Housing on Merit is continually working to gain knowledge on how to best address the ongoing challenges of housing supply and affordability.  Recently, HOM attended Innovate Housing, an event administered by the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley and Fannie Mae, held in San Francisco on November 8.  The networking event brought together various entities attracted to the affordable housing development industry including leading innovators, journalists, policymakers, builders, designers and investors.  Topics included tackling the high cost of new housing construction, innovative techniques to address increased density in urban areas and how technology could revolutionize real estate finance.

Housing on Merit’s Executive Director, Jennifer Litwak, was honored to speak at the 2018 National Development Finance Summit, which took place in Dallas, Texas, from November 7-9.  The event invited 75 industry leaders from 20 different states and Washington, D.C., to network and collaborate on best practices and solutions in development finance.  The National Summit is administered by the Council of Development Finance Agencies and provides individualized learning for both public and private sector participants from across the country.  Ms. Litwak gave presentations on housing investment tax credits, and financing programs sponsored by state and local governments.

Housing on Merit recently received the Generosity Offer from the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego.  The church supports local organizations making an impact in their communities and designates a portion of their monthly offerings to one organization each month.  The donation will be applied to HOM’s Awards of Merit for Housing Assistance program, which assists women veterans in San Diego transition from homelessness to permanent housing.  The monetary gift will allow HOM to reach its goal of housing twice the number of women veterans in 2019 compared to previous years.

Housing on Merit is always in search of opportunities to network and collaborate with affordable housing experts.  Recently, HOM’s Executive Director Jennifer Litwak attended City First Foundation’s 2018 Affordable Housing Impact Forum in Washington, D.C., on October 24.  The workshop-style event was focused on solutions to better serve distressed neighborhoods through sustainable and responsible community development.  Topics discussed included technical information in nonprofit development, policy development and government.  Breakout sessions targeted private finance, Community Land Trusts and optimizing Opportunity Zones, which focus on providing sustainable economic development in low- to moderate-income neighborhoods.

The Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development (CNHED) supports and advocates for nonprofit housing and economic development in Washington, D.C.  As a member, Housing on Merit recently participated in the agency’s Community Development Week from October 15-19.  Topics addressed through panel discussions and roundtables included the role of affordable housing in intergenerational communities, and how the current development trends are impacting vulnerable communities.  Subjects also included ways to better leverage public and private financing for affordable housing.  A highlight of this event was the annual “A Community of Leaders” special gathering, which acknowledged the activities and impact of member organizations like HOM.

Housing on Merit’s Executive Director, Jennifer Litwak, serves on Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) San Diego’s Board of Directors as the Director of Education + Programs and as an appointed member of CREW Network’s Industry Research Committee and Member Education Committee.  The 2018 CREW Network Convention and Marketplace was held in San Diego on October 17-19.  The annual CREW Network convention is one of the top real estate networking events, focused on advancing the achievements of women in the commercial real estate industry.  Each year some of the best educators and leaders in the business present at this event, which also includes breakout sessions and networking opportunities.  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.  Ms. Litwak has been selected to serve on CREW San Diego’s 2019 Board of Directors in the role of Foundation Delegate.

Housing on Merit is a founding member of the Hunger Advocacy Network (HAN), which brings together like-minded agencies to raise awareness about the critical issue of hunger in San Diego County.  HAN works to influence state and federal policies for the purposes of improving food assistance and addressing the root causes of hunger.  Through 2017 we worked with various health, housing and social services agencies to increase access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for low-income and food insecure college students, expanded access to school meals for low-income students, and broadened the tax credit for donations of fresh fruits and vegetables.  One of the primary goals of the October meeting was to develop a Policy Working Group for HAN-sponsored legislation in 2019 and to discuss forming a 2019 Hunger Awareness Month Working Group to further address food security in San Diego.

Housing on Merit’s Executive Director Jennifer Litwak has become the newest graduate of the Development Finance Certified Professional (DFCP) program. The intense training course is designed to produce graduates with a comprehensive knowledge of development finance concepts, as well as a thorough knowledge of the full development finance spectrum. The course is administered by the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) and is the industry’s sole comprehensive development finance professional certification program. Graduates gain valuable experience and knowledge within the complex development finance industry. “Jennifer’s commitment to equity in all the communities in which she works makes her an excellent example of the quality of graduates we see work through the DFCP Program,” said Toby Rittner, President & CEO of CDFA.