The National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) recently honored state housing finance agencies (HFAs) for innovative programs and practices that are tackling some of today’s most pressing affordable housing challenges.
Here are five programs recognized in this year’s NCSHA Annual Awards for Program Excellence:
The Illinois Housing Development Authority has implemented the Next Generation Capacity Building Initiative, a holistic program that equips new and emerging developers with the knowledge, skills, and financial and professional support needed to navigate the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) process and bring their affordable housing visions to life. Now in its third year and cohort, Next Gen is succeeding at cultivating a geographically diverse network of new developers with the innovation and determination to bring an end to the state’s rental housing shortage and help more low-income renters across the state. There have been 53 participants to date. Next Gen was recognized in the Rental Housing: Encouraging New Construction and Promoting Preservation category.
Only 1% of Alaska’s land is privately held. The state’s vacant lands are mostly government owned, or they are prohibitive to build on due to topography and site issues. To find needed land for affordable housing, the Alaska Housing Finance Corp. (AHFC) engaged with public landowners to secure 15 properties with roughly 700 acres for new housing in seven communities across the state. AHFC didn’t just acquire land, it launched development initiatives for the properties that will bring new single-family and multifamily housing units online for residents of all incomes. The Lands to Housing Catalyst program was recognized in the Special Achievement category.
The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Tenant Referral Process represents a strategic partnership between the South Carolina Housing Finance and Development Authority and the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Office of Mental Health (OMH) to expand supportive housing opportunities for individuals with serious mental illness. This initiative originated in the 2021 LIHTC qualified allocation plan, through which SC Housing incentivized developers by awarding competitive points to properties committing at least 10% of units to supportive housing. This move aligned the state’s primary affordable housing production tool with an urgent human services need—without requiring new funding streams. Through this model, OMH leverages its statewide network of 16 Community Mental Health Centers to identify and refer eligible individuals to LIHTC properties during lease-up and ongoing operations. Property managers, in turn, receive qualified tenants supported by an array of clinical and other support services, creating a seamless bridge between housing and care. This approach represents a replicable, cost-effective innovation: aligning housing finance policy with service delivery infrastructure to produce deeply affordable, service-enriched housing at scale. The program was recognized in the Special Needs Housing: Combating Homelessness category.
Like many states, Rhode Island faced outdated or convoluted zoning and land-use laws that were delaying development and preventing housing growth. To help, state leaders passed more than 60 housing and land-use reforms over five years to remove barriers and accelerate housing production. Rhode Island Housing stepped in to help municipalities implement the complex new laws and ensure they are consistently interpreted statewide. RIHousing launched an initiative through the Municipal Technical Assistance Program to translate state housing reforms into actionable tools for every municipality. Funded through a dedicated $5 million from a surcharge on the state’s Real Estate Transfer Tax, MTAP provides municipalities with the resources and support needed to modernize their zoning, permitting, and land-use processes. Twenty-three municipalities have received assistance. The program was honored in the Special Achievement category.
- In the 2025 legislative session, Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) received $50 million for housing preservation as the state’s affordable housing portfolio grew increasingly at risk due to aging properties, rising operating costs, and expiring affordability restrictions. Given that the need outweighed the number of resources available, OHCS had to balance preservation needs across the state. It expedited an alignment of state preservation resources and launched Property Stabilization Investments (PSI). To date, $39 million has been awarded to 30 projects, preserving a measurable benefit of more than 2,200 affordable rental homes in Oregon. PSI was designed as a fund of last resort to support properties at risk and activate pathways to financial stability, according to OHCS. It was recognized in the Rental Housing: Encouraging New Construction and Promoting Preservation category.
To read about these and other HFA programs, visit https://www.ncsha.org/events/annual-awards-for-program-excellence/.