Katharine is a research analyst in the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute. Her main research interests include fair housing reform, homelessness, and rental assistance. 

Before joining Urban, Elder was a research associate with Brandeis University’s Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy, where she worked across several projects related to social justice philanthropy and racial equity. She holds an MPP from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis, and an MA in sociology from McGill University with support from the U.S. Fulbright program.