Olga Flores took almost the same path as her mother Betty Villegas, without really meaning to.
More from this series
Part 1: Rental and downpayment assistance only go so far in tight housing market Part 2: Former Pima County constable says her job became significantly harder after the eviction moratorium was lifted Part 3: Tucson mother and daughter reflect on time spent working in housing
Both have been loan officers, and both crossed into government work when they felt they weren’t helping the people they wanted to help enough. Betty made that change in the late 90s, and Olga just before the pandemic.
Now, Olga is a HUD-certified housing counselor and Betty heads the housing authority in South Tucson. They’ve both served on several boards and commissions, and both of their stories with housing start with a mariachi band.
We sat down with them at the Mercado San Agustin earlier this month.
The song at the end is "Barrio Viejo," performed by Olga Flores.
