Elsa Beltran never thought she would own a home. Median home prices in Pima County, Arizona have soared by 22% over the last five years to $368,000, and renting is not much more affordable either for Beltran, who works as a seamstress.
That was until Beltran connected with the Pima County Community Land Trust (PCCLT), a nonprofit that provides affordable housing to low- and moderate-income people in southern Arizona. The nonprofit helped her purchase an affordable home at a discounted price, even when banks told her she couldn’t afford one.
Now, all Beltran thinks about is how she’s going to grow her seamstress business from her home rather than when she will be forced to move again.
“Whenever someone comes to my house, they say, ‘Wow, look at how pretty your home is,’” Beltran said. “And to all the world, I say, ‘I went to the [Pima County] Community Land Trust, and all of them helped me out.’ For me, it’s a blessing.”
PCCLT was founded in 2010 in response to the global financial crisis of 2008. The nonprofit works to create a steady supply of affordable homes in Pima County by rehabilitating existing affordable homes and developing new ones. Today, the organization has more than 127 properties in its portfolio.
“We were created as a response to a crisis,” said Maggie Amado-Tellez, PCCLT’s executive director.
PCCLT also offers housing counseling services to about 150 households per year and connects homebuyers to down payment assistance through its partners at the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and Pima County’s local government.
“When people talk about affordable homes, they think of bricks and mortar, but it’s really about the families,” Amado-Tellez said.
PCCLT’s work is happening at a time when many people in Arizona are struggling to find homes they can afford. Arizona has become one of the most desirable markets for global real estate investors because of the state’s population growth and tech employment. Meanwhile, the state has a gap of nearly 195,000 affordable homes for its lowest-income earners, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
“Housing isn’t sexy because the idea is still that people need to earn it, and they don’t understand that the playing field is not level,” Amado-Tellez said.
Being part of the NCRC network has helped PCCLT navigate the local landscape by providing the tools and knowledge needed to secure funding. Amado-Tellez said NCRC’s research helped the organization navigate changes that the Department of Housing and Urban Development made to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for its Neighborhood Stabilization Grant.
Litza Mendez, PCCLT’s operations manager, also credits NCRC’s educational resources for helping PCCLT’s housing counseling program remain in compliance. The training and oversight provided have not only helped PCCLT connect people with housing opportunities as part of NCRC’s Housing Counseling Network but also ensured that the organization put its Neighborhood Stabilization grant money to good use.
“Providing training for a little nonprofit like PCCLT has really helped us provide for our community in ways we never imagined,” Mendez said.
Robert Davis is a Contributing Writer.
Photo courtesy of Pima County Community Land Trust.
