Couch surfing on the margins: the reliance on temporary living arrangements as a form of homelessness amongst school-aged home leavers

Abstract

This paper examines couch surfing as a form of youth homelessness. The focus is on adolescents who do not have support from parental homes and who frequently move from one temporary living arrangement to another, without a secure 'place to be'. Drawing on the findings of sociological research with a group of young couch surfers in Australia, the aim is to unpack the marginalising social processes that produce this practice as an outcome of early home leaving. Contrary to the view that adolescent couch surfers are managing their living situations for the time being, this research suggests that couch surfing is in itself an experience and product of dislocation, which (re)inscribes disadvantage. Reflecting on the interview accounts, the paper first shows how the reliance on informal living arrangements is one way in which young people are contending with the risks of early home leaving 'for themselves' Á in lieu of preferable alternatives from formalised welfare systems. Second, in bringing attention to the tenuousness attached to their reliance on informal living arrangements, this paper shows how couch surfing emerges as a form of homelessness without 'rooflessness': a situation in which young people's attempts to gain ontological security are consistently undermined. The findings of this research broaden our understanding of the social and political inequalities limiting young people's resources for negotiating adult life.

Parental co-residence, shared living and emerging adulthood in Europe: semi-dependent housing across welfare regime and housing system contexts

“…Secondly, EU-SILC data only includes household members who reside longer than 6 months and therefore the analysis excludes very short-term co-residence or sharing; thus likely underestimating total semidependence levels as previous research has identified common practices of temporary sharing (i.e. 'couch surfing') where other avenues of state or family support are not available (McLoughlin, 2013). Thirdly, the study focuses on welfare regime and housing system contexts and does not purport to look at an exhaustive list of potential factors.…”

“…Extended co-residence or returns to the parental home seem to play an increasingly important role in many countries (Lennartz et al, 2014) and, outside the natal home, non-traditional forms of sharing might also represent a significant short or longerterm option. Shared housing can be a coping mechanism where other forms of family or state support are not available and can range from the informal and transitory, such as in 'couch surfing' (McLoughlin, 2013), to being a longer-term strategy. Shared housing with strangers, friends, or other relatives can represent exactly the type of intermediary (in)dependence that can provide partial autonomy where economic conditions do not allow for fully independent housing status or -as a lifestyle choice -where continued social support is desired within the housing arrangement.…”

Youth Homelessness and Vulnerability: How Does Couch Surfing Fit?

“…A lack of consensus and consistency on what constitutes homelessness among unaccompanied youth, and how to measure it, poses a significant part of the challenge (Toro, Dworsky & Fowler, ). Couch surfing often lies at the center of this ambiguity (McLoughlin, ). The term refers to young people without support from parental homes who frequently “move from one temporary living arrangement to another, without a secure ‘place to be’” (McLoughlin, , p. 521).…”

The Role of Teachers in Identifying and Supporting Homeless Secondary School Students: Important Lessons for Teacher Education

“…Research on couch surfing in homeless youth populations reveals that it often involves staying at friends' houses or moving between temporary forms of accommodation with typically rent-free arrangements (McLoughlin, 2013). It often occurs because young people are running away from a problem at home (Thielking, Flatau, La Sala & Sutton, 2015).…”

“…Couch surfing contradicts the stereotypical idea of a 'street kid' that most Australians associate with youth homelessness (Homelessness Australia, 2014). It represents a largely hidden form of homelessness and has, in many ways, been excluded from the wealth of research conducted on homeless youth (McLoughlin, 2013).…”