Parish seatNew Orleans
People362,154
Income cap, 3+$101,890
Highest price$554,850
What should you know about buying in Orleans Parish?
Teachers here work across NOLA Public Schools. On the public safety side, the New Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, New Orleans Fire Department and New Orleans EMS are the big employers. Keys for Service was created for exactly these workers in 2023.
The renamed HomeStart Advantage still helps them the same way: 4% of the loan as a 0% second, forgiven after 5 years. What changed on Sept. 9, 2026 is that a bartender in the French Quarter or a nurse Uptown now qualifies on equal terms.
Remember that duplexes aren't eligible, which matters in a city with many doubles. Look for one-unit homes, townhomes or condos.
What are the limits in Orleans Parish?
| Household of 1 or 2 | Household of 3+ | Highest price |
|---|
| $88,600 | $101,890 | $554,850 |
Orleans Parish HomeStart Assist limits are $88,600 and $101,890; HomeStart Advantage uses the $125,000 statewide cap and the FHA loan limit, which a lender confirms. Compare every area's limits or run the home budget calculator.
Is there local money in Orleans 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.
City of New Orleans (Orleans Parish)
- Help available
- Up to $55,000 soft second (down payment/gap) plus up to $5,000 closing costs (CDBG pays at most 50% of total closing costs). The page's 'Assistance Available' box shows the two as alternatives ('OR'), while the body text says a buyer may receive both; confirm with OCD.
- Kind of help
- Deferred loan, due at sale or refinance
- Who it's for
- First-time homebuyers (no home owned in the past 3 years) buying in Orleans Parish
- Income cap
- 80% AMI (2026 New Orleans HUD income chart linked on the page; dollar figures not captured)
- Price cap
- $324,000 maximum sales price
- Only for first-time buyers?
- Yes
- Also worth knowing
- HUD-approved homebuyer education; first mortgage from a City-approved lender (2026 lender list); state-approved closing agency; home in Orleans Parish
$1,000,000 in CDBG funds available as of January 2026 (page last updated 7/31/2026); the City says it adds funds as they become available. Contact Cedrica Sartin, 504-658-4244, cedrica.sartin@nola.gov. The older nola.gov/softseconds page (2019 $3M funding, updated 2024) is superseded.
Checked November 2026 · our sources
Read our full write-up →Orleans Parish (NORA target areas)
- Help available
- Up to $70,000 soft second, based on documented need and underwriting
- Kind of help
- Deferred loan, due at sale or refinance
- Who it's for
- Buyers of homes built or renovated by NORA-selected developers; at or below 100% AMI; no principal residence owned in the prior 3 years
- Income cap
- 100% AMI (latest HUD limits)
- Only for first-time buyers?
- Yes
- Also worth knowing
- Must qualify for a first mortgage and occupy as primary residence for the affordability period; may own no more than a 50% interest in other residential property. Buyers do not apply to NORA; they buy from participating developers. Can be layered with the City's soft second (NORA subordinates).
The Oct 21 - Dec 1, 2026 window is for DEVELOPER applications, so homes with HERO subsidy will come to market after awards. For the first 30 days of marketing, homes may go under contract only to 'Good Neighbor' households (law enforcement officer, firefighter, EMT, pre-K-12 teacher). NORA also runs NOHIP (developer program, 80% AMI buyers; developer window July 6 - Aug 6, 2026).
Checked November 2026 · our sources
Read our full write-up →Browse every Louisiana program.
Where can you take a homebuyer class near Orleans Parish?
Nearly every assistance program wants you to finish a homebuyer class before you close. These HUD-approved agencies are within reach of Orleans Parish and offer classes or one-on-one counseling before you buy:
| Counseling agency | Located in | How far | Offers | Meets you | Languages |
|---|
| Desire Community Housing Corporation | New Orleans | 9 mi | Class and coaching | by phone / online | English |
| Family Resources of New Orleans | New Orleans | 10 mi | Class and coaching | by phone / online | English |
| Jefferson Community Action Programs | New Orleans | 17 mi | Class and coaching | 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 Orleans Parish employers whose staff fit the program:
- NOLA Public Schools
- New Orleans Police Department
- Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office
- New Orleans Fire Department
- New Orleans EMS
NOPD officers, NOFD firefighters, NOLA Public Schools teachers and every other worker qualify. See the list of eligible jobs.
Orleans Parish questions we hear
Can I buy a shotgun double with HomeStart Advantage?
No. Duplexes aren't eligible. The program covers one-unit homes, townhomes, condos and qualifying manufactured homes.
Do NOLA Public Schools charter teachers qualify?
Yes. HomeStart Advantage no longer requires any particular job or employer.
Is there extra help for first responders in New Orleans?
Full-time officers, firefighters, EMTs and teachers can also look at HUD Good Neighbor Next Door for HUD-owned homes in revitalization areas.
Other parishes: East Baton Rouge Parish Jefferson Parish St. Tammany Parish Lafayette Parish Caddo Parish Calcasieu Parish Ouachita Parish Livingston Parish Every parish
