HomeStart Advantage (formerly Keys for Service)
Home loans for Louisiana teachers
Louisiana teachers were the first group in Keys for Service. Now called HomeStart Advantage, it gives 4% forgivable help with income up to $125,000.
Who counts?
When Keys for Service launched in January 2023, it required an active, full-time teacher with a Louisiana teaching certification. Under HomeStart Advantage, no specific occupation is required, so teachers qualify like any other buyer and don't need to show a certificate.
Your lender verifies income and employment the standard way: a written verification of employment covering 2 years and a paystub dated within 30 days.
HomeStart Advantage is the Louisiana Housing Corporation program formerly called Keys for Service. It began in 2023 for teachers and first responders and, since Sept. 9, 2026, is open to all occupations. It pairs a 30-year fixed mortgage with 4% of the loan as a 0% second mortgage that is forgiven after 5 years in the home, for households earning up to $125,000, and you don't have to be a first-time buyer.
Paid over 9, 10, 11 or 12 months?
LHC's guide tells lenders to check how many months a teacher is paid. Tell your loan officer up front whether your district spreads your salary over the summer, so your income is calculated correctly.
One more option just for teachers
HUD Good Neighbor Next Door is limited to full-time pre-K to 12 teachers and a few public safety jobs. It offers 50% off the list price of HUD-owned homes in revitalization areas if you live there 36 months, and it can be combined with state or local help.
What paperwork should you have ready?
- Written verification of employment covering 2 years
- Paystub dated within 30 days
- Household income for every adult 18+
- Homebuyer education certificate if you're a first-time buyer
What else do people ask?
Do I need a Louisiana teaching certificate?
Not anymore. The 2023 Keys for Service rules required one, but HomeStart Advantage is open to all occupations.
I'm a paraprofessional or school staff. Do I qualify?
Yes. Since no occupation is required, school staff qualify on the same terms as teachers, subject to income, credit and the other program rules.
Does a summer gap in pay hurt me?
Not by itself. Lenders are told to check whether you're paid over 9, 10, 11 or 12 months so your yearly income is counted correctly.
