Lafayette Consolidated Government runs its own first-time buyer down payment and closing cost program, and a parish fund and CAFA add more layers.
What does Lafayette's own homebuyer program offer?
Lafayette Consolidated Government's Housing Loans Section offers a First Time Home Buyer Down Payment and Closing Costs Assistance Program inside the City of Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish. It does not cover Youngsville, Broussard, Carencro, Scott or the parish's other smaller towns. The terms are unsettled in public sources: LCG's brochure, last revised April 2021, describes up to $11,000 as a 2% second mortgage over 15 years (about $70.79 a month), while a 2024 local news story describes up to $20,000 as a deferred loan forgiven after 10 years. Call 337-291-5450 or email HousingLoans@lafayettela.gov for the current version. Buyers must not have owned a primary residence in three years (displaced homemakers can qualify), must earn a low-to-moderate income and must finish LCG's Home Ownership Training course before closing. Classes meet at the Jessie Livingston Taylor Center on Shirley Picard Drive. Manufactured homes and duplexes are excluded.
The brochure's income limits ($54,700 for a family of four) date to 2021 and have probably risen. Funding depends on the federal allocation each year.
A separate parish fund, the Lafayette Community Development Fund loan, lends up to $8,000 at 5% over 15 years with a $316,177 price cap and a higher income ceiling, and it uses the same HOT course. CAFA First Home also serves Lafayette Parish with 4% of the loan as a forgivable second, though as its own first mortgage it replaces an LHC HomeStart loan rather than stacking with it. Lafayette Parish School System teachers and Lafayette Police and Fire staff can check the who-qualifies pages. Limits for each layer are on the Lafayette Parish guide.
What does Lafayette offer on its own?
First Time Home Buyer Down Payment and Closing Costs Assistance Program
Money may run out
City of Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish
Help available
Conflicting: LCG brochure (rev. April 2021) says up to $11,000 as a 2% 15-year second-mortgage loan ($70.79/mo); a 2024 local news report says up to $20,000 as a deferred loan forgiven after 10 years. Confirm current terms with LCG.
Who it's for
Low-to-moderate income buyers who have not owned a primary residence in 3 years (displaced homemakers may qualify)
Complete LCG Home Ownership Training (HOT) course before closing; not available in Lafayette Parish's smaller municipalities (Youngsville, Broussard, Carencro, Scott etc.); no manufactured/mobile homes or duplexes
Brochure: https://lafayettela.gov/docs/default-source/community-development-documents/home-buyers-brochure.pdf . Contact 337-291-5450, HousingLoans@lafayettela.gov. Classes at the Jessie Livingston Taylor Center, 111 Shirley Picard Dr.
61 Louisiana parishes (all except Orleans, Jefferson and a few others)
Help available
4% of the total note amount for down payment, closing costs, prepaids or Realtor commission, with a 30-year fixed FHA/VA/USDA first mortgage
Kind of help
Forgivable second loan
Who it's for
First-time homebuyers; waived for veterans (DD-214, one-time use) and targeted census tracts
Income cap
Effective 05/01/26, non-targeted: $84,900 (1-2) / $97,635 (3+) in most parishes, up to $107,700 / $123,855 in St. Tammany; targeted areas: $101,880 / $118,860 up to $129,240 / $150,780
Price cap
$544,233 (1 unit, non-targeted); $665,173 (targeted)
Only for first-time buyers?
Yes
Also worth knowing
0% 5-year second: no forgiveness in months 1-36, then 1/24 forgiven each month. Homebuyer education for all buyers on title. Min FICO 620 (640 US Bank).
Guide published 05/13/26, rev. 07/20/26; program page https://thecafa.org/homebuyers/cafa-first-home (shows 7% government rate). This is a separate bond first mortgage: choose CAFA OR LHC HomeStart, not both. Essentially a second regional/statewide option with income and price limits close to LHC HomeStart Assist.
On top of local programs, Lafayette buyers can use 1 programs that cover all of Louisiana, HomeStart Advantage (formerly Keys for Service) among them. Browse every Louisiana program or try the program matcher.
Where can you take a homebuyer class near Lafayette Parish?
Nearly every assistance program wants you to finish a homebuyer class before you close. These HUD-approved agencies are within reach of Lafayette Parish and offer classes or one-on-one counseling before you buy:
Counseling agency
Located in
How far
Offers
Meets you
Languages
Saint Martin, Iberia, Lafayette Community Action Agency
Lafayette
3 mi
Class and coaching
in person / by phone / online
English, French, Spanish
Lafayette Consolidated Government Neighborhood Counseling Services
Lafayette
4 mi
Class and coaching
by phone
English
Assist Agency
Crowley
19 mi
Class and coaching
in person / by phone
English
Taken from HUD's list of approved counseling agencies. Programs differ on which classes they accept.
Which class will count for you? Ask the loan officer handling your file. They know which courses each Louisiana program accepts, and they can get your pre-approval going in the same conversation. Start the check
Lafayette questions we hear
Is Lafayette's assistance $11,000 or $20,000?
Sources conflict. The 2021 LCG brochure says up to $11,000 as a 2% 15-year loan; a 2024 news report says up to $20,000 deferred and forgiven after 10 years. LCG's Housing Loans Section (337-291-5450) can confirm today's terms.
Can I use the Lafayette program if I'm buying in Youngsville or Broussard?
No. LCG's program covers the City of Lafayette and unincorporated Lafayette Parish only. Parish-wide options like the Lafayette Community Development Fund loan and CAFA First Home are still worth checking.
What class do Lafayette buyers have to take?
LCG's Home Ownership Training (HOT) course, which both the LCG program and the Lafayette Community Development Fund loan require. Classes are held at the Jessie Livingston Taylor Center.
Got it. You're on the list.
We'll reach out when it reopens. Curious what you could use right now?
Hey there, I'm Denise. See if you're eligible for down payment assistance in Louisiana. It's a handful of questions and maybe two minutes of your time.
