The roles of racism and socioeconomic inequality, and their iterative interaction, in producing housing inequality are well documented. However, in the context of university life, housing inequality among undergraduate students remains highly understudied. This is particularly troublesome given that, for many young adults, university is often the first time searching for housing of one’s own, rendering this period particularly vulnerable for inequalities to emerge in access to quality and affordable housing. To address this gap, this study examines how racism and socioeconomic disadvantage interact to inform housing search strategies, housing search success, and housing experiences among undergraduate university students living off campus at a predominantly White flagship university in the Southern United States. Utilizing a survey of 121 undergraduate students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alongside follow-up interviews with 9, several key findings are revealed.
Sydney Pugh (2026) studied this question.