Joanna Balsamo-Lilien

Project Manager

• Solid academic background in public policy research and analysis
• Direct work experience in the government and nonprofit sectors
• Thorough understanding of community-based organizations, issues surrounding poverty and the centrality of affordable housing to the success of lower-income households
• Work experience with affordable housing finance programs and their management

Joanna Balsamo-Lilien joined the Partnership in July 2006. She provides technical assistance to Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDOs) and Participating Jurisdictions (PJs) under the Partnership’s contracts with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Joanna also consults on non-HUD contracts with community-based organizations, local and state units of government and for-profit developers.

Joanna is currently working on a number of consulting contracts.

• Fox Cities Housing Coalition (FCHC)
  
  Carried out comprehensive research of coalition models across the country and assisted in preparing a report. Worked with FCHC to analyze its current capacity and recommended steps to help the coalition address its mission more effectively.
  
  
• Community Housing Development Corporation (CHDC), Des Moines
  
  Assisting CHDC with issues including board development, marketing, fund raising and capacity development.
  
  
• Madison Area Community Land Trust
  
  Helping this CHDO develop strategies for expanding membership and entering new programmatic areas.
  
  
• The HOME Consortium
  
  Updating and expanding the website for this four-county consortium based in Waukesha. Creating a corresponding PowerPoint presentation to explain the consortium’s structure and programming.

Before joining the Partnership, Joanna compiled a solid record of success in working with both public sector agencies and nonprofit organizations.

• For Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, Inc., performed research related to affordable housing development and provided supervision to case management staff
• As a program evaluator for the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau, collected and analyzed quantitative and qualitative data, including personal interviews, to support reports written for Legislature review
• During a year with the Volunteers in Service to American (VISTA) , assisted Century Place Development Corporation, Chicago, with low-income housing development projects; work included community research, grant writing and community organizing
• Also at Century Place, assisted in establishment of standards for new development and building operations
• As a research intern for the Hudson Institute, assisted with research on Wisconsin welfare policy

Joanna is certified as a housing development finance professional by the National Development Council. As a 2001 graduate of the masters program of the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she has both academic and employment experience in public policy, research and grant writing. In addition to her master's degree, Joanna holds a bachelor's degree in women’s studies and political science from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Email Joanne Balsamo-Lilien at joannabalsamo-lilien@wphd.org, or call 608/258-5560 x33.