Mary Cunningham is senior vice president for research and programs at the Urban Institute, where she leads the organization’s efforts to build the evidence and insights that inform decisionmaking and increase impact on the nation’s most pressing challenges. She oversees Urban’s research and policy portfolio, which spans housing, health, tax, education, work, justice, financial well-being, and income and benefits policy. As a member of the executive leadership team, Cunningham helps shape the institution’s programmatic strategy, including initiatives focused on housing affordability, economic mobility, reimagining the safety net, artificial intelligence for public impact, and strengthening impact at the state and local levels.

An expert on housing instability and homelessness, Cunningham brings more than two decades of experience in direct service, advocacy, research, and policy. She began her career as a caseworker serving families with housing vouchers, an experience that continues to inform her commitment to translating evidence into practical solutions that improve people’s lives. She later launched the Homelessness Research Institute, the research and data arm of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, to advance evidence-based strategies for ending homelessness nationwide.

Cunningham joined Urban as a researcher, where she’s led influential work on housing stability and affordability, homelessness, neighborhoods, and economic mobility. Her research has informed federal, state, and local policies and programs serving families with low incomes, people experiencing homelessness, and other historically underserved communities. She previously served as vice president for Urban’s Housing and Communities Division.

Cunningham’s research and commentary have been featured in national media outlets, and she has testified before Congress on housing and homelessness policy. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University.