1. Student Experiences with Unstable Housing at the University of Washington
Leah F. Rankin
University of Washington Health and Wellness
June 2015

2. 1
Executive Summary
Noticing an uptick in the number of students disclosing concerns related to the housing stability
of themselves or an immediate family member, the Health and Wellness department undertook a
two-phase project to assess both the prevalence of student homelessness on the University of
Washington campus and the alignment of available support resources with student needs,
consisting of interviews with university staff members in a variety of departments and a survey
distributed widely to the UW student population about their experiences with unstable housing.
This paper addresses solely the survey portion of this project.
Students were recruited for the survey through department listservs. All UW students were
considered eligible for the survey and all departments were sent an outreach email. In all, 41
departments agreed to distribute the survey, 3 refused, and 79 did not respond. Overall, responses
from listserv administrators indicated a strong confidence that students paid more attention to
emails sent over their listservs than those sent to all students.
216 students participated in the survey. While the participants were overwhelming graduate
students (N=155), the individual results are enlightening despite not being representative of the
entire student body.
The following were notable results:
 58% of respondents indicated some degree of personal housing instability and 88%
indicated some exposure to housing instability, whether of their own, another student’s,
or a close friend or family member’s.
 There are at least eighty unique students who experienced housing instability severe
enough to be considered homelessness during their time on this campus, thirty-five of
whom reached the level of street homelessness.
 The most sought out professional resource for students experiencing unstable housing
was food support (15%).
 The majority of students who expressed an unmet need in terms of a cost rather than a
tangible good elaborated on the primary source of their instability being costs of health
care.
 Only 23% of students experiencing housing instability identified as local commuters
versus students who came to the university from outside the area.
The department intends to re-administer the survey during the next academic year and conduct
greater outreach to garner a larger and more representative sample of student respondents.

3. 2
Background and Goals
Beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year, the University of Washington Health and Wellness
office began to notice a sharp increase in the number of students disclosing concerns related to
homelessness or housing instability in relation to themselves or a family member that was
significantly impacting their opportunities for academic success. It quickly became clear that the
resources on campus for supporting students were not only insufficient, but not well-advertised.
As a result, the Health and Wellness office undertook an initiative to bring greater campus-wide
awareness to the issue of student experiences with unstable housing, develop a single reference
point for resources for serving students experiencing unstable housing, and advocate for
additional resources for these students.
While not much academic work has been done on the barriers facing homeless college students,
this is an issue that has received increasing media attention in the last few years and indeed the
numbers of homeless college students is quite high—over 56,000 in the 2012-2013 school year
(Saccaro, 2014). This number, drawn from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is also
likely to be a significant underreport due to the lack of transparency on the application regarding
the definition of homelessness. The exclusion of marginalized populations that do not qualify for
federal student aid, qualify for limited amounts, or do not believe they qualify who are at greater
risk of homelessness, such as students with drug crime convictions and undocumented
individuals can also have a significant impact on the quality of the FAFSA measure.
It is common to use work done in identifying and supporting homeless K-12 students, including
the protections provided through the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, to
inform work with homeless college students. While this approach is a strong starting point, it
also has many limitations, particularly given the findings in the current study that comparatively
few students are experiencing continuing homelessness from their time before arriving at the
University of Washington. For this reason, it is important to continue work that identifies and
supports college students directly.
Procedure
Problem Definition
The term “homeless” does not carry a singular definition. While in common usage homelessness
is often associated with individuals who are sleeping in shelters or on the street, many definitions
are much broader. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, which provides assistance
for homeless K-12 students, defines that status as lacking a “fixed, regular, and adequate
nighttime residence” and includes such categories as living with extended family for economic
reasons, living in trailer parks, and living in transitional housing programs. The definitions of

4. 3
homelessness determined by the department of Housing and Urban Development also include
those fleeing domestic violence and those who are on the brink of literal homelessness. More
extreme forms of homelessness include sleeping on the street, in shelters, in abandoned
buildings, or in cars. It was also noted that the rising costs of housing in the University District
neighborhood and surrounding area have threatened the housing security of some students.
While some offices on the UW campus, like the Office of Student Financial Aid, need to make
legalistic determinations in regard to a student’s homeless status in alignment with much more
limited definitions in order to qualify them for services, the Health and Wellness office itself is
not bound by those same restrictions. As Health and Wellness’s Student Care program takes a
comprehensive approach to student opportunities for success, the motivation for this project was
more holistically to ensure that all students had access to opportunities for success. For this
reason, a broad definition of homelessness was used for this project, with the recognition that
providing adequate support for students experiencing homelessness requires a knowledge of how
a student’s specific experiences will qualify them for additional supportive services. Student
responses were stratified by the type of homelessness they disclosed experiencing.
As a final consideration, “students experiencing unstable housing” was developed as a catch-all
term for students who, during their time at UW or prior, met this broad definition of
homelessness or had felt responsibility for supporting a friend or family member who would
meet those criteria of homelessness. The term “unstable housing” was used in place of
“homelessness” both because it encompasses a greater number of situations and to avoid the
stigma of being labeled as “homeless” by identifying with the presented situations.
Survey Development
Engaging the students themselves in the sample was imperative for any appropriate reflection of
their experiences. Research on the multiple definitions of homelessness and barriers facing K-12
students as well as the professional practice experience of the researcher in multiple local
agencies serving homeless youth were used to inform the questions that students were asked. In
order to maximize the amount of information that could be gleaned from department interviews
about campus-specific experiences and resources, a survey was selected as the most optimal
methodology for gaining input from students. This approach maximized the amount of
information that could be collected in a short time.
The priorities determined for the student survey were:
 Exploring the scope of student experiences with unstable housing on campus
 Assessing the severity of student experiences with unstable housing on campus

5. 4
 Exploring the impact of student experiences with unstable housing on a student’s
experience at the university
 Determining which staff and community members students trusted with disclosure of
their living situation
 Assessing student access to resources for supporting students experiencing homelessness
 Exploring confounding factors in addressing student homelessness
In order to explore the scope of student experiences with unstable housing, it was necessary to
first raise awareness of the variety of situations that could be considered unstable housing. The
first survey question asked respondents to indicate if they had personally experienced any of 11
different categories of unstable housing either during or prior to their time at UW, if they were
aware of another student who had personally experienced this situation, if a close friend or
family member had personally experienced that situation, or if they were not aware of anyone in
those categories who had personally experienced that situation. This came out of a recognition
that a history with unstable housing or perceived responsibility in supporting a friend or family
member through an unstable housing situation could also impact a student’s experience at the
university. This question was also intended to contribute to addressing the second priority and
assess the severity of the of student experiences.
Identifying appropriate descriptors of lacking affordable housing was complex. While the federal
standard for affordable housing is that costs remain between 30 and 50% of a household’s
income, measures of income are complex for college students who often rely on student aid, help
from parents, or other supplemental money to pay bills that is dependent on their status as a
student and intended to be used for academic pursuits. This aid is increasingly given in the form
of loans which must be repaid and these loan amounts are disbursed only at the beginning of an
academic term. While many students work part-time in work-study positions or otherwise, this
income is often insufficient to cover their needs. Additionally, the affordable housing options
available to the general population (e.g., subsidized housing, workforce housing, etc.) exclude
full-time students categorically, even those determined to be independent, except in very limited
circumstances. Thus, in lieu of an income measure, students were asked whether they have
struggled to pay their rent. While these measures are hardly equivalent, the latter is intended to
be broader and include students whose academic success may be impeded by financial
difficulties related to housing, even if not by unstable housing itself.
The second question, which asked students about a variety of barriers to having the student
experience they wanted, was designed to bridge the second and third priorities by assessing
severity secondarily in terms of impact on student experience.

6. 5
In order to address the fourth and fifth priorities, four questions were developed to ask students
which resources they reached out to and about their experiences in getting their needs met
through those resources.
The exploration of confounding factors was addressed through a limited demographic analysis
that also served to gather information about which services respondents would qualify for. This
analysis included factors such as age, how far along a student is in their education, GPA,
residence classification, and whether the respondent is parenting. This information was collected
through questions with closed-ended response options to reduce the social desirability bias
associated with collecting somewhat sensitive information, such as age and GPA.
Survey Administration
The survey was disseminated through department listservs with the subject line “Student
Experiences with Unstable Housing.” The decision not to utilize the all-student listserv was
made as a time-saving measure in consideration of the approval process in place through the
Office of the Registrar. The researcher also hypothesized that students would be more likely to
see and to open emails that were sent through their department rather than through the university
as a whole. Each department that maintains direct students was sent a request for distribution,
usually to the lead academic advisor. In all, 41 departments agreed to distribute the survey, 3
refused, and 79 did not respond. Of the three departments that refused to distribute the survey
link, two cited department policy to only send department-related messages through that listserv,
and one indicated that because her program was only a minor, she preferred not to send emails
that students were likely to get from their major advisors. Overall, responses from listserv
administrators indicated a strong confidence that students paid more attention to emails sent over
their listservs than those sent to all students.
Distributing the survey via departmental listservs is expected to have served a dual purpose of
efficiency and of raising awareness of attention paid to issues of unstable housing by university
support programs, as well as directing advisors to a specific department resource. In fact, three
listserv administrators responded to the request for distribution with comments that they were
aware of students in their department with housing stability concerns.
The project was determined exempt by the University of Washington Institutional Review
Board. No incentives were offered for survey participation.
The list of departments approached for distribution and the category of their responses may be
found in Appendix B.

7. 6
Results and Discussion
In all, 216 students participated in the survey. While the participants were overwhelming
graduate students (N=155), the individual results are enlightening despite not being
representative of the entire student body.
Prevalence of Student Homelessness and Threats to Housing Stability
As was expected, the vast majority of the sample experienced high housing stability, both prior
to and during their time at the University of Washington, with 91 students (42%) disclosing no
personal experience with any of housing instability variables. Figure 1 shows the prevalence of
housing instability among the sample during their time at the University of Washington that was
severe enough to broadly be considered homelessness. The graphic is stratified by students who
personally experienced housing instability at that level prior to their arrival at the university (in
light blue), those for whom this level of housing instability was a new experience during their
time at UW (in dark blue), and those who reported knowledge of another student who was
housing unstable (in red). Because only about 2.5% of students indicated that another student
they knew was struggling with the same housing concerns, these incidences of unstable housing
among students can reasonably be considered independent.
Figure 1: Number of respondents experiencing housing instability by place of residence.

8. 7
A significantly larger portion of the student sample identified with factors that posed a threat to
maintaining their current housing situation or being able to make a change in their housing
situation should the need arise. Figure 2 shows the prevalence of these threats to housing
stability. These threats included financial difficulties that impacted a student’s ability to pay their
rent, roommate issues severe enough to impact a student’s wellbeing, lack of sufficient income,
credit history, or a cosigner to obtain an apartment lease, and experiencing an argument with a
live-in partner that made the student feel unsafe. For example, a student noted that they “had a
dangerous person living with me, was not able to get him out of the house and had to continue
living with him.”
Figure 2: Number of respondents experiencing threats to housing stability by category.
It is interesting to note in both Figures 1 and 2 that the proportion of students who were housing-
unstable at their current level before attending the University of Washington is relatively low
compared to students for whom the instability is a new experience. These data contradict the
prevailing notion that increased housing instability on college campuses is primarily the result of
greater access to higher education among lower-income families and other at-risk youth.
Additionally, it is important to note again that almost three quarters of the respondents were
graduate or professional students. While undergraduates are often leaving home for the first time
to attend college and have not had significant experiences with having to secure their own
housing, graduate students are often older and carry more independent responsibilities than
undergraduate students. In fact, almost a quarter of the student respondents were over age 30.

9. 8
Given that these students have presumably been housed independently previously, their entrance
into housing instability since arriving at the university is troubling and suggests that students face
many barriers to housing stability that are unique to their student status. One student remarked
“In between field work in Northeastern Washington and on-campus coursework, I often don't
have a home and sleep in my van or sometimes in the office. I am considering living out of my
mini-van fall semester to save money and using the IMA to shower.”
Because student financial aid is typically not included in standard income calculations when
securing apartment leases and full time students are categorically excluded from workforce
housing except in very limited circumstances, many students have trouble obtaining an
apartment lease without a cosigner. Those who nevertheless manage to find an apartment often
become caught by unethical landlord practices, like one student who indicated that they ended up
in “a really bad situation with a slum lord,” which they described as “very stressful.” Predatory
landlord practices are a well-established phenomenon nationwide when renting to students. A
recent study in Urbana-Champaign showed that large numbers of graduate students chose to pay
an additional 45% per month in occupancy fees to live in university-sponsored housing rather
than rent from risky property owners (Sadayuki, 2015). Sadayuki also developed a model
showing that landlords with more than ten claims against them could be expected to offer units at
10% less than the market rate, suggesting that students seeking more affordable housing are at
increased vulnerability to unethical or illegal landlord practices.
Impacts of Housing Instability on Student Experience
For the 125 students who indicated some level of housing instability, difficulty making or
keeping friends, difficulty keeping up with schoolwork, and difficulty participating in
extracurricular activities were seen to be the most prominent impacts, with about 60% of
housing-unstable participants identifying those as primary effects. One student commented, “The
biggest problem is the fact that I have to work long hours to be able to afford the high rent in
Seattle, which makes me unable to attend extracurricular activities, go to office hours, and study
enough.” Another student remarked that “I am a full-time student, but have to work part-time on
top of that in order to make ends meet, even though I receive student financial aid and EBT. The
amount of time I spend working translates to roughly a 0.5 drop in my overall GPA.” Figure 3
describes the reported impacts of unstable housing on their student experience.
The increased vulnerability to unethical or illegal landlord practices and the increased security
students feel with university-sponsored housing, as discussed in the previous section, make it
even more important to expand access to these housing units for students. 39 respondents
indicated that their own housing instability or that of a family member was a primary barrier to
choosing university-sponsored housing.

10. 9
Figure 3: Frequency of impacts of unstable housing on student experience.
Other students remarked lacking a less tangible feeling of “stability” and expressed mental health
concerns that appeared either as a result of unstable housing or were additional contributors to
housing instability. One student even expressed that these emotional impact kept them from an
enhancement of their academic experience, saying “I opted not to apply for an Honor's Program
because I was in a tenuous housing situation after recovering from a long-term DV relationship. I
did not think I could manage the extra workload given my situation. During that time I also did not
apply for several scholarships for the same reason.”
Who Students ReachOut to for Support with Housing Instability
When encountering housing instability, students indicated overwhelmingly that they were most
likely to reach out to other students for support—mostly friends (23%), but also RAs (2%), and
student leaders (2%). Despite this, respondents were largely unaware of other students
experiencing similar housing instability to themselves, with only about 18% of students
indicating that another student they knew was struggling or had struggled with the same housing
concerns.
Respondents primarily sought staff assistance from the Office of Student Financial Aid and
Student Fiscal Services. Many students cited limited access to financial aid due to their residency
classification or level in school as contributors to their housing instability. While most students
expressed their unmet need in terms of tangible goods such as housing, food, and adequate

11. 10
counseling or emotional support, the majority of students who expressed their unmet need in
terms of a cost elaborated on the primary source of their instability being costs of health care.
One student remarked that
Grad student health insurance is terrible. They frequently change coverage amounts and
providers, leaving me owing a lot of money for my mental health appointments. …They
dropped my partner from insurance during one Summer without bringing it to our
attention AND still accepting all of our claims and paying them. Then they turn around
and tell us we owe them the full cost of all appointments over the Summer or else he is
dropped from insurance, so we lost insurance for him.
In total, eleven students reported seeking assistance from Hall Health to address their concerns of
housing instability. Figure 4 shows the on-campus resources to which students reached out for
assistance.
Figure 4: Frequency of places students sought on-campus support for housing instability.
In contrast, the off-campus resource that was most sought after by students was food support,
either through food stamps or food banks (N=28, 15%). No students indicated accessing both
food stamps and food banks due to a technical error in survey construction where respondents
were only able to select one option for this question. These data are supported by a study
completed at the City University of New York assessing housing instability among
undergraduates, which also found a strong relationship between students who were housing-
unstable and food-insecure (Tsui et al., 2011).

12. 11
87 respondents indicated seeking no off-campus support, although half of those respondents
indicated a remaining unmet need. Additionally, while 79% of participants reported receiving
assistance from those they reached out to, 38 students (20%) reported not seeking help from
anyone at all. This may indicate that students felt stigmatized by their situation, did not know
where to turn for assistance, or did not have sufficient awareness of available resources to know
to seek them out.
Students also described a great deal of barriers to obtaining broader off-campus assistance that
were particular to their student status. One respondent noted that they were unable to get food
stamp assistance because of mandated practicum hours that were not counted as work hours for
eligibility for food assistance, but were extensive enough to prohibit paid employment.
Figure 5: Frequency of places students sought off-campus support for housing instability.
Experience with Supporting Housing-Unstable Friends and Family
In addition to students who have personal experience with housing instability that reached the
point of homelessness, this survey revealed a number of students who have a close friend or
family member who is homeless. These students expressed experiencing similar impacts on their
student experience as students who had personal experience with housing instability. One student
noted that “My father got utility bills paid for and temporary rent payments but eventually he
was kicked out of his house and had to come live with me. There was no other housing option for
him and they couldn’t provide him with any options to prevent homelessness before it
happened.”

13. 12
Another student expressed a similar experience:
My daughter’s friend who is actively using is homeless downtown, she stayed with us for
a short time but it did not feel safe. While I was in my PhD program both my family
friend and my brother stayed with me because they were either between jobs or in the
case of my brother was experiencing health issues, unsafe housing and could not find an
appropriate place to live. While they stayed with me I was having a hard time doing my
work because they did not understand how busy I was and because I was so worried
about them and could not find adequate resources and COULD NOT turn them out.
Figure 6 depicts the number of respondents who indicated that they have a close friend or family
member who is experiencing homelessness. The graphic is stratified by students who have
personal experience with housing instability at this level (in dark blue) and those who do not (in
light blue). The proportion of students who have close ties with another individual who is
experiencing housing instability is informative in developing intervention strategies because it
could indicate that students who are feeling obligation or desire to support family members may
not have sufficient experience to be aware of the available resources without professional
assistance. The need for professional assistance in locating resources is further supported by the
high percentage of students who did not seek support on or off-campus, yet disclosed a
remaining unmet need.
Figure 6: Number of respondents disclosing housing instability of a close friend or family
member by place of residence.

14. 13
Demographics of Students Experiencing Housing Instability
Five pieces of demographic information were collected from survey respondents: age, how far
along the respondent is in school, cumulative GPA, residency classification, and whether the
respondent has minor children in the home.
Respondents between 22 and 25 were the most likely to be housing-unstable (62%) based on
their age group. This may be because students who are 18-21 are more likely to receive
assistance from their parents. While the CUNY study found that undergraduates who were age
thirty or older were the most housing-unstable, that subpopulation was found to be only 58%
(N=4) housing-unstable in this sample.
About half (50.3%) of the graduate and professional student respondents experienced housing
instability during their time at the University of Washington, in comparison to 65% of
undergraduate respondents.
The GPA categories did not gain sufficient variation to warrant further analysis.
Among students experiencing housing instability, only 23% identified as local commuters,
versus students who came to the university from outside the area. In contrast, 18% of housing-
unstable respondents were international students, who experience greater barriers to housing
stability than domestic students, including restrictions on off-campus employment and limited
student financial aid opportunities. It is also possible that the lack of rental history in the United
States could place international students at increased vulnerability to predatory landlord practices
around security deposits, which are not statutorily capped in Washington, as they are in 27 other
states.
Overall, parents and nonparents were not found to have significantly different experiences in
housing stability, with two exceptions. Parents were approximately five times less likely than
nonparents to experience severe roommate difficulties, but were three times as likely to
experience an argument with a live-in partner that made them feel unsafe.
Recommendations and Conclusion
Overall, 58% of respondents indicated some degree of personal housing instability and 88%
indicated some exposure to housing instability, whether of their own, another student’s, or a
close friend or family member’s. While the large percentage of graduate student responses limits
the representativeness of the sample, the individual results demonstrate that there are at least
eighty unique students who experienced housing instability severe enough to be considered

15. 14
homelessness during their time on this campus, thirty-five of whom reached the level of street
homelessness. These students experience difficulty getting to class on time, finding a safe place
to do their homework, getting enough sleep at night to pay attention in class, and eating healthy
meals.
The data collected in this student survey support the following advocacy points for institutional
interventions:
 Promote knowledge of campus resources among students directly, as friends on campus
are overwhelmingly the largest group receiving outreach.
 Improve availability of low-cost food options for students, as these are the most sought-
after off-campus options.
 Improve affordability of on-campus housing options as well as availability of 12-month
contracts.
 Provide on-campus support for enrolling students in Apple health and improve health
insurance options for Academic Student Employees.
Given that only 23% of students experiencing housing instability identified as local commuters
versus students who came to the university from outside the area, it is also evident that the
university has a responsibility to create additional internal supports for the students it attracts and
admits in order to avoid placing an undue burden on the community at large.

16. 15
Appendix A: Survey
Student Experiences with Unstable Housing
Information Statement
This survey is intended to explore the prevalence of experience with unstable housing and
homelessness on the UW campus. Homelessness is defined in different ways by the federal
government, by social service programs, by health centers, etc. for the purposes of qualifying
people for supportive services. In this survey, different situations will be described that reflect
these varying definitions of homelessness or unstable housing. Following these descriptions, you
will be asked if you or someone you know has experienced these situations.
This survey should take about 15 minutes to complete. You must be 18 or older to take this
survey.
If you would like support related to any of the issues covered in this survey, you can contact the
UW Health & Wellness office at:
Health and Wellness
University of Washington
109 Elm Hall
Seattle, WA 98105
P: 206-543-6085
E: livewell@uw.edu
Question 1.
The following questions will offer different unstable housing situations and ask if you or
someone you know has experienced any of these situations. Please check all that apply.
Have you or has someone you know been in any of the following situations:
Rows
Stayed in an emergency shelter for homeless youth, homeless adults, homeless families, or
survivors of domestic violence?
Stayed in a transitional living program or permanent supportive housing program, by yourself or
with another family member?
Slept in a car because you did not have a fixed, adequate nighttime residence?
Slept on the street, in a park, or in an abandoned building because you did not have a fixed and
adequate nighttime residence?

17. 16
Slept in a tent or makeshift shelter on your own or in an encampment because you did not have a
fixed and adequate nighttime residence?
Couchsurfed or bounced from friend to friend because you did not have a regular place to stay at
night?
Moved in with a friend or extended family member because you did not otherwise have a safe
and adequate place to stay at night?
Experienced roommate issues severe enough to impact your emotional wellbeing?
Experienced an argument with your live-in partner that made you feel unsafe at home?
Experienced difficulty obtaining a rental lease due to a lack of adequate credit history, sufficient
income, or a cosigner?
Experienced financial difficulties that made it hard to pay your rent?
Columns
Me, before UW
Me, while at UW
Another student I know
A close friend or family member
None of these
Question 2.
If you have struggled with any of these issues yourself or with supporting someone who has
struggled / is struggling with these issues, what barriers did you experience in having the
student experience you wanted because of these concerns? Please select all that apply.
Difficulty keeping up with schoolwork
Difficulty attending classes
Difficulty attending office hours, review sessions, or study groups
Difficulty participating in extracurricular activities or student groups
Difficulty making or spending time with friends
Unable to live in on-campus housing (because you would have nowhere to stay over
academic breaks, etc.)

18. 17
None of these
N/A
Other:
Question 3.
If you have struggled with any of these issues yourself or with supporting someone who has
struggled/is struggling with these issues, which on-campus resources did you reach out to for
assistance?
An academic advisor
The counseling center
An EOP advisor
Financial Aid
A friend
Hall Health
Health and Wellness
A professor/TA/other instructor
An RA
The registrar's office
Student fiscal services (short term loans, etc.)
A student leader of a student activity, etc.
None of these
N/A
Other:
Question 4.
If you have struggled with any of these issues yourself or with supporting someone who has
struggled/is struggling with these issues, what off-campus resources did you reach out to for
assistance?
DSHS / EBT / a welfare office

19. 18
Family Housing Connection / Youth Housing Connection
A food bank
A health clinic
A legal clinic
An outreach worker
A shelter
None of these
N/A
Other:
Question 5.
Were you able to get assistance from any of the resources you reached out to?
Yes
No
N/A
Optional Comment:
Question 6.
Which needs, if any, were left unmet? (Enter None if none, N/A if not applicable.)
Question 7.
The following optional questions collect demographic information to help us better understand
the experiences of students experiencing unstable housing or homelessness.
How old are you?
Under 18
18-21
22-25
26-30

20. 19
31+
Question 8.
How far along are you in school?
Pre-major
In my major
Graduate or Professional student
Non-matriculated Student
Other:
Question 9.
What is your cumulative GPA?
Under 2.0
2.0 - 2.5
2.51 - 3.0
3.01 - 3.5
3.51 - 4.0
Question 10.
Which of the following residency classifications do you most identify with?
Local commuter
In state
Out of state
International
Question 11.
Do you have a child or children under the age of 18 living with you part or all of the time?
Yes
No

21. 20
I am expecting a child
Thank you for completing this survey. As a reminder, if you would like support with any of the
issues raised during this survey you can contact the UW Health & Wellness office at:
Health and Wellness
University of Washington
109 Elm Hall
Seattle, WA 98105
P: 206-543-6085
E: livewell@uw.edu

22. 21
Appendix B: Departments Approached for Survey Distribution By Response
Department Undergraduate/Graduate/Professional Response
American Indian Studies UG Yes
Applied Mathematics Grad Yes
Biomedical Informatics and Medical
Education
Grad Yes
Civil & Environmental Engineering UG and Grad Yes
Dentistry Professional Yes
Drama Grad Yes
DXARTS UG and Grad Yes
Earth & Space Sciences UG and Grad Yes
Electrical Engineering UG and Grad Yes
English UG and Grad Yes
Environmental and Forest Sciences UG and Grad Yes
Environmental and Occupational
Health Sciences
Grad Yes
Environmental Studies UG Yes
Gender, Women, and Sexuality
Studies
UG Yes
Genome Sciences Grad Yes
Immunology Grad Yes
Industrial & Systems Engineering UG Yes
Jackson School of International
Studies
Grad Yes
Japan Studies Program UG Yes
Jewish Studies UG Yes
Laboratory Medicine UG Yes
Linguistics UG Yes
Mechanical Engineering Grad Yes
Neurobiology UG Yes
Oceanography UG and Grad Yes
Pathology Grad Yes
Pharmaceutics Grad Yes
Pharmacology Grad Yes
Physical Therapy Grad Yes
Psychosocial & Community Health Grad Yes
Public Health UG and Grad Yes
Rehabilitation Medicine Grad Yes
Slavic Languages and Literatures UG Yes
Urban Design and Planning Grad Yes
American Ethnic Studies UG Yes

23. 22
Astronomy UG Yes
Communication Grad Yes
Physiology & Biophysics UG and Grad Yes
Social Work UG Yes
Urban Design and Planning UG Yes
Computer Science & Engineering UG and Grad No
Human Centered Design and
Engineering
UG and Grad No
Nutritional Sciences UG No
Aeronautics & Astronautics UG and Grad No
response
African Studies UG No
response
Anthropology UG and Grad No
response
Aquatic and Fishery Sciences Grad No
response
Architecture UG and Grad No
response
Art UG and Grad No
response
Asian Languages and Literature UG No
response
Atmospheric Sciences UG and Grad No
response
Biobehavioral Nursing and Health
Systems
Grad No
response
Biochemisty UG and Grad No
response
Bioengineering UG and Grad No
response
Bioethics & Humanities UG and Grad No
response
Biological Physics, Structure and
Design
UG and Grad No
response
Biological Structure Grad No
response
Biostatistics Grad No
response
Canadian Studies UG No
response
Chemical Engineering UG and Grad No
response
Chemistry UG and Grad No
response

24. 23
China Studies UG No
response
Classics UG No
response
Communication UG and Grad No
response
Community, Environment, and
Planning
UG No
response
Comparative History of Ideas UG No
response
Comparative Literature UG and Grad No
response
Comparative Medicine Grad No
response
Construction Management Grad No
response
Dance UG and Grad No
response
Dental Hygiene UG and Grad No
response
Drama UG and Grad No
response
Economics UG and Grad No
response
Endodontics Grad No
response
French & Italian Studies UG No
response
Geographic Information Systems Grad No
response
Germanics UG and Grad No
response
Global Health UG and Grad No
response
Health Administration UG and Grad No
response
Health Services Management Grad No
response
History UG and Grad No
response
Honors Program UG No
response
Infrastructure Planning and
Management
Grad No
response
International Studies UG No
response

25. 24
Jackson School of International
Studies
UG and Grad No
response
Korea Studies UG No
response
Landscape Architecture UG and Grad No
response
Latin American Studies UG No
response
Law, Society, and Justice UG No
response
Marine & Environmental Affairs Grad No
response
Materials Science and Engineering UG and Grad No
response
Mathematics UG and Grad No
response
Mechanical Engineering UG and Grad No
response
Medical Scientist Training Program Grad No
response
Medicinal Chemistry Grad No
response
Medicine Student Programs Grad No
response
Microbiology UG and Grad No
response
Middle East Center UG No
response
Molecular & Cellular Biology Grad No
response
Museology Grad No
response
Music UG and Grad No
response
Near Eastern Languages &
Civilization
UG and Grad No
response
Neurobiology & Behavior UG No
response
Occupational Therapy Grad No
response
Pharmacy Grad No
response
Philosophy UG and Grad No
response
Physics UG and Grad No
response

26. 25
Political Science UG and Grad No
response
Psychology UG and Grad No
response
Quantitative Ecology & Resource
Management
Grad No
response
Quantitative Science UG No
response
Rehabilitation Science Grad No
response
Scandinavian Studies UG No
response
Social Work Grad No
response
Sociology UG and Grad No
response
Spanish UG and Grad No
response
Speech & Hearing Sciences UG and Grad No
response
Statistics UG and Grad No
response

27. 26
References
Homeless Emergency Assistance And Rapid Transition To Housing: Defining “Homeless,” 76
FR 75994 (2011). Federal Register Volume 76, Issue 233 (December 5, 2011). Retrieved
from http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/FR-2011-12-05/2011-30942
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987. 42 U.S.C. § 11301 (2009).
Saccaro, M. (2014, Nov. 17). College kids’ homeless hell: Why a secret, massive crisis is getting
even worse. Salon. Retrieved from
http://www.salon.com/2014/11/17/college_kids_homeless_nightmare_inside_a_little_kno
wn_horrifying_crisis/
Sadayuki, T. (2015). Uncertainty in a College-Town Housing Market : The Case of the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Journal of College and University
Student Housing, 41, 78-96.
Tsui, E., Freudenberg, N., Manzo, L., Jones, H., Kwan, A., & Gagnon, M. (2011). Housing
Instability at CUNY: Results from a Survey of CUNY Undergraduate Students. Healthy
CUNY Initiative, City University of New York. Retrieved from:
http://www.gc.cuny.edu/CUNY_GC/media/CUNY-Graduate-
Center/PDF/Centers/Center%20for%20Human%20Environments/cunyhousinginstability.
pdf