Shreveport, Louisiana, Homeowner Impacted by Stroke Receives New Roof

Eleanor Bell, 59, retired earlier than anticipated after a stroke in 2014 impacted her ability to continue her marketing career with a local behavioral health hospital.

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A Louisiana homeowner received a new roof with the help of a SNAP subsidy provided by Origin Bank and FHLB Dallas. (Photo: Business Wire)

Ms. Bell said she worried that she would no longer qualify to renew her homeowner’s insurance because her aging roof had so badly deteriorated. Replacing it herself on her fixed income wasn’t possible, she said.

“It wasn’t leaking, but it was in bad shape,” she said. “I’ve lived here since 1997, and it’s never been replaced during that time.”

Ms. Bell said she loves her house and the neighborhood’s amenities that include a nearby grocery store. She raised her five children in the home and one daughter, a registered nurse, currently lives there with her.

A friend told Ms. Bell about the Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP), and Ms. Bell decided to apply. She was approved for a $6,000 subsidy that funded the replacement of her roof and the addition of a handicapped accessible toilet.

Through member institutions such as Origin Bank, SNAP provides subsidies for the repair and rehabilitation of owner-occupied housing of eligible, special-needs individuals. The maximum SNAP award per household is $6,000 unless the member or another lender contributes $350 toward the rehabilitation costs and/or inspection fees. Then the maximum award per household is $7,000.

“It really was a blessing because it allowed me to keep my homeowners insurance, for one, and of course, the new roof made the house look so good,” she said. “My house looks better than any other house on the street. I’m so proud of it. The SNAP funding was a great help to me.”

Sheila Grayson, vice president, CRA and community development officer at Origin Bank, said SNAP is a great example of two banks coming together to help homeowners in need.

“We are thankful for the opportunity to participate in SNAP with FHLB Dallas and to be able to help Ms. Bell make important repairs that we hope will allow her to live in her home for many years to come,” Ms. Grayson said.

FHLB Dallas set aside $2.5 million of its 2021 Affordable Housing Program funds for SNAP, and all SNAP funds were allocated in January for the highly sought-after program. Last year, FHLB Dallas awarded $2.5 million in SNAP subsidies that assisted 421 families. Between 2009 and 2020, nearly $20.5 million in funding has been awarded across FHLB Dallas’ five-state District.

“Origin Bank is making a positive difference in the lives of special-needs homeowners around its service area through SNAP funding,” said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. “We are pleased to join them in financing these home renovations. They’ve been a great partner.”

To learn more about SNAP, visit fhlb.com/snap.

About Origin Bancorp, Inc.

Origin is a financial holding company headquartered in Ruston, Louisiana. Origin's wholly owned bank subsidiary, Origin Bank, was founded in 1912. Deeply rooted in Origin's history is a culture committed to providing personalized, relationship banking to its clients and communities. Origin provides a broad range of financial services to businesses, municipalities, high net-worth individuals and retail clients. Origin currently operates 44 banking centers located from Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, Texas across North Louisiana and into Mississippi. For more information, visit www.origin.bank.

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 $60.2 billion as of September 30, 2021, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit our website at fhlb.com.

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A Louisiana woman received a $6K subsidy that funded the replacement of her roof.