Lakehead University joins study on post-secondary student homelessness

LakeheadUniversity in Thunder Bay, Ont. is taking part in a study on student homelessness.

Through an onlinesurvey, researchers hope to gain a better understanding of just how many students are struggling without stable housing,said RebeccaSchiff, an associate professor of health sciences atLakehead.

"We know just from anecdotal evidence that student homelessness at universities and colleges in Canada is a problem," she said, "but there's just not a lot that we know about what the extent of the problem is, or what needs to be done about it."

Lakehead is one of three schools taking part in the study. The University of Calgary is also involved, said Schiff, and the study isbeing led by Eric Weissman, a University of New Brunswick researcher who also has personal experience being homeless.

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Previous research done by Weissmansuggests that as many as 70,000 Canadian students might be homeless on any given day, Schiff said.

Homelessness takes many forms, she explained, ranging from sleeping on the streets, to couch surfing or relying on temporary accommodations.

"Students might be experiencing any of these forms of homelessness. We expect that probably, more likely, they're experiencing that hidden homelessness where they're coach surfing, going from place to place, but don't really have a secure, stable place to live."

The high cost of being a student juggling the costs of education and the costs of living is one thing that can make studentsvulnerable to homelessness, she said.

Schiffsaid the survey that students have been invited to take part in will be open for at least a month.