Our Impact

Housing on Merit has long been a vocal advocate for residents of affordable housing communities.  Our Planning & Programming Coordinator, Vivian Preciado, recently attended the 4th Annual Fair Housing Conference, which brought together fair housing practitioners, policy makers, housing advocates and developers, community leaders, and top experts to discuss fair housing discrimination issues and solutions.  Keynote speaker Manuel Pastor, Professor of Sociology and American Studies & Ethnicity at USC and Director of USC’s Program for Environmental and Regional Equity (PERE), challenged participants to consider fair housing and cross-over issues as opportunities to innovate and improve our communities from within.  Council President Georgette Gomez officially declared April as Fair Housing Month in San Diego, and acknowledged the ongoing affordable housing crisis and the need to include residents when discussing solutions.

Housing on Merit’s Executive Director, Jennifer Litwak, attended the 2019 Women Making History Awards in Washington, D.C., on April 3.  The event was organized by the National Women’s History Museum (NWHM) to further its mission of telling stories of women who transformed the nation by growing a state-of-the-art online presence and a physical museum to educate, inspire and empower.  Ms. Litwak, recognized as an innovator within the affordable housing industry, joined other accomplished women from various fields to honor three women who have made extraordinary accomplishments.  This year’s award recipients are former United States Senator from Maine, the Honorable Olympia J. Snowe; Gracie and multiple Emmy Award-Winning advocate, activist, philanthropist and an internationally acclaimed home life expert Sandra Lee; and former President of Spelman College and Bennett College, and former Director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art, Johnnetta Betsch Cole, Ph.D.

Housing on Merit is a longtime member of the Hunger Advocacy Network (HAN), that has announced its support for AB 842 (Limon/Eggman) – Hunger-Free Preschool.  This bill would ensure that all low-income children in public preschool have access to nutritious and free or reduced-price meals, using funds available from existing child nutrition programs.  As a provider of resident services to low-income youth at our affordable housing communities, HOM understands the significant correlation between hunger and the ability for youth to focus in school.  According to the San Diego Hunger Coalition’s 2015-2016 Benchmark Baseline Report entitled “Hunger Free Kids,” a shocking 1 in 5 kids lack consistent access to adequate nutrition in San Diego County.  This can have devastating effects on children’s health, development and ability to learn.

Housing on Merit empowers residents in our communities by developing meaningful resident services programming with resident input and goals in mind, and by building strong community partnerships.  As part of our commitment to be leaders in quality resident services programming within the affordable housing industry, HOM’s Planning & Programming Coordinator, Vivian Preciado, is participating in the San Diego Housing Federation’s 2019 Resident Services Support Network’s (RSSN) Training Series.  The RSSN provides resident services professionals educational forums, networking opportunities and peer learning, and the Training Series offers workshops on relevant topics, such as immigration services and relief options.

Housing on Merit has been a long-standing member of the Hunger Advocacy Network (HAN) and the San Diego Hunger Coalition.  In a show of support to end hunger in San Diego County, Housing on Merit’s Planning & Programming Coordinator, Vivian Preciado, attended HAN’s Legislative Breakfast on March 22.  The annual event was attended by legislators, staff, and like-minded organizations who advocate for better policies statewide that will reduce hunger.  Food insecurity is a significant issue in San Diego, where there the affordable housing crisis often forces working and military families to make difficult choices.  This year’s speakers included Congresswoman Susan Davis and representatives from Feeding San Diego, the San Diego Food Bank and Jewish Family Service of San Diego.

Housing on Merit’s Executive Director, Jennifer Litwak, was honored to win the Gamechanger Award at the Women of Influence Awards on March 20.  The Gamechanger Award recognizes women who make significant contributions to their industry with a track record of change, innovation and accomplishments.  Ms. Litwak has successfully managed the closing of over $283 million in multifamily acquisitions, and overseen the development, preservation and renovation of over 2,500 affordable housing units nationwide.  The awards ceremony was presented by the Connected Women of Influence Association in celebration of Women’s History Month and to recognize women leading the way in business, industry and enterprise, along with the organizations and individuals that champion women leaders.

Housing on Merit’s Executive Director, Jennifer Litwak, was recently selected to join the Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) Network’s 2019 Scholarship Selection Committee, an exclusive community that provides members an opportunity to access committee resources and network with other successful business leaders.  Each year the Committee is responsible for identifying CREW Network Foundation scholars to be recommended to the CREW Network Board of Directors.  In 2019 the CREW Network will award 20 academic scholarships totaling $100,000.

Application deadline for 2019 scholarships is April 30, 2019.  Women currently enrolled as full-time junior, senior or graduate students and interested in learning more about this scholarship program are encouraged to review application guidelines at https://crewnetwork.org/foundation/college-scholarships.

Ms. Litwak is also an appointed member of CREW Network’s Member Education Committee and serves on CREW San Diego’s Board of Directors as a Foundation Delegate.  CREW Network membership has grown to 11,000 worldwide and in more than 70 major markets, and is one way that Housing on Merit continues to expand its nationwide exposure and share its impact in the affordable housing marketplace.

As part of Housing on Merit’s commitment to community outreach our Planning & Program Coordinator, Vivian Preciado, attended the Lawyers Club of San Diego’s 19^th Annual Dr. Suess Spring Read-In at Central Elementary School in San Diego on March 1.  Ms. Preciado and a host of other professionals brought Dr. Seuss books to read to classes, and encouraged children to read aloud excerpts from the books.  Central Elementary is a pre-k through 5th grade public school with a culturally diverse student body who are among San Diego’s most disadvantaged.

San Diego State University’s (SDSU) School of Public Affairs, Institute of Innovative Governance, held a Forum on Housing and Inequality on February 28.  Housing on Merit’s Planning & Programming Coordinator, Vivian Preciado, attended the event addressing housing unaffordability in relation to inequalities of income, wealth and race.  Additionally, the forum discussed San Diego’s inadequate supply of subsidized housing compared to increasing demand, and established a 5-year research plan to gather critical data needed for policy changes in the San Diego region.  Policy changes proposed will be designed to protect tenants, preserve existing affordable housing and increase the production of affordable housing.  City Council President, Georgette Gomez, was a guest speaker and Voices of Our City Choir performed.