Commitment to California

2024

Empowering the Next Generation of Affordable Housers:

With year three under our belt, the future of Commitment to California (C2C) is looking bright. C2C launched in 2022 to attract, train, and retain housing professionals through scholarships, workforce development, and industry engagement. It was founded with the mission that solving the affordable housing crisis requires significant investments in the next generation of affordable housers, who will change the future of our state.

Without the dependence of outside grants, Merritt has proudly invested $4M toward various C2C programs in the last three years, which has supported over 871 participants in 2024. One of the most impactful components of C2C is that it engages professionals at all career levels and across the full housing lifecycle: policy, development, finance, property management, and asset management.

In our third year, we were thrilled to continue supporting partner organization programs, expanded our Merritt Scholars program, and launched the second Asset Management Specialist+ (AMS+) Cohort! As C2C grows, we are excited to scale a successful program created by the San Diego Housing Federation to develop the next generation of property managers through our School of Affordable Housing (SOAH), in partnership with West Valley College in the Bay Area.

Thank you to all of our partners and local communities for their unwavering support with C2C and helping to create a lasting impact in building a stronger California.

“Commitment to California is proof that Merritt’s investment goes beyond affordable housing: we invest in the people and the policies that keep Californians housed. This year’s impact reflects people at the heart of all we do, from the individuals whose careers are uplifted through our programs to those who are being housed.”

Celina Pacana

Impact Manager



Merritt Scholars

Asset Management Training



Housing development Training institute participants



Internships and Professional Development Programs

Merritt scholars

2024 was another impactful year for our Merritt Scholars program! The cohort was comprised of 20 mission-oriented students eager to make an impact in affordable housing. Through the program, Merritt Scholars had access to 1-on-1 mentorship with industry leaders, attendance at industry conferences, peer networking, and job assistance.

Of this cohort, 65% are undergraduates, and 65% have stated lived experience in housing instability or poverty. Increased peer networking opportunities highlighted the importance of building a collaborative network among scholars who represent different backgrounds and levels of exposure to the field. 60% of the cohort have entered the industry through internship or full-time job opportunities.

Learn More!

Asset Management Training (AMS+)

AMS+ continues to deepen its impact on asset managers across the state. In partnership with CHAM, Merritt provided 15 asset managers with access to virtual and live instructor-led sessions, working group discussions, and opportunities for in-person networking. This year, courses were instructed by Merritt’s Director of Asset Management Izaac Singh, increasing knowledge-sharing and collaboration with the Merritt team.

53% of the cohort were professionals with 3 years of experience or less, looking to leverage the program to grow their careers. 87% of the cohort represented organizations Merritt has collaborated with on property investments. We are proud that the AMS+ program drives strong career outcomes for participants who ensure the efficient stewardship of housing across the state.

Housing Development training institute (HDTI)

We are committed to elevating LISC’s HDTI program as it continuously expands to meet the industry’s needs. HDTI is a one-of-a-kind program in the state, with a long history of training project managers at non-profit affordable housing developers. The expertise of LISC and California Housing Partnership (CHP) has shaped HDTI as it stands today, and we are grateful for their support.

The 2024-2025 cohort marked the end of our first multi-year commitment to supporting HDTI. We are proud to share that we are renewing our partnership with LISC for 2025-2029 to support another three more cohorts.