Homelessness, Grief and the College Student
For our previous two Politics of Grief articles, we talked about the experience of being LGBTQ+ in college and the effects of the overturning of Roe v Wade. This next blog is focused on another issue that affects young adults: homelessness.
It may seem random to bring up homelessness in a discussion of the politics of grief, but the experience of homelessness is intertwined with social justice and disproportionately affects marginalized groups, and the experiences that these people face can only be described as grief.
How is homelessness associated with social justice? Some people may think that anyone who works hard can get a home and support themselves. However, housing is political, and is not just a matter of work ethic. As explained by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, because of practices called redlining, investments such as mortgage and business loans have been discouraged in neighborhoods with predominant minority populations. So, people of minority races have historically been forced into neighborhoods lacking the same economic opportunities as their white counterparts, all contributing to a higher likelihood of homelessness.
Even today, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban development, people of color are often denied leases more often than white people, shown fewer rental units, given higher rents, and are given less negotiation power than white people.
So, getting a job and earning money to have a good home is not simply a matter of “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps.” No matter how hard someone works, systemic disadvantages still exist that prevent people from fair housing.
Based on statistics from the Children’s Bereavement Center, about 35% of homeless youth have experienced the death of at least one parent, and the groups most likely to experience this include those who have been in the foster system, and LGBTQ+ youth. Multiracial and Black youth are more likely to experience this than white youth. Being homeless also makes individuals more susceptible to violence and assault. With all of these traumas and disadvantages primarily affecting marginalized groups, homelessness is political in ways many of us may not have ever considered.
Homelessness is clearly political, but how is it relevant to grief? What makes it a mental health issue, and not just an unfortunate situation? More information from the Children’s Bereavement Center shows that homeless children are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, and withdrawal than non-homeless children. By the time homeless children are eight years old, one in three has a major mental illness. This is incredibly young to be facing such serious issues, and while about ⅕ of homeless preschoolers have serious emotional problems, less than ⅓ of them will receive the treatment that they need.
For young adults starting college, in addition to all the new changes one faces while starting college, these students are still grieving the losses they have experienced over the course of their entire lives. When one is constantly worried about their safety and well-being, and is still processing the traumatic loss of parental figures, housing, consistent schooling, etc., homework and studying can be extremely challenging, especially given that many of these students lack support and coping strategies.
Now, let’s put all of this into perspective. Imagine you are eighteen years old. You are a hardworking and intelligent student. Despite having dealt with financial hardship and homelessness your entire life, you are determined to go to college. While working different jobs and balancing both academics and work, every penny you have goes into your education. While your friends are out partying and can go home to their families whenever they choose, you constantly worry about where you are going to sleep and where your next meal will come from. While paying everything you can, you still don’t have support outside of school. Winter break is coming up, and without your dorm accommodations and dining plan, you have no idea where or how you are going to live.
The grief associated with homelessness has long-term mental health consequences far beyond the obvious financial difficulties. If you know any college-aged students facing homelessness, here are some ways you can be a supportive friend:
Try to be non-judgmental and open to sharing experiences.
Think about them during school breaks, especially holidays, and check in that they have somewhere to go.
Invite them over to your home to do schoolwork, relax, etc., if they do not have a safe and private place to do so.
Be sensitive to planning activities that costs lots of money, and find ways to hang out that everyone can enjoy.