Samantha Batko is a principal research associate in the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute, where her research focuses on homelessness, housing instability, housing assistance, and supportive services. She is currently the principle investigator of the evaluation of Tipping Point Community’s Chronic Homelessness Initiative in San Francisco and the Los Angeles County and Downtown Women's Center Women's Needs Assessment. Her other current projects include the US Department Housing and Urban Development’s Pay for Success permanent supportive housing demonstration evaluation, an evaluation of New Jersey’s Keeping Families Together program, and an evaluation of Hamilton County, TN FUSE Initiative. She sits on the National Alliance to End Homelessness Research Council and the California Interagency Council on Homelessness Advisory Committee.