Chris O’Leary is a specialist in public policy and is Director of the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit at Manchester Metropolitan University. He is responsible for managing a number of research projects, providing leadership on the design and delivery of research and evaluation projects around public sector reform and its impact on social policy design, implementation and delivery. He manages projects that involve multidisciplinary teams (often in collaboration with academics and practitioners within and outside PERU) and mixed methods research methods. Chris has undertaken extensive research around homelessness, including the causes and impacts of homelessness, and on the effectiveness of interventions to tackle homelessness. His published research covers the effect of homelessness and access to stable accommodation in reoffending rates (2013), future need for supported housing in London (O’Leary, Goldup, Rogers, 2007), the economic benefits of housing related support services (O’Leary, 2004), and is currently conducting research on homelessness in the private rented sector. Chris’ wider research interests are around evidence-based policy making, policy failure and the interactions between traditional social policy areas. He is also a core member of MetroPolis, Manchester Metropolitan University’s research-led think tank.
