It may be hard to believe, but some students are homeless when the holidays roll around and college residential halls shut down. You may think it couldn’t happen to anyone you know, but think again. Often, those who end up with no place to go will work hard at preventing their friends from finding out. It’s possible these students may seek shelter with friends, but just as often, they will try to hide their homelessness.
The reasons for homelessness for anyone are often complicated. Perhaps the college student doesn’t get along with parents. Maybe a student is just out of the foster system and has no one to go home to. Could be the student has insufficient funds to afford another place when the residential hall shuts down.
In general, colleges have excluded students from dorms during the winter break, even though students may have signed up to use a room for the entire year. Only in recent years have student affairs staff become aware of this problem. Nowadays there are more programs to help students pay for housing and food. But there are challenges in identifying students who may be homeless. The students may have to come forward and identify themselves, although many may be either unaware of the programs or are embarrassed about the stigma of homelessness.
Colleges across the country have instituted various solutions, including a cohort model, where low-income, homeless or first-generation students are identified before they arrive on campus, then assessed as to whether they need help during the holiday break. The service model makes use of programs that pay for student housing in the winter, as well as year-round.
If you or any of your friends are facing homelessness during the holidays, contact your student affairs staff and ask what kind of programs your university has that can help.