CSH Releases 2014 Report Examining Housing Credit Policies that Promote Supportive Housing
In its “Housing Credit Policies in 2014 that Promote Supportive Housing” report, CSH found that “virtually every Housing Credit agency fosters some form of supportive housing development through its Housing Credit program.” For the report, which builds on the 2013 report, CSH examined 56 Qualified Action Plans (QAPs). The report defines supportive housing as “permanent housing with attached intensive services targeted to populations with special needs who struggle to retain stable housing without easy access to comprehensive supportive services.”
As in the 2013 report, this report found five universal or near universal policies that create a positive incentive for construction of supportive housing:
- Statutory requirements to consider special needs populations in allocating Credit;
- Statutory priorities for serving the lowest income tenants;
- Market study requirements to document need for targeted populations;
- Incentives for development proximity to community services; and
- Incentives for development amenities such as common space.
The report found three policy trends in 2014:
- QAPs provided additional incentives for development in Areas of Opportunity;
- An increasing number of Housing Credit agencies provide incentives for developments that target or have a preference for veterans; and
- Integrated supportive housing and mixed-income developments are being encouraged by allocating agencies.
The report also includes a summary of supportive housing policies in each QAP and a chart detailing each allocating agency’s set-asides and incentives specifically targeted to supportive housing.
