Jennifer Litwak: How Do We Build Ourselves Out of the Housing Affordability Crisis?

San Diego, CA—As the co-founder and Executive Director of Housing on Merit, Jennifer Litwak has managed the closing of over $322 million in multifamily acquisitions and overseen the development, preservation and renovation of over 2,700 units of affordable housing nationwide.

“I’m intrigued by affordable housing because I fundamentally believe that every person deserves a safe, affordable place to call home, hence the creation of Housing on Merit.”

Current data reflects approximately 38 million households nationwide — 31.5% of all households — are paying more than 30% of their incomes on housing. That equates to approximately 20.5 million renters and 17.3 million homeowners. The country is experiencing a significant lack of affordable housing due to rising rents while high home prices are undercutting slow gains in income.

In co-founding Housing on Merit, Litwak says she feels “incredibly grateful to have been surrounded in my career by men that have always viewed my seat at the table as an equal. There are many companies or “tables” out there where this may not be the case but I’ve never wanted to spend any significant time in that type of professional environment,” Litwak continues. “Rather, I prefer to spend my time among the thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators that are thinking far beyond gender.”

Litwak is fascinated in exploring and answering the question, ‘how do we build ourselves out of this housing affordability crisis?’

“About a year ago, we hired a Director of Housing Innovation to answer this exact question. Through our initiative, the Housing Innovation Collaborative, we’re bringing together the housing production eco-system in order to implement new innovative housing solutions,” says Litwak.