Janet Harron

Those who opine that studying the arts are impractical have obviously not met Nicole Wilson. Her thesis directly examines that most basic of human needs – the roof over our heads.

“I decided on this topic because of the drastic increase of housing costs (both in rent and purchasing a house) that St. John’s saw in 2007,” said Ms. Wilson who interviewed 15 city residents regarding their experiences with housing issues.

Among her recommendations are the creation of a general housing office to which people could go to learn their rights as tenants and landlords and become more educated about housing. She also recommends changes to the existing Residential Tenancies Act to assist with enforcement and statistics surrounding housing.

“I think that if everyone were to respect each other and give individuals the chance to explain themselves, and why they are in difficult situations instead of making assumptions, more effective and long-lasting solutions to housing struggles can be found.”

Ms. Wilson presented findings from her thesis at the 2013 Canadian Housing and Renewal Association’s forum for emerging professionals. She was also a member of the St. John’s group Citizens for Affordable Housing and helped to organized the rally “Lanterns for Housing” on their behalf.

She first discovered anthropology when picking courses as a first year student.

“I was so excited to have found something so interesting.  Since the intro course I took with Mark Tate – who has been amazing help to me ever since - I have loved anthropology and how it has helped me to think about and understand the world we live in.”  Ms. Wilson also credits her supervisor Dr. Sharon Roseman as being an inspiration throughout her university career

After graduation, Ms. Wilson hopes to gain employment within the St. John’s housing sector.