The purpose of the Student Housing and Food Insecurity Study is to understand the prevalence of housing and food insecurity among university students across the University of Washington’s (UW) three campuses (UW in Seattle, UW-Tacoma, and UW-Bothell). This study is motivated not only by concerns regarding the increased cost of living in the Puget Sound region, but also by the lack of systematic information about how UW students on all three campuses might be affected by these economic changes. This study is the first to systematically examine the extent of housing and food insecurity among the entire UW student population.
This research project seeks to address the following research questions:
- How prevalent is housing and food insecurity among UW students across all campuses – Seattle, Tacoma, and Bothell?
- What are the characteristics of UW students experiencing housing and/or food insecurity?
- What factors are associated with housing and food insecurity among UW students?
This study is a project of Urban@UW’s Homelessness Research Initiative.
In the News
UW Students Face Food, Housing Insecurity, Survey Shows
Read UW Article →Thousands of UW Students Have Been Homeless or Skipping Meals, Survey Finds
Read The Seattle Times Article →UW Study Finds Many Students at Tacoma Campus Struggle to Pay Rent, Get Enough to Eat
Read Tacoma News Tribune Article →Thousands of UW Students Grapple with Hunger, Housing Instability, Survey Finds
Read KOMO News Article →Tri-Campus Survey Aima to Identify Student Struggles with Housing, Food Costs
Read UW Press Release →Research Team
- Christine Stevens: Co-Principal Investigator, Nursing and Health Leadership Program, UW Tacoma
- Lynne Manzo: Co-Principal Investigator, College of Built Environments, UW
- Kels Phelps: Research Assistant, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, UW
- Matt Fowle: Research Assistant, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, UW
Resources for UW Students
Visit Washington 2-1-1 or call 211 for food, housing, and other resource referrals. To access campus resources for students who have experienced foster care, please connect with the UW Champions Program at uwchamps@uw.edu.