As we head into one of the busiest and most exciting stretches of the year for CCAH, I’ve been reflecting on just how far we’ve come and how much momentum we’re carrying.
Our upcoming Spring Conference at Silverado in Napa is officially our largest Spring Conference ever. With 235 attendees joining us and about 20 more clamoring to get off of our wait list and into the room, this milestone says a lot about the strength of our membership, the relevance of the work we’re doing together, and the appetite for connection in the affordable housing industry. As I looked at our attendee list, I couldn’t help but think of the quote from Chief Martin Brody in the movie JAWS where he looks at the size of the shark and then slowly backs into the wheelhouse saying to the captain, “You’re going to need a bigger boat.” You told us, loud and clear, that you like the move to Napa so suffice it to say we’re already looking for a space that will hold more of us as we continue to grow.
At the same time, our work back home in Sacramento continues. This Thursday, we’re partnering with Senator Christopher Cabaldon’s office to host a set of property tours for legislative staff and members, bringing about 35 people from the Capitol out into the field. These tours are always one of the most impactful things we do, because they connect policy directly to real projects and real outcomes. We’ll be visiting Vista Del Robles in Woodland, a traditionally built development created by Chelsea Investments serving families, and Midtown Studios, Phase 2 in Sacramento, a permanent supportive housing community created through a partnership of three CCAH members, Danco, The Pacific Companies and Red Stone Equity, that showcases a modular or factory-built approach. What I’m especially excited about is the opportunity to walk through not just what was built, but how it came together. We’ll be talking through timelines, what it actually takes to deliver these projects, and the financing structures behind them, including how LIHTC deals are assembled in each case. Helping policymakers see the complexity—and the possibility—of affordable housing development firsthand is critical, and I’m grateful to our partners for opening their doors and sharing their work.
This is also a critical moment in the political calendar. Our voter guide is out, and I encourage everyone to take a look and, most importantly, to make a plan to vote. The decisions made by elected officials have real consequences for our ability to finance and deliver housing, and it’s essential that we support candidates who understand our work and are committed to advancing housing solutions.
At CCAH, our PAC is one of the most important tools we have to identify, engage, and support those housing champions. It allows us to be thoughtful and strategic about where we invest our support, and to make sure our industry has a voice in the conversations that shape policy in California.
In that spirit, we’ll be hosting the campaign for Controller Malia Cohen for a fundraiser on June 8 in conjunction with our spring conference. It’s an opportunity to come together, support a strong partner for housing, and continue building the relationships that are so important to our success. You don’t need to be attending our conference to attend this fundraiser. If you would like to come, please RSVP directly to the campaign as indicated on the flyer.
And while we’re celebrating a sold-out spring conference, I want to make sure everyone is already looking ahead. We’ll be opening registration for our fall conference at Paradise Point in San Diego in early July. If the last few conferences are any indication, we’re expecting another sell out. That event continues to grow each year, and it’s become one of the most important gatherings for our members. If you’ve been thinking about attending, sponsoring, or bringing colleagues, I encourage you to be ready when registration opens. These spots go quickly, and we want to make sure as many of our members as possible can be part of it.
Thank you, as always, for being part of this community. Whether you’re joining us in Napa, helping us host lawmakers and their staffers in the field, supporting our advocacy efforts, or planning ahead for San Diego, your engagement is what makes all of this possible.
In partnership,
