New York Makes Major Changes to QAP, Including “˜Green’ Principles

By Caitlin Jones & A. J. Johnson
July 22, 2008 3 min read

NEW YORK GOV. ELIOT SPITZER (D) on 1/31/08 approved major changes to the state’s qualified allocation plan (QAP) for its 2008 low-income housing tax credit program. The 2008 QAP will govern the allocation of federal and New York state housing credits this year.
         The federal and state housing credit programs in New York are administered by the state Division of Housing & Community Renewal (DHCR). In addition to DHCR, housing credits are also allocated by three other agencies in New York that receive suballocations of credit authority. These are the New York State Housing Finance Agency, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and Development Authority of the North Country.

         DHCR’s 2008 application deadline for federal and state housing credits is 2/27/08.
         Under one of the major changes to the QAP for 2008, DHCR will now require inclusion of “green” elements in all funded projects. Progressive measures such as ENERGY STAR-rated appliances, light fixtures and heating systems, lead-safe work practices, water-conserving fixtures, and daylight sensors or timers on outdoor lighting will now be mandatory. The modified program will also encourage redevelopment of brownfields, solar energy, promotion of healthy indoor air quality, and sustainable development measures such as “smart” siting of projects and surface water management plans.
         “The new Qualified Allocation Plan aligns affordable housing investment strategies with environmentally-responsible building practices,” Gov. Spitzer said in a news release. “It will encourage smart growth and energy efficiency, while also helping us achieve our goals: lowering energy consumption by 15% by 2015; preserving and rehabilitating affordable housing; and revitalizing upstate communities.”
         DHCR Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen added, “DHCR has developed new green standards, as part of the new QAP, that encourage — and sometimes require — affordable housing developers seeking housing tax credits to adopt energy efficiency, green building, and smart growth principles.” She indicated DHCR revised the QAP after soliciting and receiving extensive input from numerous and various housing credit program stakeholders.
         Other priorities of Gov. Spitzer addressed in the new QAP include: preservation of existing affordable housing; assuring long-term housing affordability; supportive housing that provides services for special needs residents; projects that address specific community needs and coordinate efforts and resources with local governments; and projects that offer enhanced accessibility for persons with physical disabilities.
(Details: http://www.dhcr.state.ny.us)

Breaking Ground

Jennifer Leimaile Ho, Minnesota Housing Commissioner and Incoming Chair of National Council of State Housing Agencies

Pamela Martineau • December 1, 2024 10 min read

Earlier this fall, Jennifer Leimaile Ho was elected chair of the National Council of State Housing Agencies’ (NCSHA) 2025 Board of Directors. Ho is the Commissioner of Minnesota Housing, having been appointed by Governor Tim Walz in January 2019 and reappointed in 2023.

“Business as Usual”

Leaders in Equity Express Optimism Despite an Uncertain Future

Abram Mamet • December 1, 2024 9 min read

Any outside observer may assume some unease amongst the low-income housing industry. Buffeted on the one hand by residual stressors from the COVID-19 pandemic and on the other by the uncertain prospects of an incoming federal administration keen on cutting spending and shrinking government programs, the affordable housing landscape is experiencing an inflection point.

NCSHA Recognizes Stand-Out Affordable Housing Programs and Initiatives

Pamela Martineau • December 1, 2024 7 min read

This fall, the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) recognized 17 programs offered by state housing finance agencies across the nation that creatively developed tools to tackle their communities’ affordable housing challenges.