Mallory VanMeeterGraduate Studentthey/them/theirs and she/her/hers

I use qualitative and mixed methods research to elevate community-led solutions to social issues. I work with nonprofit and public system stakeholders to help them more effectively direct system resources, especially through investment in informal and community support networks. My current research focuses on community-based housing for youth and young adults facing homelessness, like host home programs and informal couch hopping. I explore the structural, organizational, and interpersonal conditions that influence these housing approaches. Through this work, I hope to help identify and remove barriers to stability that youth and their adult allies face.

Selected Publications & Presentations

VanMeeter, M. (2023). Creating home in community: Reframing and resourcing informal shared housing with natural supports as part of the solution to youth homelessness. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago. https://www.chapinhall.org/wp-content/uploads/Creating-home-in-community-2023.pdf

VanMeeter, M., Curry, S. R., Tully, B. A., Ault, S., Nesmith, A., & White, J. (2022). The Costs of Caring: Navigating Material Challenges When Adults Informally Host Youth Facing Homelessness. Youth & Society, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X221099992

Curry, S., VanMeeter, M., Tully, B. A., Ault, S., Garst, N., Adam, K., Nesmith, A., & White, J. (2021). Beyond a bed: Supportive connections forged between youth who are couch hopping and adult hosts. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 38, 13-26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00663-7