Carlos Martín

Trained as an architect, construction engineer, and historian of technology, Dr. Martín connects the bricks and mortar of housing to social and economic outcomes of occupants, especially at the intersections of environmental and construction quality in housing with racial equity and income disparity.

For over 20 years, he has led evaluation, research, and policy analysis for federal, state, and civil sector entities in the fields of energy efficiency, housing construction and design, climate mitigation and adaptation, disaster management, and energy and environmental justice. Recent publications include: “Public Funding of Coastal Adaptation: A Review of US Public Sources—and the Case for More”; “Understanding the Pace of HUD’s Disaster Housing Recovery Efforts”; “Understanding US Housing Data in Relation to the 2017 Disasters”; “Housing Recovery on the Gulf Coast”; “Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation through Publicly Assisted Housing”; “The Silence Before the Storm: Advocacy Groups’ Current Perceptions of Future Climate Vulnerability”; “Insult to Injury: Natural Disasters and Residents’ Financial Health; and Institutionalizing Urban Resilience.”

Currently, Dr. Martín is vice president for research and policy engagement at Resources for the Future, the oldest think tank devoted to environmental, energy, and climate economics and policy. He was recently the director of the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies and a David M. Rubenstein fellow at Brookings Metro. Dr. Martín previously led the Urban Institute’s Built Environment practice area, leading all research on energy efficiency, climate adaptation, environmental governance, the housing industry, and construction regulations. Before the Urban Institute, Dr. Martín was assistant staff vice president for construction codes and standards at the National Association of Home Builders, SRP professor for energy and the environment at Arizona State University, and coordinator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing.

Dr. Martin received his BSAD in architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Master of Engineering and Ph.D. degrees in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University.