Karen Khan

Karen Khan graduated from UTSC in June 2023 with a specialist in City Studies. During her final year at UTSC, Karen enrolled in the CITD01: City Issues and Strategies course. Karen and a research partner worked alongside Professor Ahmed Allahwala and the East Scarborough Boys and Girls Club, to investigate how current housing policies in Canada and the United States address the affordable housing needs of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) youth and how policies can be improved and applied to Scarborough. 

During the research process, Karen realized that very little research existed on the affordable housing needs of BIPOC youth in Scarborough. She and her research partner got creative in their study design by expanding their scope to other cities across Canada and the United States. This allowed Karen to hone her qualitative research skills as she learned how to glean relevant information from other contexts while connecting it with local Scarborough statistics. Karen also strengthened her ability to work collaboratively, effectively communicate with others, and think critically about potential policy interventions—all important skills for conducting community-engaged research.  

Beginning in September 2024, Karen will be pursuing a Master of Science in Planning with a concentration in social planning and policy at the University of Toronto, hoping to build a career making housing in Toronto more inclusive and equitable for all. Based on her research with Professor Allahwala, Karen explains, “I believe that this begins with acknowledging and understanding that the affordable housing crisis is felt differently by different populations, and demographic-specific measures are the most feasible.”  

Research Type(s): Community-Engaged Research, Coursework