Young University Students Experiences of Homelessness and Housing Insecurity: Insights from an Australian Pilot Study

Increasingly, young Australian tertiary students find themselves being placed in a position of vulnerability to homelessness and housing insecurity in response to the growing cost of living crisis. Despite the escalation in this precarious situation, young tertiary students, aged 18–24, have been predominantly overlooked and silenced in the housing crisis discussion. This paper examines the presence of homelessness and housing insecurity among young tertiary students in South-East Queensland, Australia, and investigates how these challenges impact students’ university engagement and wellbeing. It reports findings from a quantitative survey of 101 participating tertiary students who reported on their housing experiences, financial challenges, wellbeing, and university engagement. Findings revealed that 45.5% of students faced housing insecurity and 8.9% experienced homelessness. Students experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness reported significantly lower engagement at university and significantly lower wellbeing when compared to those who were housing secure. Financial hardship was prevalent across all young tertiary students, regardless of housing type, highlighting a strong prevalence of financial vulnerability among participating tertiary students. Findings underscore the need for tertiary institutions and government bodies to implement housing affordability and homelessness strategies directly targeted at this cohort of young people.