Nisson Carter-Williams always had a plan. At Dunbar High School, she took the toughest Advanced Placement courses and plotted her path to college and her original career choice in teaching.
She fell in love with high school friend Brad Williams and got married in 2012. Motherhood put a pause on her college path. The couple welcomed their first baby, Brad Jr., two years later.
The couple talked about their education and career goals and what they would need to do to be able to provide the best for their family. Along the way came daughters Briley, 5, Braya, 4, and Breyelle, who turned 1 in August.
Mrs. Williams qualified for rental housing assistance through Fort Worth Housing Solutions in 2014 and enrolled in the agency’s Family Self-Sufficiency. Participants agree to create a five-year plan for financial and educational improvement, track progress toward goals and celebrate achievement as they check each goal off their list.
An added incentive: the FSS program allows participants to escrow funds for the future as they increase their earned income and reduce dependence on rental subsidies and other assistance.
Through the program, Williams focused on earning her Associate Degree from Tarrant County College, and the couple’s shared desire to find full-time positions that they could manage with family obligations. Today, she is a full-time mortgage loan counselor, while he has celebrated five years as a full-time maintenance worker in the City of Fort Worth’s Code Compliance Department.
Brad and Nisson Williams, both now 27, graduated from the program this summer and claimed their savings: $13,000 that they say will go toward the purchase of their first home.
“Most of the time when I put my mind on something, I make sure I do it,” Nisson Williams said. “I may get sidetracked, but I try to set smart goals and stay focused. You can’t go wrong with setting goals that will help you and your family in the future.
“Time is all you need.”
Click here to learn more about the Family Self-Sufficiency Program.
