Hosting a Homeless Encampment Changed Our University

Karen A. Snedker, associate professor of sociology, and Jennifer McKinney, professor of sociology, at Seattle Pacific University, write:  Tent encampments for those who are homeless are emerging across urban areas as a response to the large number of people who lack permanent shelter. In recent years, our institution, Seattle Pacific University, and other area colleges have hosted several of these "tent cities," offering important lessons for us, our students, and the residents who temporarily have become our neighbors.