Kath Scanlon

Kath Scanlon is a Distinguished Policy Fellow at LSE London and CASE Associate with 25 years of experience at the London School of Economics. She specializes in housing policy research across multiple tenures including social and private rented housing as well as owner-occupation, with additional expertise in comparative mortgage finance and collaborative housing approaches.

Her research is grounded in economics but draws on techniques and perspectives from geography and sociology to improve the evidence base for policy decisions. Since 2015, she has focused on accelerating new housing development in London, examining solutions from cohousing to large-scale private rented schemes. She has also edited the authoritative book Social Housing in Europe (Wiley, 2014).

Scanlon's publications reveal a strong focus on practical housing policy applications across multiple dimensions including private renting, social housing, housing finance, and collaborative approaches. Her work increasingly incorporates cost-benefit analysis methodologies applied to housing policy questions, with recent projects examining NRPF policies, domestic abuse support systems, and metropolitan area strategies.

She has worked with numerous national and international institutions including the Council of Europe Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, Denmark's Realdania foundation, and the European Investment Bank. Her international experience spans living and working in the USA, Spain, Denmark, Yugoslavia, Kuwait and Peru, and she speaks Spanish, Italian, Serbian, Danish and French.

Scanlon has led numerous policy-relevant research projects for clients including the Scottish Government, London Councils, Camden Council, Shelter, the Greater London Authority, and various housing associations. Her work consistently bridges academic research and practical policy implementation in the housing sector.