This study provides one of the first causal estimates of the impact of housing on academic outcomes. While college students are too often dismissed as a privileged and healthy part of the population, researchers increasingly observe housing insecurity among college students. This problem worsened during the pandemic, underscoring the link between housing, employment, mental health, and wellness. Housing is of particular importance as a critical basic need for today's undergraduate students. The study takes place before and during the ongoing pandemic, thus providing a unique opportunity to understand the short-term impacts of housing on belongingness, mental health, and academic outcomes for the five cohorts studied. This research was conducted with these questions in mind: (1) Does this scholarship influence student well-being as measured by belongingness, mental health, and/or financial wellness?; and (2) Does the provision of a housing scholarship have an impact on student retention or completion? Findings from the study suggest that rent-free community housing supports provide greater financial well-being, mental health, and postsecondary educational impacts.