![](\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20260710130104\/en\/2849489\/5\/Kiffany_Gordon_2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/a>![](\"https:\/\/mms.businesswire.com\/media\/20260710130104\/en\/2512927\/5\/logo-no-tagline.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/a>\nMs. Gordon learned of the grant through Gulf Bank. HELP provides up to $20,000 for down payment and closing cost assistance for income\u2011qualified homebuyers in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi and up to $25,000 for homebuyers in New Mexico and Texas. The grant is available through participating FHLB Dallas members<\/a>.<\/p> \n\u201cWhen they told me it could help me stay within my budget, I thought, \u2018Oh my God, I\u2019m about to do this.\u2019 I cried,\u201d she said.<\/p> \nThe process required patience. After paying off debts to repair her credit, Ms. Gordon viewed roughly 60 homes and placed offers on three. She was outbid on the first and the second went to an all-cash buyer, but the third home was the charm. It met nearly all her wants: an open floor plan, stainless steel appliances, a carport, a manageable yard and a newer roof.<\/p> \n\u201cHelping buyers like Ms. Gordon is why we participate in the HELP program,\u201d Gulf Bank Community Development Officer Rosalind Jones said. \u201cShe worked hard, stayed focused and just needed the last bit of support to make homeownership possible.\u201d<\/p> \nAt age 45, Ms. Gordon said she\u2019s proud to build something lasting for her family, which includes three grown children and three grandchildren. One daughter, inspired by her mother\u2019s success, has started the homebuying process herself. \u201cShe told me, \u2018If my momma can do it, I can do it,\u2019\u201d Ms. Gordon said.<\/p> \nShe said she doesn\u2019t know what she would have done without the grant.<\/p> \n\u201cI was praying for a miracle, and it came,\u201d she said. \u201cWithout it, it probably would have been a deal breaker.\u201d<\/p> \nHELP grants can open doors, said Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas.<\/p> \n\u201cHousing is expensive, but it\u2019s worth it for the many benefits, including creating generational wealth and stability,\u201d he said. \u201cMs. Gordon\u2019s story shows how perseverance and the right support can change a life.\u201d<\/p> \nAbout Gulf Coast Bank & Trust<\/b><\/p> \nGulf Coast Bank & Trust Company was founded in 1883, offering several personal and business banking services to the communities in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, the surrounding Southeast Louisiana areas and Florida. Banking services include checking and savings accounts with online and mobile banking options as well as personal loans, home loans, business loans and trust and brokerage services. Its mission is to strengthen its relationship with customers by combining the values of old-fashioned community banking that focus on individualized customer service with innovative, competitive banking products and trust and brokerage services.<\/p> \nAbout the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas<\/b><\/p> \nThe 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 $97.1 billion as of March 31, 2026, is a member\u2011owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 780 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>