MINNEAPOLIS, [October 5, 2026]–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Duome (www.myduome.com), a new credit union service organization (CUSO) addressing home affordability through co-ownership, today announced that New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union has made a capital investment in Duome. The investment marks the first step in a partnership to bring Duome’s co-ownership model to Louisiana, helping working families achieve homeownership in markets where prices have outpaced incomes.
The housing affordability crisis has priced millions of working families out of homeownership. Rising home prices, stagnant wages, and limited inventory have widened the gap between what families earn and what homes cost. Today, nearly 80% of U.S. counties are considered unaffordable for households earning the median income. The first responders, educators, and working households that credit unions were built to serve are among those most affected.
Founded in 1934 by New Orleans firefighters, New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union is the second oldest federally chartered credit union in the country and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). For more than ninety years, it has extended fair financial access to first responders, educators, healthcare workers, and communities that mainstream institutions have overlooked. Its investment in Duome reflects a conviction that the families credit unions were built to serve deserve a real path to homeownership.
“Our credit union was founded in 1934 by firefighters who refused to let working families be shut out of the financial system, and that mission still drives us,” said Judy DeLucca, President of New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union. “Too many of the first responders, educators, and neighbors we serve are being priced out of homeownership. Investing in Duome is a step toward opening a door that has been closing for the very people who keep our communities safe, and we’re proud to take it.”
Duome’s model works by co-investing directly alongside qualified buyers. This reduces the mortgage a household needs to a size its income comfortably supports, so the buyer can own and live in the home and build equity from day one. Duome is structured as a Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) and partners with credit unions to bring the model to their members.
“New Orleans Firemen’s Federal didn’t just see what Duome is; they saw what it could mean for their members,” said Miriam Ackerman, co-Founder of Duome. “Ninety years of serving working families will do that. That’s not a coincidence. That’s confirmation, and we’re proud to be building with them.”
Duome continues to engage credit union leaders who are ready to bring a new path to homeownership to the members they serve.
About Duome
Duome is a co-investment homeownership company that helps mortgage-ready households buy homes in markets where prices have outpaced incomes. By co-investing alongside qualified buyers, Duome reduces the mortgage a household needs to a size its income comfortably supports, while the buyer owns and lives in the home and builds equity. Duome is structured as a Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) and partners with credit unions to bring the model to their members. Duome was founded by the Minneapolis venture studio DNT BLNK. Learn more at myduome.com.
About New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union
Founded in 1934 by New Orleans firefighters, New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union is the second oldest federally chartered credit union in the United States and a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Firemen’s Federal serves more than 28,000 members across Louisiana and Mississippi, with a mission rooted in serving first responders, educators, healthcare workers, and underserved communities. Federally insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Lender. Learn more at noffcu.org.