Homelessness is a growing issue among university students, according to a study by a New Brunswick professor.
Eric Weissman teaches a course in anti-criminology and sociology of urban life at the University of New Brunswick Saint John campus. He is dedicated to researching student homelessness in Canada.
He undertook a small exploratory survey of 1,200 students at Red Deer College in 2017 while he was an instructor there. Students enrolled in courses in the humanities and social sciences were asked to anonymously respond to the survey.
The survey showed about 30 per cent of respondents worried about their housing situation and about three per cent of them were homeless at the time of the study.
He said homelessness isn’t defined simply by a life on the streets, but also can refer to people who do not have a stable home and are forced to move in and out of precarious housing.
“When people think of homelessness, most people think of the worst case of literal homelessness—unsheltered people,” Weissman said.
Among the two million post-secondary students in Canada, Weissman says 70,000 of those experience homelessness.
The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness is the largest national research institute dedicated to homelessness in Canada.
They define “homeless” as “the situation of an individual, family or community without stable, safe, permanent, appropriate housing, or the immediate prospect means and ability of acquiring it,” according to their website.
Weissman said youth homelessness is a growing issue and requires awareness.
“We haven’t really looked at post-secondary students—it’s not really a target area. Most people are concerned with moms and families,” Weissman said.
He has conducted a study on student homelessness in which he explains the work that needs to be done to address this as a problem. He says his study, along with three other researchers are the only studies about student homelessness in Canada.
The experiences of Weissman are what inspired his research in student homelessness.
While completing his PhD in the mid-eighties, he struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, which went unnoticed for years.
This led Weissman to become homeless, as he often slept on the pool table of the bar he managed in downtown Toronto.
“For many years, I never thought of myself as homeless. I knew I was an addict, but I didn’t really consider couch surfing as homelessness, but it really is,” he said.
He described living on welfare in a studio in Toronto as his lowest point of addiction and homelessness.
Saved by his sister who tracked him down, Weissman went through a rehabilitation program for eight months, where he had the opportunity to become sober and save his life.
With experiences such as his own, Weissman said he believes student homelessness encompasses a number of experiences students face to complete their education.
“Most of the people we interviewed were doing other things as strategies for not having houses. Some were sleeping in gymnasiums, in libraries, public spaces, and staying up all night.”
He said support needs to be in place for students so they know where to find help.
The 57-year-old professor wants people to know that students are not just those 18-25 years of age, but also mature students.
He said it’s not just poverty that results in homelessness, but also situations such as natural disasters and personal trauma, which can both lead to a student sacrificing their education.
Weissman said he wants to conduct a nationwide study to raise awareness of how many suffering students there are. He says this will contribute to solving the problem of student homelessness.
Infographic by Camila Giudice
Photo by Spencer Colby
