Parish seatLafayette
People257,949
Income cap, 3+$103,845
Highest price$554,850
What should you know about buying in Lafayette Parish?
Lafayette Parish is the hub of Acadiana. The Lafayette Parish School System employs teachers across the city and the growing towns around it, and the Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Fire Department and Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office cover public safety.
Those jobs were the heart of Keys for Service. Under the new HomeStart Advantage name the 4% benefit is unchanged, the income cap is still $125,000, and you no longer have to show what you do for a living.
First-time buyers who look at HomeStart Assist will find Lafayette's limits at $90,300 for 1 to 2 people and $103,845 for 3 or more, the same as neighboring St. Martin Parish.
What are the limits in Lafayette Parish?
| Household of 1 or 2 | Household of 3+ | Highest price |
|---|
| $90,300 | $103,845 | $554,850 |
Lafayette's HomeStart Assist limits are $90,300 and $103,845; HomeStart Advantage allows up to $125,000, with the price capped at the FHA loan limit a lender confirms. Compare every area's limits or run the home budget calculator.
Is there local money in Lafayette 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.
First Time Home Buyer Down Payment and Closing Costs Assistance Program
Money may run outCity 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)
- Income cap
- 2021 brochure limits: $38,300 (1), $43,800 (2), $49,250 (3), $54,700 (4), $59,100 (5), $63,500 (6), $67,850 (7), $72,250 (8); likely updated since
- Only for first-time buyers?
- Yes
- Also worth knowing
- 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.
Checked November 2026 · our sources
Lafayette Parish
- Help available
- Up to $8,000 as a 5% 15-year second-mortgage loan ($63.26/mo)
- Kind of help
- Loan with monthly payments
- Who it's for
- First-time homebuyers in Lafayette Parish
- Income cap
- $86,520 (household of 1-2); $100,940 (3+) per brochure
- Price cap
- $316,177 maximum acquisition cost
- Only for first-time buyers?
- Yes
- Also worth knowing
- LCG Home Ownership Training (HOT) course; due in full if the buyer stops occupying the home
Brochure uploaded Dec 2022 with no print date, so limits may be outdated. Contact 337-504-2314.
Checked November 2026 · our sources
Read our full write-up →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.
Checked November 2026 · our sources
Read our full write-up →Browse every Louisiana program.
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
Which local employers are covered?
A few of the Lafayette Parish employers whose staff fit the program:
- Lafayette Parish School System
- Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
- Lafayette Police Department
- Lafayette Fire Department
Lafayette teachers, police and firefighters qualify, as does anyone else who meets the income and credit rules. See the list of eligible jobs.
Lafayette Parish questions we hear
Can I use HomeStart Advantage in Youngsville or Broussard?
Yes. It works in every Louisiana parish and city.
What is Lafayette Parish's HomeStart Assist limit?
$90,300 for 1 to 2 people and $103,845 for 3 or more, outside targeted areas.
I'm moving up from a starter home. Do I qualify?
You can, as long as you won't own another residential property at closing. HomeStart Advantage has no first-time buyer rule.
Other parishes: East Baton Rouge Parish Jefferson Parish Orleans Parish St. Tammany Parish Caddo Parish Calcasieu Parish Ouachita Parish Livingston Parish Every parish
