The Ohio Housing Finance Agency has the greenest qualified allocation plan (QAP), according to a new review of low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) programs.
It was the only state to receive a perfect score from Global Green, which analyzed the green building criteria of LIHTC allocating agencies in all 50 states, New York City, and Washington, D.C.
Nearly three-quarters of the agencies have incorporated smart growth principles and energy-efficiency standards into their QAPs, and more than half include resource conservation and health protection strategies, reports Global Green, which has been reviewing the state plans since 2005.
The QAPs spell out how a state will award and distribute its housing tax credits.
In its latest study, Global Green reviewed and scored the QAPs on a 50-point scale made up of 32 prescriptive subtopics worth 45 points and spread across four main four categories—smart growth, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and health protection.
There are also five bonus points available for states that demonstrate the adoption of emerging best practices. This year’s average score was 35.
Ohio was the only state to receive a perfect score. Having improved from a B+ in 2013, the state has since included all prescriptive subtopics into their QAP and attachments by adopting the 2015 Enterprise Green Communities criteria and requiring third-party certification. Ohio also meets all the revised bonus criteria in the Global Green review.
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C., all received A grades, and California, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, New Jersey, New York, and Washington received A- scores. Texas and Wisconsin received the only Fs.
Utah made the most improvement, from a D to a B+, based on the state becoming eligible for the performance scoring pathway. Making a similar leap, Tennessee improved their score from a D to a B, said Global Green.
Through the review of the 2016 QAPs, several trends and best practices in green design were identified, along with new areas of concern and opportunity. Based on its review. Global Green officials developed the following recommendations:
- Require benchmarking and monitoring of energy, water, and solid waste;
- Continue to expand the application of criteria related to proactive health strategies;
- Update the definition of revitalization plans used in QAPs to include current innovations in neighborhood planning and district-scale sustainability; and
- Establish a common standard for addressing resilience in the context of affordable housing design and construction.
For more information, read the Global Green report.
