Research Associate

Email: ncheng@woodstockinst.org
Phone: O (312) 368-0310 x2027 | C: 331-302-0370

Natalie Cheng joined Woodstock Institute as a Research Assistant in 2022. In her role, she assists with research and analysis for Woodstock’s data reports and development of the online Data Portal.

Previously, Natalie worked as an intern at The Neighbor Project, a housing counseling agency in Aurora, Illinois. There, she implemented an assessment of agency impact and gained exposure to homeownership disparity. Drawing on this experience, Natalie’s Master’s capstone report examines the role of homeownership in reducing racial inequity. On the basis of institutionalized disadvantage, she presents a nuanced understanding of homeownership as a powerful tool for improving wealth and quality-of-life outcomes among historically-marginalized populations.

Natalie earned a M.A. in Urban Planning, as well as a B.A. in Urban and Regional Planning and a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.