Melissa Wells
Policy Assistant, Asset-Building Policy Initiative
Civic Engagement and Governance Institute

Melissa Wells is the Policy Assistant with the Joint Center’s Asset-Building Policy Initiative. She previously worked at the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) where she focused on affordable housing. She brings excellent regional and national policy development experience both domestically and internationally in governance and democracy, poverty alleviation, rural/urban development, and basic service delivery. While at LISC, she completed assessments on several federal policies, i.e. the Housing Preservation and Tenant Protection Act of 2010; the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act; Low Income Housing Tax Credit and Tax Credit Assistance Programs; the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative; and the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. These assessments resulted in case studies, newsletters, and informational tools for use by LISC's local and national programs. Melissa received her Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in sociology with honors (Cum Laude, Deans List & Honors Program) from the University of California-Riverside. She is a graduate of American University School of Public Affairs where she received a Masters of Public Policy with specialization in social policy.