Vermilion Parish · HomeStart Advantage (formerly Keys for Service)
Down payment help in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana
Buying in Abbeville, Kaplan, Erath, Gueydan or Maurice? HomeStart Advantage puts 4% of your loan toward your down payment and closing costs.
Parish seatAbbeville
People57,671
Income cap, 3+$97,635
Highest price$554,850
What should you know about buying in Vermilion Parish?
Vermilion Parish runs from the edge of Lafayette down to the coast, with Abbeville as its seat. The Vermilion Parish School Board serves the parish, and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff's Office and the Abbeville and Kaplan police departments are its public safety employers.
Many Vermilion residents work in Lafayette. That's fine: HomeStart Advantage looks at your household income and credit, not where you work or what your job is.
Vermilion uses the standard HomeStart Assist limits, $84,900 and $97,635, which are lower than Lafayette's.
What are the limits in Vermilion Parish?
Household of 1 or 2
Household of 3+
Highest price
$84,900
$97,635
$554,850
Vermilion's HomeStart Assist limits are lower than neighboring Lafayette's; HomeStart Advantage uses $125,000 everywhere, and a lender confirms the FHA price limit. Compare every area's limits or run the home budget calculator.
Is there local money in Vermilion 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 Vermilion Parish?
Nearly every assistance program wants you to finish a homebuyer class before you close. These HUD-approved agencies are within reach of Vermilion Parish and offer classes or one-on-one counseling before you buy:
Counseling agency
Located in
How far
Offers
Meets you
Languages
Assist Agency
Crowley
29 mi
Class and coaching
in person / by phone
English
Saint Martin, Iberia, Lafayette Community Action Agency
Lafayette
34 mi
Class and coaching
in person / by phone / online
English, French, Spanish
Lafayette Consolidated Government Neighborhood Counseling Services
Lafayette
35 mi
Class and coaching
by phone
English
Saint Mary Community Action Agency, Inc.
Franklin
47 mi
Class and coaching
in person
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 Vermilion 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.
