Kaitlin Schwan

Kaitlin Schwan is Assistant Professor (Status Only) at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. She is also Executive Director of the Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network and Senior Researcher at the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. Her work is deeply rooted in advancing housing justice through research, policy, and advocacy.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Social Work from the University of Toronto (2016) and over 15 years of professional experience in homelessness and housing research.

Dr. Schwan’s research focuses on homelessness prevention, gendered housing insecurity, and human rights, with a strong emphasis on women, youth, and gender-diverse populations. She uses an intersectional feminist lens to examine systemic inequities in housing and advocates for policy reforms grounded in lived expertise. Her work bridges academic research with grassroots advocacy to influence national and international housing agendas.

Her leadership roles include former Senior Researcher for the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing and Director of Research for The Shift, where she worked globally to advance the right to housing. She has contributed to major national initiatives, including the development of a toolkit for the National Housing Council’s review panel on housing rights for women, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people.

• Executive Director, Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network
• Senior Researcher, Canadian Observatory on Homelessness
• Former Senior Researcher, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing
• Former Director of Research, The Shift

Dr. Schwan has been featured as a leading national advocate on homelessness and housing rights. She actively engages in public scholarship, policy development, and community mobilization to eliminate housing precarity. Her research outputs include influential reports and resources such as the National Standards for Emergency Shelters Across Canada, An Intersectional Feminist Housing Agenda for Canada, and Gendered Evictions in Financialized Housing Markets.