Full Circle Moments in the Work of Housing and Community
- Betty Villegas
- Mar 29
- 2 min read
The PCCLT Richard Elias Housing Champion Award
It was a deep honor to receive this award and to be recognized alongside my friend Liz Morales, Assistant City Manager for the City of Tucson, and corporate awardee WaFd Bank in South Tucson, represented by Manager Deanna Quihada and Vice President Kim Dees.
This recognition was especially meaningful to me because it brought together so many parts of my personal and professional journey in one moment.
What many people may not know is that the South Tucson WaFd Bank location is where I began my career in retail banking and community lending. Before it became WaFd, it was a local bank that later changed through the savings and loan crisis. It was there that Richard Elias first came to talk with me about funding affordable housing. That is where I first met him, and it was the start of a relationship and shared commitment to housing that would shape so much of my work over the years.
I am also proud to be one of the founders of the first true community land trust in Southern Arizona. The Pima County Community Land Trust was created not just to make homeownership possible, but to make it sustainable. It provides affordable housing opportunities along with stewardship and support so families can succeed and remain successful as homeowners.
This award felt like a full circle moment for me. I was proud to serve on the hiring committee that selected Liz Morales to come work for the City of Tucson. I also served on the hiring committee that chose Maggie Amado Tellez as Executive Director of PCCLT. Maggie and I had worked together on other housing programs, and I knew she was the right person to help lead this important housing model forward.
When I look back, I am reminded that the work we do matters. It matters because it changes lives. It matters because it helps families achieve the dream of homeownership. It matters because it helps ensure people have a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home.
That is why I have stayed committed to this work for so many years. Housing is not just about buildings. It is about dignity, stability, opportunity, and the chance for families and communities to thrive.
I am grateful to the Pima County Community Land Trust Board Members, Maggie and staff, and everyone who made this event possible. I am also deeply honored to receive an award that carries Richard Elias’s name. His legacy of fighting for fairness, justice, and housing opportunity continues to inspire me, and I am grateful to continue that work.
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