HR 386

HLS 26RS-5947  ORIGINAL
 2026 Regular Session
 HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 386
 BY REPRESENTATIVE JORDAN
 HOUSING: Creates a task force to study the development and implementation of a unified
  statewide home ownership assistance program known as the "Dream Starter
  Program"
1A RESOLUTION
2 To create the Task Force on the Dream Starter Program to study the development and
3implementation of a unified statewide home ownership assistance program.
4WHEREAS, homeownership is the primary mechanism through which American
5 families build and transfer wealth across generations, and expanding sustainable
6 homeownership strengthens workforce stability, local tax bases, and long-term household
7 wealth, making it a critical driver of economic mobility across Louisiana; and
8WHEREAS, access to homeownership has historically been denied to African
9 American and other minority communities in Louisiana through legally sanctioned
10 discriminatory practices including redlining, racially restrictive covenants, racially
11 discriminatory appraisal practices, and the systematic exclusion of African American
12 veterans and families from the federally subsidized mortgage programs of the mid-twentieth
13 century; and
14WHEREAS, the racial homeownership gap in Louisiana reflects the cumulative and
15 compounding effects of these discriminatory policies; and
16WHEREAS, according to United States Census Bureau data, African American
17 households in Louisiana own homes at rates approximately twenty-five to thirty percentage
18 points lower than white households, a gap that directly translates into a substantial disparity
19 in household net worth and intergenerational wealth; and
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  HR NO. 386
1WHEREAS, despite income-qualified households being otherwise mortgage-ready,
2 many Louisiana residents remain unable to purchase homes due to structural barriers,
3 including a lack of generational wealth, limited access to up-front capital for down payments
4 and closing costs, and reduced exposure to homeownership pathways; and
5WHEREAS, research and policy analysis demonstrate that disparities in
6 homeownership are not explained by income alone, but are also driven by intergenerational
7 access to wealth and opportunity, requiring targeted and data-informed policy solutions; and
8WHEREAS, first-generation homebuyers, individuals who have not previously
9 owned a home and whose parents or guardians did not own a home during the buyer's
10 childhood, face uniquely compounding barriers to homeownership, including the inability
11 to benefit from parental home equity, the absence of family guidance on the homebuying
12 process, and the need to accumulate down payment funds entirely from personal savings
13 without family assistance; and
14WHEREAS, in Louisiana, first-generation homebuyers are disproportionately
15 African American and from lower-income households, meaning that the barriers facing
16 first-generation buyers are inseparable from the broader legacy of racial and economic
17 exclusion from homeownership; and
18WHEREAS, down payment and closing cost requirements represent the single most
19 commonly cited barrier to homeownership among first-time buyers nationally, with surveys
20 consistently showing that a majority of renters who aspire to homeownership cite saving for
21 a down payment as their primary obstacle; and
22WHEREAS, the legislature has considered multiple approaches to expanding access
23 to homeownership, including the House Bill No. 1133, the "Dream Starter Act" authored by
24 Representative Dana Henry and House Bill No. 794, the "Louisiana First-Generation
25 Homebuyer Assistance Act" authored by Representative Edmond Jordan, which reflect
26 shared objectives but differ in program structure, funding mechanisms, and administrative
27 design; and
28WHEREAS, there is a clear opportunity to consolidate these approaches into a single,
29 cohesive, and scalable statewide program, the Dream Starter Program, that balances fiscal
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 HLS 26RS-5947  ORIGINAL
  HR NO. 386
1 responsibility with meaningful impact and addresses structural inequities in homeownership
2 access; and
3WHEREAS, a unified program must be designed to ensure accountability, market
4 feasibility, and measurable outcomes, while also preserving flexibility to respond to regional
5 housing conditions across urban and rural communities throughout Louisiana; and
6WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Louisiana House of Representatives to develop a
7 program that is both fiscally responsible in its initial implementation and capable of scaling
8 over time based on demonstrated outcomes, return on investment, and program performance;
9 and
10WHEREAS, the Louisiana Housing Corporation, in coordination with state agencies,
11 lenders, and community stakeholders, is uniquely positioned to administer such a program
12 without the creation of additional bureaucratic structures; and
13WHEREAS, a rigorous, data-driven study conducted by a multi-agency task force
14 would provide the Louisiana House of Representatives with the empirical foundation and
15 program design recommendations necessary to enact durable, effective homeownership
16 assistance legislation in the 2027 Regular Session.
17THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
18 Legislature of Louisiana does hereby establish and provide for the Task Force on a Dream
19 Starter Program to evaluate and recommend the structure, funding, and implementation of
20 a unified statewide homeownership assistance program, and may propose recommendations,
21 together with specific proposals for legislation. Any recommendations or proposals shall be
22 submitted by written report to the Louisiana House of Representatives and to the David R.
23 Poynter Legislative Research Library as required by R.S. 24:771 and 772, no later than
24 February 1, 2027.
25BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana House of Representatives
26 recommends that the task force include consideration of the following:
27(1) Program structure and design.
28(2) Funding strategy and fiscal impact.
29(3) Eligibility and target population.
30(4) Assistance structure and program terms.
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1(5) Market participation and lender accountability.
2(6) Geographic and data-driven targeting.
3(7) Program outcomes and performance measurement.
4(8) Implementation and administration.
5BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall consist of the following
6 members:
7(1) One member from the Louisiana Housing Corporation appointed by the
8 executive director.
9(2) One member from the Louisiana Department of the Treasury appointed by the
10 treasurer.
11(3) One member from Louisiana Economic Development appointed by the secretary.
12(4) One member from the division of administration appointed by the commissioner
13 of administration.
14(5) One member from the Louisiana Bankers Association appointed by the chief
15 executive officer.
16(6)   One member from Luminate Louisiana Credit Unions appointed by the
17 President/CEO.
18(7) One member from Southern University and A&M College appointed by the
19 president of the university.
20BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each designating authority shall submit the
21 names of designees to the task force to the Louisiana Housing Corporation no later than
22 August 1, 2026.
23BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that at the first meeting, the members shall elect a
24 chair and other officers as the task force may deem appropriate.
25BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall convene for its first meeting
26 no later than September 1, 2026, at the call of the executive director of the Louisiana
27 Housing Corporation.
28BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be staffed by the Louisiana
29 Housing Corporation.
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1BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in conducting this study the task force is
2 encouraged to seek input and advice from the following:
3(1) The Louisiana Housing Corporation.
4(2) The Louisiana Department of the Treasury.
5(3) Louisiana Economic Development.
6(4) The division of administration.
7(5) All other relevant state agencies.
8BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a majority of the task force shall constitute a
9 quorum for the transaction of business. All official actions of the task force shall require the
10 affirmative vote of a majority of the members.
11BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Rules of Order of the House of
12 Representatives or applicable Joint Rules shall apply to all meetings of the task force.
13BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall serve
14 without compensation, except per diem or expenses reimbursement to which they may be
15 individually entitled as members of their constituent organizations.
16BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that meetings of the task force shall be subject to the
17 Open Meetings Law, R.S. 42:11 et seq., and records of the task force shall be subject to the
18 Public Records Law, R.S. 44:1 et seq.
19BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall terminate following the
20 conclusion of its business or February 1, 2027, whichever occurs first.
21BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
22 executive director of the Louisiana Housing Corporation, the treasurer of the Louisiana
23 Department of Treasury, the secretary of Louisiana Economic Development, the
24 commissioner of the division of administration, the chief executive officer of the Louisiana
25 Bankers Association, the President/CEO of Luminate Louisiana Credit Unions, the president
26 of Southern University and A&M College, and the governor.
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HLS 26RS-5947  ORIGINAL
  HR NO. 386
  DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 386 Original  2026 Regular Session  Jordan
Creates a task force to study the development and implementation of a unified statewide
home ownership assistance program known as the "Dream Starter Program".
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