Debra Mack sought a Housing Choice Voucher because she needed help paying her rent, but she knew that the program required for the financial assistance could be a stepping stone to homeownership.

Then a single mother with two young sons, Ms. Mack received her voucher from the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA) in July 2019 and became a participant of DSHA’s Moving to Work (MTW) program. To provide a work incentive, MTW participants must work and their rent is capped at 35 percent of their adjusted monthly income, not to exceed $350 monthly. As their income increases, their rent increases, but the amount they pay over $350 is put into an escrow account, all of which is available to them if they graduate from the MTW program in five years. If they need the extra two years to complete the program, they receive 60 percent of what is in the escrow account when they leave.

The MTW program requirement, to be employed or in a training program leading to employment, was not an issue for Ms. Mack since she was already employed in Amazon’s Make on Demand department producing books. 

She used her voucher to rent a Dover townhouse where she lived with her sons and steadily started working toward completing the program and saving her nest egg.

While she was in the MTW program, she met regularly with her DSHA case manager, Rachelle Thornton, who helped her set milestones and goals that would set her on a course to graduate from the program and buy a home. To get her financial house in order, she worked with a housing counselor at NeighborGood Partners and took the advice of former MTW participants who recommended applying for a secure credit card to establish good credit.

By the fall of 2025, and in Tier 2 of the MTW program, Ms. Mack was ready to purchase a home. In addition to the escrow account of over $8,000, she applied for and was awarded a grant from the city of Dover to help with down payment and closing costs. She also was preapproved for a mortgage by WSFS Bank. 

With her finances in place, she worked with realtor Stephanie Coho of Compass Realty to find a home. By November she had signed a contract to purchase a three-bedroom, two-bath house in Dover. The holidays slowed the process of getting paperwork signed and required inspections completed, but on Jan. 9, 2026, Ms. Mack closed on her home and moved in shortly after. Her younger son, now 21, lives with her when he is not attending school.

Ms. Mack notes that while she was in the MTW program, a health issue – extreme anemia — caused her to change her job and career. In search of less physically demanding work, she left Amazon and worked briefly preparing meals at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover.  She now works at the Rising Sun Neighborhood Home for adults with autism, where she cooks and cleans for residents, administers their medications and makes sure they have what they need. It is a position Ms. Mack says she loves. “I love helping people. “I love making sure they are comfortable. They are like family to me.”

Her positive attitude and strong faith are also evident when asked what she appreciates most about having her own home. “I enjoy all of it!  It’s a beautiful home, a dream come true. I’m thankful to God and grateful for everything,” she said. 

Her advice to others in the MTW program hoping to eventually own their own home: “Hold on, keep going, and have faith. You might think you’re alone but you’re not. You have help. Take advantage of the journey. If I can do it, anyone can do it.”