The NYU Furman Center Announces the Appointment of Molly Wasow Park as Visiting Policy Fellow

The NYU Furman Center is pleased to announce the appointment of Molly Wasow Park as a Visiting Policy Fellow. A distinguished practitioner in the fields of urban policy and social service administration, Park most recently served as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS).

The NYU Furman Center—a joint center of the NYU School of Law and the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service—is dedicated to advancing rigorous, evidence-based research on the systemic challenges facing urban environments. Park’s appointment reinforces the Center’s commitment to bridging high-level academic inquiry with the practical complexities of municipal governance.

“Molly Wasow Park’s deep institutional knowledge of the housing and social service sectors provides a vital perspective to our ongoing work,” said Brad Greenburg, Executive Director of the NYU Furman Center. “Molly is a leading national expert on the administration of large-scale social safety net programs. At Furman, Molly will continue her life’s work, and will be a critical voice for advancing housing stability and preventing homelessness.”

During her tenure as Commissioner, Park directed the nation’s most expansive integrated municipal social services agency, overseeing the Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). Her work focused on expanding rental assistance programs, streamlining the path for placements from shelters to permanent housing, and managing the city’s response to unprecedented  challenges. Previously, she served as the First Deputy Commissioner at DHS and held senior roles at the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

At the NYU Furman Center, Park will engage in collaborative research and policy analysis, focusing on the intersection of housing affordability, social service delivery, and urban policy. Her contributions will support the Center’s mission to inform the public debate with objective, data-driven analysis.

“The NYU Furman Center remains at the forefront of urban policy research,” said Park. “I am honored to join this distinguished team and look forward to contributing to a dialogue that moves the needle on housing stability and social equity in New York and beyond.”

Park’s fellowship also comes at a critical time as the NYU Furman Center expands its inquiry into how local and state policies can better address the homelessness crisis and the rising cost of urban living nationwide.