Recent Industry Events & News
2026 CHAM Conference: Denver, CO
Thank you to CHAM for another great conference in Denver! We appreciated the opportunity to learn from industry leaders, exchange ideas with peers, and strengthen the partnerships that help move affordable housing forward.
One of our highlights was gathering with our friends at EAH Housing and sharing a meal—a great reminder that some of the most meaningful conversations happen outside conference sessions.
Thanks to everyone who connected with our team. We’re looking forward to next year!
See you in LA for the 32nd Annual NASLEF Conference!
Merritt is proud to host the 2026 NASLEF Conference and welcome affordable housing leaders from across the country to Los Angeles!
Mark your calendars for the Lunch Plenary and Keynote on Thursday, September 3, featuring Merritt President & CEO, Ari Beliak, and California Secretary of Housing and Homelessness, Tomiquia Moss.
Learn about Secretary Moss’s leadership journey, California’s evolving housing landscape, and the bold ideas and partnerships needed to address our housing and homelessness challenges.
Q3 Asset Management Roundtable
Thank you to everyone who joined Merritt’s Q3 Asset Management Roundtable, and a special thank you to HCD for an informative presentation! One of the highlights of the session was the opportunity to ask questions in real time and gain practical guidance directly from our experts. We appreciate all who participated and helped make this a valuable discussion. We’re proud to bring the affordable housing asset management community together to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and support one another. See you at our next Roundtable!
Commitment to Community (C2C):
Welcome to Our 2026-2027 AMS+ Cohort!
Please join us in welcoming our 2026–2027 Asset Management Specialist+ (AMS+) cohort! In partnership with the Consortium for Housing and Asset Management (CHAM), Merritt is proud to launch another year of AMS+, equipping affordable housing professionals with the knowledge, skills, and industry connections needed to preserve affordable housing.
Merritt Scholars 2026-2027 Program Kickoff
Last week, we welcomed our 15 newest Merritt Scholars to Oakland for an in-person orientation to kick off the year ahead!
From getting to know one another and building connections to participating in trainings designed to support their professional growth, our Merritt Scholars spent the day learning and building a strong foundation for their Merritt Scholars journey.
A special thank you to Celina Pacana, Ainsley Sanidad, and Darne Lang for organizing a thoughtful and engaging orientation and creating such a warm welcome for our newest cohort!
We’re also grateful to Merritt Scholars alumni Jennifer Flores, Kayla Brons, Marina Panzetta, Kevin Umaña, and Jacob Boesch for joining our alumni panel, sharing their experiences, and offering advice and encouragement to our newest Scholars.
We’re excited to see our 2026-2027 cohort grow together, expand their networks, and deepen their impact across the affordable housing industry!
People Updates
Congratulations on Your Promotion, David Eisenman!
Congratulations to David Eisenman on his recent promotion to Director of Community Investments!
Since joining Merritt in 2020, David has been instrumental in building strong partnerships with affordable housing developers and moving critical projects from vision to reality. As one of Merritt’s initial team members based in Los Angeles, he has helped expand the reach of our investments, creating and preserving more affordable homes for the individuals and families who need them most.
In his new role, David will continue assuming a leadership role in our Community Investments department, originating new projects and overseeing underwriting to deepen our impact.
Please join us in congratulating David on this well-deserved promotion!
Happy 1-Year Anniversary to Ali Day!
Congratulations to our Community Investments Associate, Ali Day, on her first anniversary with Merritt! Over the past year, Ali has made a meaningful impact on our team and the communities we serve, grounding her work in our core values of being People-First and Solutions-Oriented.
Whether she’s navigating the details of a complex project or collaborating with our partners, Ali brings curiosity, care, and a genuine commitment to our mission. Please join us in congratulating Ali on this milestone!
Get all the latest Merritt news, updates, and announcements!
“The ache for home lives in all of us.”
— Maya Angelou, Poet, Author, and Civil Rights Activist
About Merritt Community Capital Corporation
Merritt Community Capital Corporation is a mission-oriented affordable housing funder that serves the state of California. For more than 35 years, Merritt has been a trusted partner, investing more than $1.7 billion and creating over 12,500 affordable homes across California. Beyond investing in properties, Merritt invests in people. Through its Commitment to California initiative (C2C), Merritt proudly spearheads programs across the state that attract, train, and retain current and future affordable housers.
Merritt is also the west coast member of the National Association of State and Local Equity Funds (NASLEF), which empowers locally engaged, mission-driven housing and community investment partners to build thriving communities. By partnering with mission-aligned organizations and developers in the affordable housing space, Merritt ensures the most critical communities are developed and maintained for low-income residents.