photo of Madeline Brown
Madeline Brown
Senior Policy Associate
Interim Project Director, Housing Crisis Research Collaborative
Research to Action Lab Equipping Changemakers: Evidence-Based Translation, Development, and Advising
  • Profile
  • Outside Affiliations
  • I chose Urban because I'm surrounded by people who believe equitable American systems are possible. We just have to be brave enough to try them, diligent in studying them, and humble enough to course correct when we learn something new.

    Madeline Brown is a senior policy associate in the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute, where she promotes racial equity and inclusion in local, state, and federal policy. She currently focuses on financial security and the racial wealth gap, developing timely products, growing the evidence base, and leading technical assistance to inform policymakers and practitioners. Her work also includes the policy domains of housing, civic participation and representation, broadband access, and workforce development and examines the ways these systems were shaped by structural racism. Before joining Urban, she worked at FairVote, a nonprofit focused on US electoral reform, providing research and analytical support.

    Brown graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science and Spanish from Emory University and received a master’s degree in public administration and policy from the School of Public Affairs at American University.

    Research and Evidence
    Research to Action Upward Mobility
    Expertise
    Upward Mobility and Inequality Wealth and Financial Well-Being Building Wealth for Black Families
    Tags
    Workers in low-wage jobs Housing affordability and supply Asset and debts Black/African American communities Campaigns, proposals, and reforms Child care Community data use Wealth inequality Race, gender, class, and ethnicity Racial wealth gap Structural racism Wealth gap Civil rights laws and regulations Economic well-being Financial Well-Being Hub Baby bonds and child savings accounts State and local finance Sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression Data resilience

    Outside Affiliations
    Johns Hopkins Nexus CLIMB Higher Initiative
    2026 DC Fellow
    Body

    Urban experts are permitted and empowered to work and affiliate with outside organizations, whether serving on boards, volunteering their time, or providing advice and counsel. And Urban welcomes visiting scholars, nonresident or affiliated fellows who work for other organizations. These outside affiliations enrich our perspectives and our learning environment. We also require all paid and unpaid experts to disclose their affiliations to Urban leadership and follow rules governing their engagement to ensure transparency for audiences and independence of experts.