While successive government policies have made university education more accessible to groups that were previously excluded, those same groups are also most likely to experience homelessness. Patrick Mulrenan examines the impact of homelessness on students' wellbeing and performance, and suggests how universities can intervene

Mulrenan, Patrick

LSE Research Online

The	experience	of	homeless	university	students	inLondon	and	how	institutions	can	helpWhile	successive	government	policies	have	made	university	education	more	accessible	to	groups	thatwere	previously	excluded,	those	same	groups	are	also	most	likely	to	experience	homelessness.	PatrickMulrenan	examines	the	impact	of	homelessness	on	students’	wellbeing	and	performance,	and	suggestshow	universities	can	intervene.One	of	the	challenges	of	policymaking	is	identifying	what	the	issue	is.	Say	‘student	housing’	and	manypeople	picture	young,	single	people	living	in	self-imposed	squalor	(but	with	the	helpful	option	of	going	back	to	mumand	dad).	In	fact,	there	have	been	significant	changes	in	the	profile	of	students	over	the	last	25	years.	Successivegovernments	have	encouraged	universities	to	widen	participation,	though	top	universities	still	face	criticism	that	theyremain	bastions	of	the	middle	class	and	of	the	privately	educated	elite.	There	may	be	some	truth	in	this,	and	to	seethe	impact	of	widening	participation	policies	you	may	need	to	look	to	post-1992	universities	in	the	UK.	These	are	newuniversities	that	are	more	likely	to	draw	their	students	from	the	local	area.In	these	institutions	you	will	find	students	from	a	very	wide	range	of	backgrounds.	For	example,	nearly	two-thirds	ofstudents	at	London	Metropolitan	University	are	from	Black,	Asian	and	Minority	Ethnic	Backgrounds;	and	nationally,people	from	these	backgrounds	are	now	more	likely	to	university	than	White	people.	Other	groups	entering	highereducation	in	greater	numbers	include	those	from	lower	income	groups,	single	parents,	people	with	disabilities,	andpeople	leaving	care.While	this	is	a	welcome	development,	it	is	important	to	note	that	the	groups	we	are	encouraging	to	come	to	universityare	the	very	ones	that	are	most	likely	to	experience	homelessness.	For	example,	68%	of	households	accepted	bylocal	authorities	as	homeless	in	London	are	from	ethnic	minorities.	The	result	of	these	changes	means	that	it	is	nowmuch	more	likely	that	students	will	be	homeless,	or	will	become	homeless	during	their	studies.My	research	explored	the	impact	of	homelessness	on	these	students	through	in-depth	interviews	and	a	focus	groupwith	16	students.	Reflecting	the	diverse	body	of	students	of	a	post-1992	university	in	London,	12	were	from	an	ethnicminority	background,	13	were	women,	and	11	had	children.	In	terms	of	their	housing	situation,	10	were	in	temporaryaccommodation,	one	staying	with	relatives	and	one	in	a	hostel;	the	remaining	four	had	found	rented	homes	followinga	period	of	homelessness.These	students	found	it	hard	to	complete	academic	work	because	of	the	poor	condition	of	their	accommodation.	Onestudent	in	temporary	accommodation	said:	“We	had	no	water,	no	taps	in	the	bathroom,	the	entire	flat	was	damp	andwet.	We	lost	clothes,	we	lost	furniture.”	Overcrowding	was	another	challenge:	students	often	shared	one	room	withtheir	families	and	had	to	wait	until	their	children	went	to	sleep	to	start	their	academic	work.	Students	reported	feelingsof	guilt,	and	hid	their	worries	from	their	children:	“I	get	up	in	the	night	to	cry.	I	can’t	let	my	daughter	see	me	cryingabout	being	homeless.”Unsurprisingly,	focusing	on	their	academic	work	proved	very	difficult:	“I	start	an	essay,	and	the	stress	of	poorhousing,	noise,	unhappy	children,	everything	floods	back.”	For	many	participants,	coming	to	University	at	leastprovided	a	temporary	respite	from	this	pressure:	“You	get	inside	[the	University],	you	feel	so	much	different,	thepressure	is	gone.”	But	the	relief	was	short-lived.	Another	student	said:	“By	the	time	you	get	home,	it	just	gets	to	thestage	where	you	are	so	depressed…you	feel	like	you	can’t	carry	on.”Living	in	homeless	temporary	accommodation	is	a	costly	and	time-consuming	business.	Students	were	sometimesoffered	accommodation	a	long	way	from	their	children’s	schools,	and	had	to	ferry	them	to	school	before	coming	intoUniversity.	One	student	noted	she:	“Just	travels,	does	lectures,	works	in	the	library,	travels.”	Another	student	hadbeen	moved	eight	times	in	seven	years,	on	one	occasion	to	a	property	26	miles	from	the	University	campus.It	was	a	testament	to	the	resilience	of	the	students	that	they	managed	to	remain	at	university	despite	thesechallenges.	The	research	found	that	the	key	factor	which	influenced	their	determination	to	complete	their	studies	wastheir	relationship	with	their	families.	They	were	proud	to	be	at	university,	and	did	not	want	to	let	their	parents	down.One	noted	that:	“I	was	the	first	in	my	family	to	go	to	university,	and	this	was	a	way	to	be	different	from	my	mum.	Igrew	up	in	poverty	and	I	wanted	to	get	out	of	that.”British Politics and Policy at LSE: The experience of homeless university students in London and how institutions can help Page 1 of 2		Date originally posted: 2018-07-26Permalink: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/student-homelessness-london/Blog homepage: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/But	for	the	11	participants	who	had	children,	their	resilience	was	very	much	related	to	the	desire	to	be	a	good	rolemodel	for	their	children:	“Two	weeks	ago,	my	daughter	said	to	me:	‘Mum	I’m	going	to	say	something	to	you.’	I	said‘What	is	it,	do	you	want	a	fiver?’	‘No,’	she	said,	‘Mum	I’m	really	really	proud	of	you.’	It	brought	me	to	tears’.”	A	studentin	the	focus	group	noted:	“To	me	it	is	let	down	to	tell	your	child	you	do	not	have	anything.	If	you	have	something	italso	motivates	your	child	to	become	someone.”Every	student	in	the	study	had	their	own	story	to	tell	about	how	they	became	homeless,	and	how	they	coped	with	theexperience	while	studying	at	university.	They	were	rightly	proud	of	overcoming	many	emotional	and	practicalchallenges	to	continue	their	studies.	But	their	pride	was	also	a	burden.	None	had	approached	the	University	for	help,and	most	had	not	even	told	their	families	and	other	students	about	their	homelessness:	“I	didn’t	mention	it	toanyone…I	just	felt	I	did	not	want	anyone	to	sympathise	with	me	and	I	think	that’s	where	I	went	wrong.	The	whole	ofthe	first	year	I	never	saw	any	lecturer…even	my	friends.	I	kept	it	to	myself.”The	research	presents	a	number	of	challenges	to	universities.	The	first	is	to	quantify	the	scale	of	studenthomelessness.	It	would	be	helpful	if	universities	identified	housing	status	in	the	same	way	they	do	with,	for	example,students’	socio-economic	background	and	ethnicity.	Homeless	students	should	also	be	further	encouraged	toapproach	support	services.As	well	as	identifying	need,	universities	can	build	on	the	key	assets	that	students	have.	A	key	finding	of	this	researchis	the	important	role	children	play	in	encouraging	their	parents	to	come	to	university,	and	in	decisions	to	stay	atuniversity.	Half	of	the	grant	for	this	research	was	used	in	providing	a	children’s	day	at	university.	This	provided	anopportunity	for	nearly	a	hundred	children	to	engage	in	fun	activities.	But	is	also	allowed	them	to	see	where	theirparents	go	during	the	day,	and	why	it	is	important	to	them.	This	was	a	great	success,	and	is	an	example	of	a	morepositive,	asset-based	approach	to	promoting	student	success.________Note:	the	above	draws	on	the	author’s	published	work	(with	Julia	Atkins	and	Simon	Cox)	in	Critical	Social	Policy.	Theresearch	has	also	been	featured	in	The	Guardian,	The	Independent,	and	on	news	broadcasts.About	the	AuthorPatrick	Mulrenan	is	Senior	Lecturer	at	London	Metropolitan	University.			All	articles	posted	on	this	blog	give	the	views	of	the	author(s),	and	not	the	position	of	LSE	British	Politics	and	Policy,nor	of	the	London	School	of	Economics	and	Political	Science.	Featured	image	credit:	Pixabay/Public	Domain.	British Politics and Policy at LSE: The experience of homeless university students in London and how institutions can help Page 2 of 2		Date originally posted: 2018-07-26Permalink: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/student-homelessness-london/Blog homepage: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/

The experience of homeless university students in London and how institutions can help

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The experience of homeless university students in London and how institutions can help

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