Jefferson Parish runs its own programme, on a ten-year clock
Program and regulatory figures verified October 5, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Jefferson Parish buyers have both the state programmes and a parish authority, and the parish one runs on a longer clock, which cuts both ways.
Who JPFA is
The Jefferson Parish Finance Authority is a local housing finance authority whose programmes "serve to make dreams of homeownership come true for potential homebuyers in Jefferson Parish and the surrounding area."
Jefferson Parish sits immediately west of Orleans and includes Metairie, Kenner, Gretna and Marrero. It is also on the Hurricane Ida list for HomeStart Plus, so buyers there have an unusually full set of options. The New Orleans metro picture.
Comfort of Home
JPFA describes it as suited to "borrowers with a moderate-to-good credit score, a moderate debt-to-income ratio, and moderate-to-high household income."
| Term | Comfort of Home |
|---|---|
| First mortgage | 30-year fixed |
| Products | FHA, VA, USDA, Freddie Mac HFA Advantage, Fannie Mae HFA Preferred, FHA Limited 203(k) |
| Assistance | Up to 4% for down payment and closing costs |
| Structure | Zero-interest second mortgage |
| Forgiveness | After 10 years |
| Servicer | U.S. Bank |
| Administrator | eHousing |
★ The ten-year clock
This is the difference that matters when comparing JPFA against the state programmes. LHC's HomeStart Advantage and HomeStart Assist both forgive at 60 months. JPFA's Comfort of Home forgives after 10 years.
| LHC Assist / Advantage | JPFA Comfort of Home | |
|---|---|---|
| Assistance | 4% | Up to 4% |
| Interest | Zero | Zero |
| Forgiven | 60 months | 10 years |
Same percentage, same zero interest, twice the holding period. For a buyer who expects to stay a long time that is a distinction without much difference. For anyone who might move inside a decade it is a real one, and it argues for checking whether the LHC programmes will take the file first.
The counter-argument is that JPFA may reach a borrower LHC will not, or combine with its own parish programmes. Which is the point of having a parish authority at all.
The two programmes it combines with
JPFA states that Comfort of Home "may be combined with our Heroes to Homeowners and Welcome to Jefferson programmes."
The names suggest what they are — a service-occupation programme and a parish-specific one — and JPFA publishes separate requirements for each. We have not read those requirement pages in detail and are not going to describe terms we have not verified. If either sounds like you, that is a direct question for JPFA or a participating lender.
What is worth noting is the structure: a parish authority that lets you stack a second programme on top of its base offer is doing something the state agency does not. LHC's programmes do not stack with each other.
The administrator overlap
Both JPFA and LHC now run through eHousing. That is a convenience for lenders rather than a benefit to buyers, but it does mean a Jefferson Parish lender is likely already set up for both — so asking to be compared across the state and parish programmes is a reasonable request rather than an awkward one.
Which to use in Jefferson Parish
- First-time buyer under 80% AMI? Check HomeStart Plus first — Jefferson is on the Ida list, and up to $55,000 is in a different category from 4%. Subject to the flood zone and ratio rules, which matter a great deal in this parish.
- Otherwise, compare LHC's 60-month forgiveness against JPFA's ten-year version on your actual numbers and your actual plans.
- In a service occupation, or new to the parish? Ask JPFA about Heroes to Homeowners and Welcome to Jefferson.
Terms read from JPFA's own pages on 2026-10-05. Local authority programmes change on their own schedule; confirm before relying on them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Jefferson Parish Finance Authority Comfort of Home program?
A programme pairing a 30-year fixed rate first mortgage with a zero-interest second mortgage providing up to 4% in down payment and closing cost assistance, forgiven after 10 years. It is serviced by U.S. Bank and administered by eHousing.How long until JPFA assistance is forgiven?
Ten years, against the 60 months that applies to LHC's HomeStart Assist and HomeStart Advantage. Both carry zero interest and both provide 4% assistance, so the holding period is the main structural difference.Can JPFA Comfort of Home be combined with other programs?
JPFA states that Comfort of Home may be combined with its Heroes to Homeowners and Welcome to Jefferson programmes, each of which publishes its own requirements.Can Jefferson Parish buyers use LHC programs too?
Yes. Jefferson Parish appears on the Hurricane Ida eligible parish list for HomeStart Plus, and LHC's statewide programmes are available there as elsewhere, so buyers have both state and parish options.Mike Certo · NMLS #260555 · Cornerstone First Mortgage NMLS #173855 · Equal Housing Lender. Educational content about financing, not a loan commitment and not legal or tax advice. Louisiana Housing Corporation programme terms, income limits and purchase price limits are set by LHC and change; figures here carry the date we verified them against LHC's published documents. LHC assistance is a zero-interest forgivable second mortgage, forgiven only if occupancy and programme requirements are maintained. Federal recapture tax may apply on HomeStart Assist bond loans; consult a tax advisor. Loans are subject to borrower and property qualification.