IBERIA PARISH — Community members interested in buying a home are invited to attend a free homeownership seminar later this week aimed at helping residents better understand the path to owning a home.
Operation HOPE, in partnership with Louisiana Housing Lab, will host the Iberia Parish Homeownership Seminar on Thursday, Jan. 22, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center in West End Park, located at 1200 Field St. The event will take place in the community meeting room and is open to the public at no cost. Food and drinks will be provided. Iberia Parish Homeownership Sem…
Organizers say the seminar is designed to help residents at all stages of the homebuying process by offering education on finances, credit and available community resources.
Nanette Farmer, a financial wellbeing coach with Operation HOPE and one of the event’s organizers, said many people are closer to homeownership than they realize.
“We have so many resources that we don’t know exist,” Farmer said. “My goal is just to be able to educate everyone, coach them through the process and connect them to all the resources the community has so they can actually reach their goals.”
The seminar will cover a range of topics, including understanding and improving credit, affordable loan options, homeownership readiness, financial literacy education, community outreach services and resources available locally. Iberia Parish Homeownership Sem…
Farmer, who is bilingual, said Spanish-speaking residents are also encouraged to attend, noting language should not be a barrier to accessing information about homeownership.
Louisiana Housing Lab Executive Director Corey Saft will also be a featured speaker, alongside guest speaker Amber B. Patout, a mortgage loan officer with First Horizon Bank. Iberia Parish Homeownership Sem…
Saft said the seminar ties into ongoing affordable housing efforts in New Iberia’s West End, where Louisiana Housing Lab is preparing to move forward with a new housing development.
According to Saft, funding for the project is expected to be released soon, with construction anticipated to begin in the near future and completion targeted for the summer. As those plans move ahead, he said community outreach remains a priority.
“We’ve slowly been gearing up our outreach efforts, and when we partnered with Operation HOPE and Nanette Farmer, things really started to take off,” Saft said. “She’s been instrumental in helping us reach into the community and show people how close they might be to qualifying for a mortgage and homeownership.”
Organizers say the event is intended not only to provide information but also to help connect families with tools and guidance that could lead to long-term housing stability.
