Yung Chun (he/him) leads Housing Initiatives at the Social Policy Institute. His main research is in the public policy field with a focus on the housing market and its policy in the U.S. His research areas cover a variety of societal issues that affect the formulation and implementation of social policy. His research projects have included investigating issues such as housing, education, food insecurity, race, and public policy that affect and undermine the social mobility of socioeconomically marginalized populations. His research focuses on how social policy and programs improve not only quantifiable indices, such as employment and income, but also less quantifiable measures, including life satisfaction and optimism. To explore social issues and policy, he employs various quantitative data analysis tools, including advanced econometrics, machine learning, structural equation modeling, and spatial statistics. One of Chun’s most recent projects involves understanding the impact of a nationwide non-profit housing program—Habitat for Humanity International—on families’ long-term housing affordability, wealth accumulation, and well-being.

As an emerging policy researcher, his research has also been focused on communicating to policymakers, including the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee and House Economic Matters Committee, the House of Delegates of Maryland, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In addition to policy recommendations and testimonies, he wrote a series of stories about racial/ethnic disparities during the pandemic for the Brookings Institution, which reached diverse and international audiences.