London Met expert aims to raise awareness of plight of students who find themselves without accommodation.
A housing and inclusion expert at London Metropolitan University is trying to raise awareness about the plight of students who find themselves homeless.
Patrick Mulrenan, a senior lecturer, carried out research that revealed homelessness is a hidden problem among students in the capital.
His research discovered that students were sleeping on floors, staying with friends and relatives, staying in hostels or in temporary council accommodation.
Patrick, who worked alongside colleagues Simon Cox and Julia Atkins from London Met's Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities on the research, described himself as being shocked by the findings and declared, "Student homelessness is a hidden problem among students across London.
“We need to find out how many students are affected by homelessness in London and encourage them to use the support that is available. We want to use this research to get the message out there that help is available, and encourage students to tell us if they are homeless.”
Many of the students surveyed indicated that they knew other students facing similar challenges at other universities, highlighting a student housing problem across London.
London Met students who are facing challenging situations with housing, or any other problem, are strongly urged to contact the Accommodation Bureau or visit the student hubs and seek advice.
Patrick’s research has been featured heavily in the media, including nationals such as The Guardian and The Independent.
