How a Mother Shaped an Affordable Housing Leader’s Path

May 11, 2026

Affordable Housing Development Executive Insights Featured More Finance & Investment Los Angeles Southwest

Jacqueline Waggoner, Century Housing’s new president & CEO, on the values guiding her leadership.

“If you look out for others, others will look out for you,” said Waggoner. Image by Leroy Hamilton, courtesy of Century Housing

For Jacqueline Waggoner, affordable housing is about more than units, financing and policy. It’s about expanding opportunity, strengthening communities and creating stability for families.

That perspective was shaped long before she stepped into executive roles, rooted in her upbringing in Los Angeles and in the example set by her mother, whose devotion, resilience and sense of responsibility left a lasting mark on her work and leadership style.

Waggoner brings that lens to Century Housing, where she recently became president & CEO. The California nonprofit has spent decades financing, developing and preserving affordable housing across the state, investing more than $3.5 billion to create and preserve more than 63,000 homes. She steps into her new role at a time when California’s housing challenges remain acute and the need for mission-driven leadership is as urgent as ever.

In this Mother’s Day interview with Multi-Housing News, Waggoner reflects on the influence of her mother and the affordable housing mission she now leads at Century.

In an old interview for another publication, you said your mom was always speaking power into you and your siblings, and that those lessons pushed you to grow, explore and open doors. What did that look like in practice when you were growing up?

Waggoner: Under our roof, care for others was not optional. It was the way of life. It was among the core values my parents instilled in us and it still shapes how I lead today. My mother was always speaking power into us, carrying forward what she learned from her mother and reflecting generations of strength, care and the pursuit of opportunity.

In practice, that showed up in real ways through steady encouragement, high expectations and love. Long before I had any idea there was a language for it, I understood the impact of acts of services as a love language. My mother would stay awake late-night hours with me through undergraduate and graduate school, even when she had to get up early for work the next morning. She made sure I knew I was not carrying this journey alone.

Growing up as the youngest of six, what did you learn from your mother about resilience, responsibility and creating opportunity? How will those lessons help you in your new role?

Jacqueline Waggoner poses with her mother at her graduation, a milestone that reflects the support and encouragement that helped shape her path. *Image courtesy of Century Housing*

Waggoner: As the youngest of six, I learned from my mother that resilience is both tireless strength and service.

I have carried those lessons forward through not only talking the talk but walking the walk, by leading with purpose and staying grounded in the communities I serve.

Mrs. Waggoner was a soldier, a chief and a loving soul. Through her actions and beliefs, and her partnership with my dad and older siblings, she taught us to keep going, look out for one another, and to create opportunities not just for ourselves, but for the people around us. So much of my values, my strength and who I am today came from her example.

At Century, that means making sure that our work remains connected to the communities we serve, their needs and access to opportunity. That also applies to how I approach team leadership: I strive to foster a collaborative work environment where people are heard and where we can work together towards the best solutions for the communities we serve and for one another.

You grew up in South Los Angeles and bused to school in Brentwood and Pacific Palisades, giving you an early view of neighborhood inequality. How did your mother help you make sense of those differences, and how has that shaped your perspective on housing and opportunity?

Waggoner: Growing up in South Los Angeles, I got a sense of what communities of opportunity looked like by comparison. I saw that many people never get the opportunities they deserve—for a good education, the career they want and so much more—and that’s why I’m so committed to helping to lift up others through my work here at Century. I’m a born and bred Angeleno and I’ve spent most of my life here. I bring deep professional experience in and personal connection to the communities that Century serves.

And through my role as a leader, I hope to inspire young Angelenos who look like me and who come from similar backgrounds, but who might not have had access to many opportunities yet, so that they see what’s possible.

My roots here in Los Angeles are a large part of why I was drawn to Century. I have always been tremendously inspired by the legacy of Judge Harry Pregerson in setting this organization in motion 30 years ago. At Century, our mission is not about housing alone, but about what housing makes possible for people. That’s been a driving force throughout my career.

How much is your perspective on stable housing shaped by your own upbringing and your mother’s example?

Waggoner: Stable housing gave my family more than a decent, safe and affordable place to call home. It gave us stability and a community filled with widespread care. I grew up in a neighborhood where families shared similar values, where parents knew one another and where children were embraced by support. I had many of the same friends from elementary school through high school, even when I was bused, and that kind of stability helped strengthen the person that you see today.

My parents always understood that home was not just brick and mortar. It was also the community that surrounded us. My mom looked out for the neighborhood children and our neighbors looked out for us. Families communicated often, held us accountable and cared for one another. We may rely on phone applications that support neighborhood watch programs today, but it was all verbal back then and now I see this as love in action that carried an entire community.

That heartfelt and priceless experience in my community shaped how I see housing now. Stable affordable housing is not just about the four walls, it’s about that foundation. It allows individuals and families to build routines, children to feel support, and communities to grow with dignity, connection to one another and hope.

As you step into the your new role, what stands out to you most about Century’s mission and where you hope to make an impact first?

Waggoner: Century’s mission stands out to me because this organization was created to restore opportunity where it had been disrupted. I have long known Century as a real force in affordable housing in California, starting with its origins.

Century began when the state approved plans for the construction of a freeway that would have disproportionately impacted lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color. The project was halted by a lawsuit, over which Judge Pregerson presided. His landmark ruling in 1972 led to the formation in 1979 of Century Housing, initially as a state agency responsible for replacing homes that had been lost and rebuilding opportunities for communities that had been displaced.

Century Housing provided predevelopment and acquisition financing for Red Tail Crossing, a recently opened fully affordable housing community in L.A.’s Westchester neighborhood, developed by Community Corp. of Santa Monica for low-income residents experiencing homelessness and/or living with disabilities. Image courtesy of Century Housing

In 1995, Century became an independent nonprofit. The organization’s original goal, back in 1979, was the creation of 4,000 homes. More than $3.5 billion in investments later, Century has created and preserved over 63,000 homes, and we’re still going strong.

I had the honor of spending time with Judge Pregerson’s family last week—including his widow, who is 99 years young!—and to talk with them about how we’re carrying the Judge’s legacy forward at Century. It’s no surprise that his family shares his same commitment to helping others, especially those in marginalized groups. Meeting the Pregersons reaffirmed my strong belief in Century’s mission and my conviction that I’m in the right place, at the right time.

My hope now is that Century will continue to lead affordable housing investment in our region for decades more.

As you begin this new chapter in your professional life, where do you see the greatest opportunity to move the needle?

Waggoner: The challenges are steep, which means the need for effective solutions is greater than it’s ever been. California has a verified shortage of nearly one million affordable homes. Here in Los Angeles, over 50 percent of renters are rent-burdened, meaning their economic stability is often one missed paycheck away from collapse. There are real people behind each of these statistics. These represent huge numbers of families and children at risk of eviction, workers priced out of living in the areas in which they work and communities fractured.

I believe that Century has a huge opportunity now to scale up our solutions to create and preserve more homes, together with our partners, while always keeping people and community at the center of our approach.

That has been a driving force throughout my career and it connects values that my mother nurtured early on: care, responsibility and opening pathways for opportunity for yourself and others. I’m honored to lead Century into its next chapter, alongside a deeply committed team, building on what the team has achieved to date. The need is great and California is counting on us to deliver measurable impact to the communities we serve for decades to come.

Affordable housing is often discussed in terms of production, capital and policy. How do you balance those large-scale challenges with the need to keep the work focused on people, families and long-term community impact?

Waggoner: This is an important question, because production, capital and policy all matter. Each of these tools plays a critical role in delivering affordable homes, but they are not the sole purpose of Century’s mission by themselves. Our driving purpose is centered on people and long-term community impact.

As a leader, I focus on our overall vision and execution. I will pursue measurable impact statewide, while centering our priorities on the people and the communities we serve.

For me, this work lives at the intersection of commerce and mission: using capital, partnerships and disciplined execution to create outcomes that are both measurable and centered on the community needs. That balance requires deep collaboration, which in turn requires partnership and consistent alignment, with a clear connection to why our service matters.

I carry that approach with me here at Century. My goal is to support a cultural fabric where team members across the organization feel connected to the mission, proud of the impact we are making together, and seeking more ways to grow our support for the communities we serve. That is what keeps our service grounded and motivated, day after day, knowing the difference that we are making for individuals and families.

What do you think your mother would say about the work you’re doing now?

Waggoner: I believe my mother would say, “This is exactly who I raised you to be.” Not because of a title, but because of the work, the service to others and the responsibility that comes with it. She poured her heart and soul into my well-being and her spirit of care lives in how I lead, how I care for people and how I do all I can to create pathways for others.

She would be joyed to know the lessons she gave me are still being passed forward to help others grow. If you look out for others, others will look out for you. She would be proud, but she would remind me that the work is never just about me, it is about using what I have learned to help others.

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