Liz Harding Chao, MPA

Liz has worked with communities and young people across the United States for over 7 years to end youth and young adult homelessness. She is a leading expert in youth homelessness data and evaluation with multiple publications and presentations at national conferences. Liz has seen first hand how powerful the law is as a tool to keep young people housed, but also how it can create and maintain injustice for youth of color and LGBTQ+ youth. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington and is graduating in December 2025 with a Juris Doctorate from the Georgia State University College of Law. 

Liz founded SLCY as a law student and she is dedicated to creating a network of attorneys in the Southern United States dedicated to serving young people and strengthening their access to justice through housing, education, and healthcare. And ultimately, young people will know where they can turn to, to receive the legal support they need. No young person should lose their housing or be prevented from getting housing because of legal barriers.