Review of “Addressing Homelessness and Housing Insecurity in Higher Education: Strategies for Educational Leaders,” by Ronald E. Hallett, Rashida M. Crutchfield, and Jennifer J. Maguire, 2019.
New York: Teachers College Press. Paper, 133 pages.
This is a brief but informative guide for creating processes for helping homeless students.
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Does your college or university have students faced with housing insecurity and homeless issues? Of course it does. Now, whether you know about those students—or whether they are good at hiding those realities—might be another topic.
This is an incredible book for figuring out the need, the scope of the need, the processes for organizing resources, and the ways to deliver those resources to those students—many of whom do not want to tell the truth about their challenges because of the stigma and difficulty in doing so.
In the past, it was common to hear people say that homeless and other students with challenges should just figure out a way to get some money and a place to live and only afterwards come back to take courses and get serious about education—and their life goals.
Well, that was before what happened in 2008, millions of people buying foreign cars and sending money out of the country, the Illinois legislators not being able to agree on a budget, COVID-19, and many other huge challenges to grabbing that degree, jumping into a wonderful career, and living the American dream.
Things are improving—even in Chicago with its high numbers of homeless persons. Two years ago, we know there were over 59,000 unhoused persons in the city. Last year, we are sure that number is going to go over 60,000. And that is NOT counting the over 20,000 migrants who by nature are homeless.
Faculty, staff, and administrators in higher education are being asked to where many more hats. We are counselors, researchers, helpers, parents, best friends, confidants, and moral-supporters.
In short, we have all taken on many roles we never knew we would be filling. Even those of us who are not currently full-time have our schedules full of not just people on the street who need help, but also college students looking for food, money, clothes, jobs, and good old encouragement.
For people who are on campus every day, you professionals face the difficult challenge of determining who needs help with housing (and a myriad of other needs caused by lack of housing for the students in need) and how to get other people to be on a committee, forge ahead building a process, and getting the supplies and resources to the students looking.
Luckily, there are a variety of local and national groups available to help you, consultants like me urging you on, and the promise of greatness from those starving students at your door. Who knows what star or medical expert or famous author is knocking right now?
Charged with helping create a future that is stellar—which demands you supply a present that has food in it for those in need—just think what a fine legacy you yourself are creating for your retirement party!
I think if you can accept the fact there are unroofed students (yes even in Hyde Park and Lincoln Park and Edgewater neighborhoods of Chicago) you will get a lot out of this book.
This book is great background reading, a good plan, and a call to get to work and do some more important things at the office. It would also make a good professional development text for retreats and for sessions on campus alike.
I myself would be glad to help, if you want some more ideas and some more strategies.
There are many resources—plus research and grants out there…
I recommend this book and hope you will read it soon. You have to get over the idea “there are no homeless students on our campus.” That is simply not true.