LIHTC

Representatives Suzan DelBene (D-WA) and Jackie Walorski (R-IN) are circulating a bipartisan sign-on letter to House leadership urging the inclusion of LIHTC priorities as part of COVID response legislation. Please reach out to any House members with whom you have a connection encouraging them to sign on. The deadline is Monday, July 27.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) recently unveiled The Economic Justice Act, a proposal to invest $350 billion in communities of color as a component of the next federal COVID-19 stimulus relief package. The Economic Justice Act would expand LIHTC by $5 billion over five years. In addition, it would provide a renter tax credit that would reduce rent and utilities for low-income individuals and families.

The Alabama Housing Finance Authority will hold a public hearing at 9:00 am CT on July 21 concerning the proposed 2021 HOME Action Plan, the Housing Credit Qualified Allocation Plan and the National Housing Trust Fund Allocation Plan (Plans) for the distribution of HOME funds, Housing Credits and National Housing Trust Funds in exchange for the new construction and substantial rehabilitation of low-income projects and for the monitoring of HOME, Housing Credits and National Housing Trust Funds for all projects. The hearing will be held at the Riverwalk Stadium located at 200 Coosa Street, Montgomery, AL, 36104.

The New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency is requiring that all nine percent LIHTC applications be submitted electronically through LeapFile to the LIHTC mailbox by 12:00 pm ET on September 23. The application fee of $4,000 must be sent by check only—no wires—and must be received by September 23 deadline also.

On June 25, 2020 the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee issued a new memo providing additional guidance on the Average Income Test Federal Election.  In May 2018, TCAC adopted regulations that allowed projects with an existing tax credit reservation to elect the Average Income Test and make changes to the application’s housing unit designations, increasing some to 80% AMI.

Join Ohio Housing Finance Agency for a webinar presentation overviewing the first draft of 2021 Qualified Allocation Plan technical revisions on July 15 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm. 

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Internal Revenue Service today issued Notice 2020-53 to provide tax relief to issuers, operators, owners, and tenants of qualified low-income housing projects or qualified residential rental projects financed with exempt facility bonds, and state agencies that have jurisdiction over these projects.

The Internal Revenue Service issued a proposed rule on the compliance-monitoring duties of state agencies for purposes of the low-income housing credit. The proposed regulations relax the minimum compliance-monitoring sampling requirement for purposes of physical inspections and low-income certification review, providing flexibility and reduced burdens with respect to the requirements set forth in the final regulations published on February 26, 2019.

The House Democrats’ recently released infrastructure bill, Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2), includes a myriad of housing provisions. A vote on the legislation is expected before the Fourth of July recess. While the bill is likely to pass the Democrat-led House, it will face greater resistance in the GOP-led Senate. The bill does not include any pay-fors and Republicans are already panning the bill as dead-on-arrival. However, the bill may set an important marker for future infrastructure negotiations. The Trump administration is reportedly drafting a $1 trillion infrastructure package aimed at spurring the economy.

Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR) recently released an outline of affordable housing priorities he will pursue in the next Coronavirus response bill. The six priorities are focused on preserving and expanding affordable housing and, in particular, on supporting LIHTC properties.

The ACTION Campaign developed a fact sheet showing the nationwide impact of the four percent LIHTC, as well as state-specific fact sheets for 21 states and the District of Columbia, which would most benefit from a minimum four percent LIHTC rate.

Sixty-seven mayors representing communities across 28 states and the District of Columbia, joined a letter urging Congress to include provisions that support the LIHTC in the next Coronavirus response package.