, thinks student homelessness in particular is often misunderstood, especially on campus, where it goes unnoticed to most.
“A lot of people think that homelessness only means you live on the streets,” Morris said. “But in higher education, that’s not the only way it looks.”
According to the McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness, the count not only includes people living on the street, all individuals who “lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” This means that even if they have a roof over their head, if they are unable to cover rent or other expenses themselves or are in uncertain temporary spaces, they count as being homeless.
The phrase is called “hidden homelessness” and it’s making the issue of student homelessness in particular harder to address. Students may still be coming to class, turning in work, and trying to blend in with everyone else, all the while they are experiencing financial stress, unstable housing or food insecurity. Morris said that while some students still have a roof over their heads, (like a dorm room), they still face housing insecurity due to their living situation depending on staying enrolled, maintaining a certain GPA or taking up more shifts to afford school expenses.
Something people might not also expect is how common the issue is. According to
Morris, which is based on her own case management data at the Student Enrichment Center, about 12 percent of their cases report to them with some sort of housing issue, whether that means they are actively homeless or at risk of becoming such. To put it in a closer perspective, accounting for the fact that the average Cameron class has roughly 30 people, that means statistically two or three of your classmates are struggling with this problem.
“When you put it that way…” she said. “It’s shocking.”
Housing struggles are rarely an issue on their own. Morris said that students dealing with housing instability are often dealing with financial challenges and other burdens. Nearly half of the students she meets with need academic support on top of all of that as well. When students are balancing hardships like where they are going to sleep, or what they are going to eat tomorrow, it becomes significantly more difficult to focus on classwork and attendance.
Morris said that is part of why many faculty and staff have a hard time noticing student homelessness as well. If a student misses a few classes or turns in work late frequently, it can be easy to write the issue off as a lack of motivation, but there may be much more happening that they cannot see.
“If the student misses class and the instructor says, ‘Hey, I missed you in class the other day,’ they might go, ‘Yeah, I had to work,’” Morris said. “Does the instructor automatically link that to homelessness? No.”
Due to financial instability being a great factor to this issue, many students may choose work over school to keep themselves afloat, even if it means falling behind class. Many students are already enrolled full time, and the jobs available to them may not be enough to keep up with rent, tuition and groceries.
Students also may not know or think to advocate for themselves to anyone here at the University. Morris said that the social stigma is a major reason why these students do not always reach out for support. Some may not think their situation “counts” as instability, while others may be afraid of being judged.
For students who are struggling, Morris said the most important part is to speak up as early as you can. Students do not need to come directly to her or the SEC if they are uncomfortable, they can talk to someone they trust in their department, or with someone at the Student Wellness Center.
“Talk to someone,” Morris said. “It doesn’t have to be me – I think they may not understand that their situation could possibly meet the definition of homelessness.”
Students can also look to the Student Enrichment Center Blackboard for housing resources, by opening the Enrichment Center course, community resources, and the housing folder for more information.
For Morris, part of the reason why this issue is so important to her, is because it is also personal.
“Pretty quickly, I realised that I didn’t have enough money for school,” she said. “My mom and dad got divorced, and she did not make enough money to support me through college.”
Morris, herself, was homeless during college. After graduating high school early and enrolling at the University of Texas at Arlington, she realized her scholarship and financial aid were not enough to cover everything. During her freshman year, she ended up living in her car while trying to keep up with school and work. Because she had to work so much just to get by, her grades suffered, and she eventually lost her scholarship and was suspended from school for a semester.
“I didn’t know if there were any resources available to me,” Morris said. “I had no idea to ask for help.”
Later, after opening up to her grandmother and joining ROTC, Morris was able to regain stability and finish school. She said she shares that story now because she wants students to know their situation does not define them, and that asking for help is not something to be ashamed of.
“It doesn’t show on your face,” she said. “Dont feel scared or embarrassed to reach out.”
Morris said students facing homelessness or housing insecurity often do not fail because they are not capable. Many simply never get the support they need in time. By bringing more awareness to the issue, she hopes students will realize they are not alone and that support is available before things get worse.
“It just is part of what their current situation is,” Morris said. “And we’re here to help them navigate that.”