North Texas Military Family Achieves Homeownership Through DHA’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program

Mr. White, a Texas native and U.S. Air Force veteran, exemplifies a success story made possible through DHA’s Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) program. DHA’s Resident Empowerment programs and resources are pathways to brighter futures including education, employment, resident councils and homeownership support.

First impacted by unforeseen circumstances including personal injury and family illness, White and his wife, also a U.S. Air Force veteran, found their family without access to adequate housing. Like many families, White and his wife found themselves in the challenging position of caring for an elderly parent and their children at the same time. In 2018, his wife’s father sustained a life-altering injury and quickly moved into the family’s two-bedroom apartment. With six children already living under one roof, White’s family struggled to stay afloat and worked diligently to provide for their family’s growing needs.

Despite their efforts to keep everything afloat, they found themselves facing homelessness. At that point, White discovered DHA’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program, and he and his wife began to research it further.

The family worked closely with DHA’s HCV staff to better understand the program and began accessing resources available to them, which helped them avoid homelessness. They also participated in DHA’s FSS program, which provided them with a clear pathway and tools that empowered their family to purchase their first home as of July 2022.

“I can’t speak more highly of the HCV program and staff,” says Mrs. White. “We are very grateful for the DHA team members that we worked with. Our FSS coordinator provided exemplary professionalism, was extremely responsive and was so refreshing to work with. Life will kick you down as much as possible, but you need to believe that you can and will be a homeowner. It can be easy to get frustrated or give up – but you can achieve this goal,” she concludes.