Housing Insecurity Among College Students: Signs and Where to Get Help

What Housing Insecurity Looks Like

Housing insecurity covers more ground than sleeping outside or in a shelter. It includes trouble paying rent or utilities, moving in with different friends or relatives repeatedly because you can't afford your own place, living in a space that's overcrowded or unsafe, or facing eviction. Homelessness is the most severe form, and it includes staying in a car, an emergency shelter, or somewhere not meant for regular housing.

How Common It Is

The Hope Center's 2023-2024 Student Basic Needs Survey , which surveyed more than 74,000 students across 91 colleges in 16 states, found that 48% of respondents experienced housing insecurity and 14% experienced homelessness in the prior year. The same survey found the rate runs even higher among Black and Indigenous students, with close to 75% reporting at least one form of basic needs insecurity tied to food or housing, compared with 55% of white students.

Why It Goes Unnoticed

Housing insecurity rarely looks the way people expect. A student can hold a job, keep good grades, and still not know where they're sleeping next month. Many students don't recognize their own situation as housing insecurity, and even more don't know their school offers help. The same Hope Center survey found that almost two out of three students facing basic needs insecurity didn't know what support was available to them.

Warning Signs in Yourself or a Friend

• Staying with different friends or relatives every few weeks with no stable address

• Skipping meals or classes to work extra hours and cover rent

• Falling behind on rent or utility payments repeatedly

• Sleeping in a car, library, 24-hour study space, or lounge overnight

• Avoiding conversations about home life or living situation

• Carrying all your belongings around campus because you have nowhere stable to leave them

Before a Crisis Hits

Reach out to your financial aid office or dean of students the moment you sense trouble, rather than waiting until rent is already overdue. Emergency aid funds on many campuses run out before the semester ends, so an early application beats a last-minute one. Save the contact information for your campus basic needs office, a local food pantry, and 211 in your phone before you need them, so you're not searching for help during an emergency.

How Campuses Are Responding

Basic needs centers, campus food pantries, and emergency grant funds have become more common across US colleges in recent years as schools recognize how many students are affected. These offices typically operate separately from the general financial aid office and don't show up on a standard tuition bill or orientation checklist, so you often have to search your school's website directly or ask a professor or advisor where to start. If your school doesn't have a dedicated office, the dean of students or student affairs office is usually the right starting point regardless of the school's size.

Where to Get Help

• Your school's basic needs office or dean of students. Many campuses run emergency aid funds, short-term housing, or food pantries specifically for this situation, though the office name varies by school.

• Financial aid office. Ask about emergency grants, and if you were homeless or unaccompanied in high school, ask about your status under the McKinney-Vento Act, since it changes how you answer certain FAFSA questions and often qualifies you for additional aid. The National Center for Homeless Education explains how this designation works for students moving into college.

• Campus case managers or counseling centers, which connect you to community resources beyond what the school itself offers.

• Local homeless services agencies and 211, the national referral line for housing, food, and utility assistance in your area.

Supporting a Friend Who's Struggling

If you suspect a friend is dealing with housing insecurity, don't wait for them to bring it up directly, since shame and fear of judgment keep many students silent. Offer specific help instead of a general offer to help if needed, such as walking with them to the basic needs office or sharing the direct link to your school's emergency aid application. Keep the conversation private and avoid discussing their situation with other people without their permission, since a student worried about their reputation on campus may avoid seeking help entirely if they think word will spread.

What to Say When You Ask for Help

You don't need the perfect words or a fully documented crisis to start the conversation. Tell a financial aid counselor, RA, or dean of students office directly that you're not sure where you'll be living next month or that you're struggling to pay rent. Ask specifically about emergency housing, emergency grants, and food resources, since schools often keep these programs separate from general financial aid and won't offer them unless you ask by name.