“Promoted. Purchased. Both before my birthday!” Maximina Cordova’s wishes came true
Maximina Cordova outside of our Springfield Housing Center
Maximina Cordova of Springfield has a thing for dates—as in calendar dates. She effortlessly recalls not just the month and year of milestones in her life, but the precise dates, too. And there’s one date in particular that has a knack for summoning good things in her life: her birthday.
In 2023, the good news was a promotion to assistant property manager with the Springfield Housing Authority, where she’d worked since 2014 as a clerk.
“The job was posted on March 3, and I studied, applied, and got the job on May 19. Shortly before my birthday! I knew it was the right step for my career,” said Cordova, a 2026 graduate of Way Finders’ Family Self-Sufficiency Program. “My role is basically like a landlord. Dealing with rent checks, assisting with complaints, visiting residents. Many are older adults, and many have disabilities. I absolutely enjoy my work. Because I have a strong character, people are either going to like me or not. But they learn to love me!”
She’s grateful for the career coaching she received from both FSS Program Specialist Sonia Colon and Erika Rosario with the Credential to Career Coaching program in Boston, which collaborates with the FSS Program.
And this year, the good news took the shape of a fully renovated cape in the McKnight neighborhood of Springfield—hers as of April 2026!
“I purchased before my birthday! It has three bedrooms and two full bathrooms. And the floor plan is flexible. There’s another room that could be a bedroom downstairs,” said Cordova, who received her Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher in 2001—November 1, to be precise. “Owning a home is an achievement I earned, and one I once thought was impossible. It provides a foundation for my future and a way to create memories with my boys and family. I’m a single mother raising two young men who look up to me and depend on my leadership. That’s why I’m sharing my story.”
Cordova shares her home with her 19-year-old son. They love how they each have their own space. Her older son, who serves in the Navy and owns a home in Virginia, put dibs on the third bedroom (“He always said, ‘Mom, make sure you get a three-bedroom house because I need my own room as well’”). Their first celebratory meal? Kentucky Fried Chicken, which is just down the street. And at her first housewarming party with extended family, relatives rolled out the tape measure (“They were talking about where to put a pool in the yard, they’re excited for me. I’m the first homeowner among us”).
Cordova is also among the first graduates of the Savings Match Homeownership Program (SMHP) offered through Way Finders’ Family Self-Sufficiency Program. Launched by the state in 2021, the SMHP is an exciting way for higher-income FSS participants to save money for homeownership while receiving comprehensive support. The buzz is all about the generous match from the state: 3-to-1. For every $1 that participants save in a brand-new account, the state matches it with $3 (up to a total state match of $12,000).
Colon had long kept in touch with the charismatic Cordova, who had first completed the FSS program in 2014. She even coined a little nickname for Colon—which Colon forbade us to include (“You cannot put that in the story, everybody will be calling me that!”).
“I knew that Maximina wanted to buy a home, so she was the perfect fit for the SMHP because she was within the income guideline,” said Colon. “So, I presented it to her and she said yes, because she immediately saw how it could help her get her house.”
“Sonia, who I always called [redacted], she’d always let me know if anything popped up and was available. I’d be like, ‘[redacted], what do you want now?’ And she was a little bug in my ear, saying, ‘Maximina! You should join this. You’ve got to do this. Call this person. Do this thing, it will help you be successful.’ She definitely motivated me,” said Cordova, who was blown away by the invitation to join the SMHP in January 2022. “I said, ‘Free money? Give me that money right away. I could earn what?’ Then every time Sonia would tell me what I’d earned, I’d be like, ‘Explain it again. No, I can’t believe it!’”
To earn the match, Cordova applied strategies she learned from working with Colon and Way Finders’ Homeownership Specialist Arcides Nieves—and through the required workshops.
Congratulations to Maximina Cordova on her new home!
“Sonia constantly pushed me to save money, which was a challenge since I’d often spend my extra funds at the liquidation bins,” said Cordova, who had an eye-opening experience with Nieves. “He let me go because I wasn’t taking things seriously enough each session. That motivated me to take the skills he taught me and continue on my own.”
And she did! Upon graduation from the SMHP, she received state-matched savings, escrow funds (established as an FSS participant’s income increases), and a $5,000 homeownership bonus for relinquishing her housing choice voucher.
“Sonia is truly one of a kind. She played a pivotal role in organizing my overwhelming paperwork and streamlined the entire process. She consistently goes above and beyond for her clients,” said Cordova. “Sonia, I can’t thank you enough for making my dream a reality.”