Amber Khan, the University of Washington 2025 Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences’ Outstanding PhD Student, focuses her studies on protecting low-income renters during and after disasters. Her research specifically addresses the intersection of the housing and climate crises, particularly how public housing residents are often overlooked in emergency planning.
Khan partnered with the National Low Income Housing Coalition to assess state emergency plans and found they largely neglect the needs of low-income renters. Her dissertation offers a roadmap for improving disaster preparedness in public housing, and she also explores community resilience strategies like mutual aid and community land trusts.