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A record-high 22.4M renters spent more than 30% of their income on rent and utilities.

The IRS doesn’t have the resources to collect detailed LIHTC cost information.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently issued a brief report entitled, “Low-Income Housing Tax Credit: Opportunities to Improve Oversight.” The report highlights the fact that the U.S. has a widespread shortage of affordable housing and the LIHTC is the largest source of federal assistance for developing affordable rental housing.

To investigate whether screening policies are discriminatory, HUD wants agencies to use testers with actual criminal backgrounds.

HUD recently announced settlements with housing providers in Nevada and California, resolving allegations that they denied housing opportunities to two women because they experienced dating violence and stalking.

A group of mayors, county executives, and county board chairs representing communities across the country recently signed onto a letter urging Congress to enact the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) of 2023, S. 1557 and H.R. 3238, which would strengthen and expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. The letter highlighted that the LIHTC program is the nation’s primary tool for encouraging private investment in affordable rental housing.

In the Sept. 21 issue of the Federal Register, HUD published its annual notice designating the 2024 Qualified Census Tracts (QCTs) and Difficult Development Areas (DDAs) for the LIHTC program. HUD is required to designate these areas under Internal Revenue Code Section 42. Both QCTs and DDAs are eligible for an increase in basis and available tax credits of up to 30 percent for new construction and rehabilitation costs.

The DOE will begin accepting applications for the Bonus Credit Program in early fall 2023.

The BlueGreen Alliance Foundation recently released a report that ranked all states based on their criteria for allocating LIHTCs through Qualified Allocation Plans (QAPs). The report scored each state based on how the states’ QAPs promoted healthy building practices, energy efficiency, and racial equity.

States have broad discretion in administering QAPs and determining the importance of criteria within the document. States structure QAPs around several categories:

The Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University recently released its annual report, State of the Nation’s Housing 2023. The report combines analyses of data from the U.S. Census Bureau, HUD, Freddie Mac, the National Association of Realtors, RealPage, and other sources to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the country’s housing supply and demand.

On May 11, bipartisan groups of senators and representatives introduced the Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (AHCIA) of 2023 in the Senate and House. The AHCIA was first introduced in Congress in 2016, and has had increasing bipartisan support since then. Although it hasn’t passed, the provisions included in the AHCIA are often included in other major housing bills introduced each session.