A recent survey conducted at Michigan State University (MSU) reveals troubling levels of housing instability among its student population. The survey, carried out in April 2025 by MSU assistant professors Stephen Przybylinski in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences and John Kuk in the Department of Political Science, found that 8.5% of students had experienced homelessness within the past year, while more than 37% faced at least one form of housing insecurity. 

Funded by the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research (IPPSR), the survey gathered responses from 1,017 undergraduate and graduate students. Its primary goal was to quantify the prevalence of student homelessness and housing insecurity, as well as to better understand students’ housing needs and preferences.

Of the 87 students who met the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition of homelessness, more than half (56%) reported being homeless for only a few days. However, others faced longer-term instability: 16% were homeless for 1–3 weeks, 13% for a month, and 11% for 2–5 months. A small share of respondents—3%—reported being homeless for six months or longer.