SHREVEPORT, La.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A recent $4,000 Homebuyer Equity Leverage Partnership (HELP) grant from Home Federal Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) helped parish employee Kimberly Samuels purchase her first home.
The Shreveport resident and mother of two was a long-time renter until she realized she wanted something more permanent for her children, Kaloria, 13, and Kimora, 4.
“I have always wanted to own my own home and having girls inspired me to stop renting in neighborhoods where they couldn’t play outside and invest in our future,” said Ms. Samuels.
HELP grants are offered by FHLB Dallas through its member financial institutions, like Home Federal Bank, to assist income-qualified, first-time homebuyers with down payments and closing costs on newly constructed or existing homes.
Home Federal Bank Vice President of Mortgage Operations Lakisha Russell-Coleman said HELP grants allow income-qualified, first-time homebuyers some flexibility when purchasing a home.
“The generous down payment assistance does not limit the homebuyer to buying in one particular area of town,” she said.
Ms. Samuels said the down payment assistance was especially helpful when her car broke down and she had to pay for repairs with the money she had originally saved for a down payment.
“I have family that would have helped me out but I was more focused on saving the 20 percent,” she said.
In 2016, FHLB Dallas awarded $988,251 to 48 member institutions to assist 202 homebuyers. Since the program’s inception in 2002, HELP grants totaling more than $16.2 million have assisted more than 3,100 families. In 2017, FHLB Dallas has made available $1 million in HELP grants through members.
Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas, said HELP gives would-be homeowners the boost they need to realize their dreams of homeownership.
“Just as its name indicates, the HELP grant program is designed to help our members’ customers,” he said. “We are proud to offer this program through our members to help people like Ms. Samuels.”
Ms. Russell-Coleman said that Home Federal Bank is proud to offer the HELP grant program to customers.
“Many HELP grant recipients work so hard to get to where they are,” she said. “It has been a great attribute to buyers in our community! We love this program!”
About Home Federal Bank
Locally managed and headquartered in Shreveport since 1924, Home Federal Bank is a full-service bank, offering a large range of financial options to local families and businesses. For more information, visit hfbla.com.
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $58.2 billion as of December 31, 2016, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 850 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com.
