Chang Yu holds a PhD in Finance and Economics from Victoria University of Wellington, where he gained extensive experience in data programming and statistical modeling. He further developed his expertise in public health while working as a data analyst at ESR, one of New Zealand's Crown Research Institutes.
Currently, his research interests focus on homelessness and various housing subsidies in New Zealand, such as the Emergency Housing Special Needs Grant (EHSNG), public housing, and the accommodation supplement. Much of his work utilises the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) to investigate the effects of these housing subsidies on individuals' wellbeing and their use of government services. Additionally, he is conducting research on the tenure trajectories of people in New Zealand.
As a health economist, Chang Yu explores the intersection of economics and public health, particularly the relationship between government spending, economic policy, and population wellbeing.