August Rios

August Rios, from South Carolina, U.S., is reading for the MPhil in Comparative Social Policy.

His research examines how housing policy and consumer protection may ameliorate economic inequality and poverty. Prior to joining DSPI, August earned a B.A. in Sociology (Intensive) with Distinction from Yale University, where he received the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize for intellectual achievement and character. His undergraduate dissertation used qualitative data to understand how low-income renters perceive and assert agency amid residential immobility and chronic housing disrepair.

August's professional experiences include positions at the City of New Haven's Affordable Housing Commission, Connecticut Fair Housing Center, Legal Services NYC’s Eviction Unit, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, U.S. Congressional Joint Economic Committee, and National Housing Crisis Task Force. August is a 2026 Rhodes Scholar.