Lynne McMordie

Lynne McMordie is a Research Fellow at Heriot-Watt University’s Institute for Social Policy, Housing, and Equalities Research (I-SPHERE). With a professional background in Northern Ireland’s voluntary and community sectors, she led and managed services including emergency accommodation, drop-in centres, street outreach, and crisis accommodation for women.

Her academic work integrates frontline practice with social policy and housing studies, concentrating on homelessness, poverty, and the drivers of extreme social exclusion. Having completed her PhD at Heriot-Watt University in 2021, she is currently involved in a range of research programmes: contributing to the longitudinal Homelessness Monitor Study examining homelessness trends across the UK; evaluating the Fairway Scotland partnership which tackles destitution and homelessness among people with no recourse to public funds or restricted statutory support; and leading a programme of research investigating the intersection of violence against women and homelessness in Northern Ireland.

In 2020, Dr McMordie was awarded the Valerie Karn Early Career Research Prize for her paper on the avoidance of hostel and shelter accommodation, reflecting her commitment to informing policy and practice through rigorous, impactful research.