LHC renamed all four programmes on 09/09/2026
Program and regulatory figures verified October 5, 2026. Details change; confirm your scenario with us.
Programme status and programme names are the fastest-ageing facts in this subject. Louisiana changed all four at once, five weeks ago, and the web has not caught up.
The rename map
Four programmes, four new names, one date.
| Current name | Former name | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| HomeStart Assist | MRB Assisted | 4% forgivable, first-time buyers, bond funded |
| HomeStart Advantage | Keys for Service | 4% forgivable, any occupation, first-time or repeat |
| HomeStart Plus | Pathways | 20% / $55,000, disaster-recovery parishes |
| HomeStart Ready | Premier | First mortgage only, no assistance |
How we know the date
Because LHC states it on every programme page, in the same form. On the HomeStart Assist page, under a heading reading "LHC's Former MRB Assisted program":
"If you reserved a loan in this program before 09/09/2026, please adhere to the MRB Assisted Program guidelines found in the Resources section located at the bottom of the page."
The Advantage page says the same about "LHC's Former Keys for Service Program," and the Ready page about "LHC's former premier program."
The Single Family Lenders' Guide, published 09/10/26, goes further and carries the old name in each section heading: "HomeStart Assist (Formerly MRB Assisted)", "HomeStart Advantage (Formerly Keys for Service)", "HomeStart Plus Program (Formerly Pathways)", "HomeStart Ready Program (formerly Premier)".
So this is not an inference from a changed menu. It is the operator naming the old programme, the new programme and the cut-off date in one sentence.
Why a rename matters more than it sounds
Three reasons, in increasing order of how much they can cost a buyer.
You cannot find it. A buyer searching the old name lands on pages describing the old rules, or on LHC's own legacy documents in the Resources section, which are explicitly for loans reserved before the cut-off.
Your lender may be working from the old guidelines. The legacy documents still exist on LHC's site for a reason — loans in flight before 09/09/2026 run under them. A file started today does not.
★ One of the programmes changed substantively. If you dismissed "Keys for Service" because you are not in a service occupation, that reasoning is now wrong. HomeStart Advantage takes any occupation and does not require first-time status. What actually changed.
What did not change
The underlying structures are intact. Assist is still bond-funded with a first-time requirement and recapture exposure. Plus is still CDBG disaster-recovery money with its parish list and its conditions. Ready still offers no assistance.
Minimum credit score is still 640 across the board, 660 for manufactured homes, and forgiveness is still conditional on maintaining occupancy. The four programmes in detail.
The administrative change alongside it
Each programme page now carries the same note: "The Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) is now working with eHousing Plus to administer its homeownership programs. To reserve a loan, or to learn out more about our programs, please visit the eHousing Plus web portal."
That matters mainly to lenders rather than buyers, but it is why the current limit documents live on eHousing Plus rather than on lhc.la.gov, and why some older LHC document links now point at legacy material. If a document you have been sent sits under an "MRB" or "Pathways" folder, check its date.
What to ask your lender
- Which HomeStart programme is my file going into?
- Is it being written to the 09/10/26 Lenders' Guide, or to a legacy guideline?
- If I was quoted on "Keys for Service" earlier this year, does HomeStart Advantage now change what I qualify for?
That last question is the one most likely to produce a better answer than you expected. Or send us the scenario.
Frequently asked questions
When did LHC rename its homeownership programs?
09/09/2026. Every LHC programme page states that loans reserved before that date follow the former programme's guidelines, and the Single Family Lenders' Guide published 09/10/26 carries each former name in its section heading.What was HomeStart Assist called before?
MRB Assisted. The LHC Lenders' Guide heading reads "HomeStart Assist (Formerly MRB Assisted)". Loans reserved before 09/09/2026 still follow the MRB Assisted Program guidelines.What happened to the Keys for Service program in Louisiana?
It was renamed HomeStart Advantage on 09/09/2026, and the occupation requirement was removed. The LHC Lenders' Guide states that no specific service-related occupation is required and that first-time homebuyer status is not required, although the borrower may not own another residential property at closing.Is the Louisiana Pathways program still available?
Yes, under the name HomeStart Plus. The LHC Lenders' Guide heading reads "HomeStart Plus Program (Formerly Pathways)". It remains the disaster-recovery programme funded with Community Development Block Grant money, covering 47 parishes.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.