Chris Herring

Chris Herring is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His research focuses on poverty, homelessness, and housing in U.S. cities, with an emphasis on the criminalization of homelessness and its impact on marginalized populations. Herring’s work bridges academic research with public advocacy, collaborating with community organizations like the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness and the National Coalition on Homelessness. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from UC Berkeley, an M.A. in Sociology from UC Berkeley, and an M.A. in Social Anthropology from Central European University.

His research explores how punitive policies and urban governance exacerbate homelessness, particularly through studies in San Francisco and New Orleans. Notable contributions include his forthcoming book on the criminalization of homelessness, co-authored studies on Ban the Box employment policies, and ethnographic analyses of homeless encampments. Herring has received awards such as the American Society of Criminology’s Joan Petersilia Outstanding Article Award (2021) and the UC Berkeley Sociology Alumni Prize for Public Sociology (2016).

Collaborations extend to academia and activism, including partnerships with Harvard’s Sandra Smith and the Anti-Eviction Mapping Project. He advises graduate students in urban planning and social work, emphasizing public sociology. Herring also consults governments and legal aid groups on homelessness policies and serves as an expert witness in related cases. His research has been featured in major media outlets like the New York Times and NPR.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. Sociology, UC Berkeley (2020)
  • M.A. Sociology, UC Berkeley (2013)
  • M.A. Social Anthropology, Central European University (2010)
• Awards:
  • American Society of Criminology’s Joan Petersilia Outstanding Article Award (2021)
  • Society of Social Problems Community Partner Paper Award (2019)
• Grants/Consulting:
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship at Harvard’s Inequality in America Initiative
  • Consultant to county governments and legal aid organizations
• Labs/Teams: Collaborations with the Western Regional Advocacy Project and Our City Our Home Coalition.