Sw Louisiana News

On February 4, 2025, Lake Charles Mayor Nic Hunter and Louisiana Housing Corporation (LHC) Executive Director Kevin Delahoussaye announced a new partnership between the City of Lake Charles and LHC's Keys for Service Program. This initiative is designed to assist city employees in purchasing homes within the city limits by offering down payment and closing cost assistance.

The Keys for Service program was initially created to aid essential workers in Louisiana by providing forgivable down payment and closing cost assistance to those who occupy their purchased property for a specified period. The goal is to make homeownership more accessible and affordable for primary residence buyers.

The City of Lake Charles will extend this program by offering additional support specifically to its employees, allowing them to apply for both the city's program and the LHC initiative. "We have a tremendous team here at the City of Lake Charles," said Mayor Nic Hunter. "My administration reached out to LHC to ask if they would be interested in this partnership, and we are honored with their response. This is yet another way can say thank you to our employees, by helping them accomplish the dream of homeownership."

Kevin Delahoussaye emphasized the collaborative nature of this effort: "The Keys for Service Lake Charles Partnership is a collaborative effort that will allow us to make homeownership a possibility for eligible families and individuals. For many that need assistance with the down payment and closing costs, Keys for Service helps these potential homebuyers achieve that homeownership dream. Homeownership builds wealth for the homebuyer and the surrounding community. We are grateful for this partnership, and we know that our efforts here will greatly help out the City of Lake Charles."

To qualify, city employees must have completed one full calendar year of employment with the city, and their prospective homes must be located within Lake Charles. Eligible employees can receive up to four percent or $10,000 in assistance—whichever amount is less—on a first-come, first-served basis. No cash back is offered to borrowers, and all other criteria from LHC's Keys for Service program remain applicable.

For more information on Keys for Service, interested employees are encouraged to visit www.lhc.la.gov/keysforservice.