Banks Award Funds to Pet Parent to Purchase the Perfect Forever Home

As a long-time pet parent, Thomas Treweek felt restricted in the rentals he lived in. Thankfully, this feeling is a thing of the past as Mr. Treweek recently moved into his first home with the help of a $10,900 Homebuyer Equity Leverage Partnership (HELP) subsidy from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) through its member, Centennial Bank.

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The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, through its member Centennial Bank, supported an Arkansas resident with nearly $11,000 in down payment assistance. (Photo: Business Wire)

FHLB Dallas set aside $6.5 million of its 2023 Affordable Housing Program funds for HELP. Through member institutions, HELP assists income-qualified, first-time homebuyers with down payment assistance and closing costs.

Mr. Treweek, 45, and his partner, discovered the HELP program through a friend who had benefited from similar assistance. HELP provided funds toward a down payment on a two-bedroom home in North Little Rock, Arkansas, with a spacious backyard for his two dogs. The whole process, from looking at homes to moving in, was completed within a month.

“The biggest relief of being a homeowner is not having to worry about someone telling me I can’t have two dogs. In rentals, people wanted me to pay more and often turned me down outright. This was disappointing as an animal lover. Now, I can bring any animal that needs love into my home without the slightest concern,” Mr. Treweek said.

Without the HELP funding, Mr. Treweek, who works as a meat cutter at a grocery store, said his dream of being a homeowner would likely be a decade away.

“We are grateful for the support from FHLB Dallas and the HELP program which is transforming our community into one of homeowners,” said Hannah Ricks, CRA analyst, at Centennial Bank.

HELP enables member banks to build long-term relationships with their customers, fulfilling their biggest dream along the way — homeownership.

“Centennial Bank has been using HELP for 15 years, which is a clear demonstration of its commitment to affordable housing,” said Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas.

Visit fhlb.com/help to learn more about the program.

About Centennial Bank

Centennial Bank, a Home Bancshares (NYSE HOMB) company, is a full-service financial institution with branches in Florida, Arkansas, Alabama, Texas, and New York and $22 Billion in total assets. For more information, please visit www.my100bank.com. Centennial Bank, Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender.

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 $181.2 billion as of March 31, 2023, 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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