Mr. Becerra started his career working for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) within the International Housing and Mortgage Servicing Divisions, then in later years with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.  He held other key positions in the federal government, including that of Policy Analyst within the Office of the Secretary in USDA where he helped preserve the federal government's only rural homeownership program for low- and moderate-income families.  

Mr. Becerra also worked for the Cabinet Committee on Opportunities for the Spanish Speaking, within the Executive Office of the President, where he directed efforts to deliver housing and community program services effectively within the Hispanic community.  As a Presidential appointee, Mr. Becerra was Director of the Peace Corps in Paraguay, South America.  He later oversaw AmeriCorps programs for the National Council of La Raza.  He returned to HUD in 2000 as an Operations Specialist in Tucson, Arizona, where he pioneered HUD’s Voucher Homeownership Program in that state. 

More recently, Mr. Becerra was a senior housing fellow with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI). At CHCI, Mr. Becerra conducted research and developed policy recommendations and initiatives intended to help Latinos achieve sustainable homeownership. Becerra has authored numerous articles and recently published a book, "Hispanic Homeownership: The Key to America's Housing and Economic Renewal." He is an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, and he produces an annual report on the state of Hispanic homeownership. Mr. Becerra won the 2011 Policy HOPE Award for helping to achieve and sustain minority homeownership.

Born in Mexico City and raised in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico, Mr. Becerra came to El Paso, Texas at the age of 11.  He graduated as valedictorian from Cathedral High School, a school in Texas renowned for its academics.  Mr. Becerra obtained a BA and MA in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin.