St. Landry Parish · HomeStart Advantage (formerly Keys for Service)
Down payment help in St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Opelousas, Eunice, Port Barre, Sunset or Grand Coteau: HomeStart Advantage offers St. Landry buyers 4% of the loan, forgiven after 5 years.
Parish seatOpelousas
People80,765
Income cap, 3+$97,635
Highest price$554,850
What should you know about buying in St. Landry Parish?
St. Landry Parish, with Opelousas as its seat, is served by the St. Landry Parish School Board. Public safety jobs are spread among the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office and the Opelousas and Eunice police departments.
Those teachers and officers were the reason Keys for Service existed. Today HomeStart Advantage is open to every occupation and still pairs the 4% with a 30-year fixed rate.
St. Landry uses the standard HomeStart Assist limits of $84,900 and $97,635. USDA Rural Development loans are also eligible, which may matter for homes outside the larger towns.
What are the limits in St. Landry Parish?
Household of 1 or 2
Household of 3+
Highest price
$84,900
$97,635
$554,850
St. Landry follows the standard HomeStart Assist limits; HomeStart Advantage allows up to $125,000, with the price capped at an FHA limit a lender confirms. Compare every area's limits or run the home budget calculator.
Is there local money in St. Landry 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.
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.
Where can you take a homebuyer class near St. Landry Parish?
Nearly every assistance program wants you to finish a homebuyer class before you close. These HUD-approved agencies are within reach of St. Landry Parish and offer classes or one-on-one counseling before you buy:
Counseling agency
Located in
How far
Offers
Meets you
Languages
Lafayette Consolidated Government Neighborhood Counseling Services
Lafayette
25 mi
Class and coaching
by phone
English
Saint Martin, Iberia, Lafayette Community Action Agency
Lafayette
26 mi
Class and coaching
in person / by phone / online
English, French, Spanish
Assist Agency
Crowley
35 mi
Class and coaching
in person / by phone
English
Mid City Redevelopment Alliance
Baton Rouge
50 mi
Class and coaching
by phone
English
Cenla Community Action Committee, Incorporated
Alexandria
54 mi
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 St. Landry Parish employers whose staff fit the program:
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.
