Parish seatGretna
People431,398
Income cap, 3+$101,890
Highest price$554,850
What should you know about buying in Jefferson Parish?
Jefferson Parish wraps around New Orleans on both sides of the Mississippi, and its parish seat is Gretna. One school system, Jefferson Parish Schools, serves the whole parish, so its teachers live everywhere from Kenner to the West Bank.
Public safety is split among the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office, the Kenner and Gretna police departments and the Jefferson Parish East Bank Consolidated Fire Department. These workers were the first ones Keys for Service was written for. HomeStart Advantage keeps the same 4% benefit and now opens it to any job.
If you're a first-time buyer weighing HomeStart Assist, Jefferson's limits match Orleans: $88,600 for 1 to 2 people and $101,890 for 3 or more.
What are the limits in Jefferson Parish?
| Household of 1 or 2 | Household of 3+ | Highest price |
|---|
| $88,600 | $101,890 | $554,850 |
Those are HomeStart Assist numbers; under HomeStart Advantage any Jefferson Parish household earning up to $125,000 can apply, and a lender confirms the FHA price limit. Compare every area's limits or run the home budget calculator.
Is there local money in Jefferson Parish?
Yes. The programs below are run closer to home. Some can sit on top of the state program and some replace it, so your loan officer sorts out which ones work together.
Jefferson Parish (including Kenner)
- Help available
- Up to $50,000 in Jefferson Parish; up to $60,000 in Kenner (page warns average awards change yearly)
- Kind of help
- Forgivable second loan
- Who it's for
- Low-to-moderate income buyers who have not owned a home in the past 3 years
- Income cap
- 51%-80% AMI. 2025 80% limits: $50,300 (1), $57,500 (2), $64,700 (3), $71,850 (4), $77,600 (5), $83,350 (6), $89,100 (7), $94,850 (8)
- Price cap
- Maximum appraised value applies; dollar figure not published on the page
- Only for first-time buyers?
- Yes
- Also worth knowing
- Fixed-rate first mortgage from an approved lender (no ARMs, balloons or temporary buydowns); lender pre-approval before applying; Financial Fitness + First-Time Homebuyer Training certificates (valid 2 years); in-person interview; single-family, condo or manufactured home on owned land. Affordability period: 5 yrs (<$15k), 10 yrs ($15k-$40k), 15 yrs (>$40k); repayment due on default during the period.
Page does not state open/closed; says funding is not assured until all requirements are met. Type listed as 'forgivable' is inferred from the affordability-period structure; the page does not label it. Contact 504-736-6262, 1221 Elmwood Park Blvd, Suite 605.
Checked November 2026 · our sources
Read our full write-up →Jefferson Parish
- Help available
- 4% of the final loan amount for down payment/closing costs, plus a below-market fixed first mortgage (5.85% FHA/VA/USDA, 6.10% Fannie/Freddie as of the March 12, 2026 rate reduction)
- Kind of help
- Forgivable second loan
- Who it's for
- First-time homebuyers buying in Jefferson Parish; first-time rule waived for veterans and targeted census tracts
- Only for first-time buyers?
- Yes
- Also worth knowing
- Apply through a participating lender. 0% soft second forgiven after 5 years.
Stacks with JPFA's $2,500 Heroes to Homeowners grant (see occupation_specific). This is a separate first mortgage, so it cannot be combined with an LHC HomeStart first mortgage. JPFA phone 504-736-6311.
Checked November 2026 · our sources
Read our full write-up →JPFA Comfort of Home Program
Taking applicationsJefferson, St. Tammany, St. Charles and St. Bernard Parishes
- Help available
- A fixed percentage of the note amount (percentage not stated in the guide) for down payment, closing costs and prepaids, with a 30-year fixed first mortgage
- Kind of help
- Forgivable second loan
- Who it's for
- Buyers in the four parishes; no first-time homebuyer requirement
- Income cap
- $125,720 (FHA/USDA/VA/Fannie HFA Preferred); $71,840 for Fannie/Freddie 80% AMI offering
- Price cap
- Agency (FHA/VA/USDA/Fannie/Freddie) loan limits; no separate dollar cap
- Only for first-time buyers?
- No
- Also worth knowing
- 0%, no payments, forgiven after month 60 (no pro-rata). Pre-closing homebuyer education for first-time buyers only. Plaquemines removed 09/02/25.
Guide revised 01/05/26. Separate first mortgage; pick this OR an LHC HomeStart loan. The DPA percentage wasn't in the guide text (rates and offerings are shown in the eHousingPlus system).
Checked November 2026 · our sources
Browse every Louisiana program.
Where can you take a homebuyer class near Jefferson Parish?
Nearly every assistance program wants you to finish a homebuyer class before you close. These HUD-approved agencies are within reach of Jefferson Parish and offer classes or one-on-one counseling before you buy:
| Counseling agency | Located in | How far | Offers | Meets you | Languages |
|---|
| Jefferson Community Action Programs | New Orleans | 20 mi | Class and coaching | by phone | English |
| Family Resources of New Orleans | New Orleans | 20 mi | Class and coaching | by phone / online | English |
| Desire Community Housing Corporation | New Orleans | 22 mi | Class and coaching | by phone / online | 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
Which local employers are covered?
A few of the Jefferson Parish employers whose staff fit the program:
- Jefferson Parish Schools
- Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office
- Kenner Police Department
- Gretna Police Department
- Jefferson Parish East Bank Consolidated Fire Department
Jefferson Parish teachers, deputies and firefighters qualify, along with every other occupation. See the list of eligible jobs.
Jefferson Parish questions we hear
Is the program the same on the East Bank and West Bank?
Yes. HomeStart Advantage has one set of rules statewide, so Metairie and Marrero buyers get the same 4%.
I work for JPSO but I've owned a home before. Can I use it?
Yes, as long as you won't own another residential property at closing. HomeStart Advantage has no first-time buyer rule.
What are Jefferson Parish's HomeStart Assist limits?
$88,600 for 1 to 2 people and $101,890 for 3 or more, with higher limits in targeted tracts.
Other parishes: East Baton Rouge Parish Orleans Parish St. Tammany Parish Lafayette Parish Caddo Parish Calcasieu Parish Ouachita Parish Livingston Parish Every parish
