Important News! President Obama has signed the American Recovery and  Reinvestment Act, which includes provisions related to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program...more

Background
The Housing Credit (HC) program provides for-profit and nonprofit organizations with a dollar-for-dollar reduction in federal tax liability in exchange for the acquisition and substantial rehabilitation, substantial rehabilitation, or new construction of low and very low income rental housing units. Eligible development types and corresponding credit rates include: new construction, nine percent (9%); substantial rehabilitation, nine percent (9%); acquisition, four percent (4%); and federally subsidized, four percent (4%). A Housing Credit allocation to a development can be used for 10 consecutive years once the development is placed in service.

Qualifying buildings include garden, high-rise, townhouses, duplexes/quads, single family or mid-rise with an elevator. Ineligible development types include hospitals, sanitariums, nursing homes, retirement homes, trailer parks, and life care facilities. This program can be used in conjunction with the HOME Investment Partnerships program, the State Apartment Incentive Loan program, the Predevelopment Loan program, or the Multifamily Mortgage Revenue Bonds program.

Each development must set aside a minimum percentage of the total units for eligible low or very low income residents for the duration of the compliance period, which is a minimum of 30 years with the option to convert to market rates after the 14th year. At least 20 percent of the housing units must be set aside for households earning 50 percent or less of the area median income (AMI), or 40 percent of the units must be set aside for households earning 60 percent or less of the AMI.

Housing need is assessed annually based on current statewide market studies and public input, and funds are distributed annually to meet the need and demand for targeted housing in large, medium, and small-sized counties throughout Florida. Additionally, housing credits are sometimes reserved for affordable housing that addresses specific geographic or demographic needs, including the elderly, farmworkers and commercial fishing workers, urban infill, the Florida Keys Area, Front Porch Florida communities, or developments funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development.

The Housing Credit program is governed by the U.S. Department of Treasury under Section 252 of the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended. Each year, the U.S. Department of Treasury awards each state an allocation authority consisting of the per capita amount of $1.75 times the state population plus the state's share of the national pool (unused credits from other states). Starting in 2003, the per capita amount will be adjusted annually for inflation.

Since its inception in 1987, Florida Housing's Housing Credit program has allocated over $201 million in housing credits toward the production of more than 53,000 affordable rental units.