Family Self Sufficiency 

Want a better job?
Working toward your college degree?
Would a technical certification help launch your career?

Nisson and Brad Williams completed their FWHS Family Self-Sufficiency plan in 2020 and received an escrow check that they planned to use for a down payment on their first home.

Fort Worth Housing Solutions’ Family Self-Sufficiency Program may be right for you.

The FSS program provides FWHS residents a pathway toward full-time employment, higher incomes and less dependency on financial assistance.

Participants set a five-year career and financial plan and work steadily to achieve their goals. Participation is voluntary. Case managers support residents by connecting them with services and resources they need to succeed.

Incomes typically grow as participants earn a college degree or technical certifications and gain full-time employment. In many housing programs, that would mean that residents pay a greater portion of their rent.

In the FSS program, however, an interest-bearing escrow account is established for each participating family. Monthly contributions are made to the account based on increases in rent that a tenant would typically pay as their income increases.

Program graduates who achieve their goals may leave the program with an escrow payment of $10,000 or more, cash that may be used for any purpose.

Who is eligible?
The FSS program is available to public housing residents and Housing Choice Voucher program participants.

How do I enroll?
Participants voluntarily apply for the FSS program by completing the online pre-application form below. Selected residents attend an orientation session and enter into a five-year FSS Contract of Participation, which initiates enrollment in the program.

Contract of Participation
The Contract of Participation is developed by the resident and FSS team and specifies the rights and responsibilities of both parties. The contract term is generally five years, but FWHS may extend the contract for another two years for good cause.

The Contract includes an Individual Training and Service Plan that lays out a series of intermediate and long-term goals for the resident and his or her family members, the steps the family will take, and the services and resources members may need to achieve those goals.

Case management support may include referrals for:

  • Childcare
  • Education
  • Financial literacy
  • Job/Employment Training
  • Professional Clothing
  • Personal counseling
  • Job Readiness Classes
  • Transportation

Enroll Now!

To get started, complete the pre-application here!

Email us at FSS@fwhs.org or call 817-333-3664 with any questions.