Joe Backer

Biography: Joe Backer is a Senior Development Officer for the Mayor's Office of Housing in Boston, working to support the creation and preservation of affordable housing in neighborhoods across the city. This includes a long-standing partnership with Boston's Department of Energy and Environment to craft new programs spurring decarbonization and deep energy retrofits in Boston's existing affordable housing, from the iconic triple-decker to large multifamily residential buildings. Joe works with many different housing and community development partner organizations to advance affordable housing projects that help create safe and affordable homes for Bostonians. Prior to joining the Mayor's Office of Housing, he received his Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, during which time he worked as a Fellow with the City's Housing Innovation Lab and focused on a cross-departmental initiative to develop badly-needed affordable housing on top of City assets like libraries and fire stations.