Prosperity Indiana's members are diverse in their structure, geography and areas of practice, but they are united by a purpose to achieve prosperity in Hoosier communities. This includes efforts to ensure that those in need gain access to affordable, safe, accessible and stable housing. With that in mind, Prosperity Indiana engages our members in developing policy priorities and soliciting feedback on crucial community development plans such as the Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP) which determines how Low Income Housing Tax Credits will be prioritized and allocated to achieve statewide community development goals. 

These resources are more critical than ever for the populations our members serve. A new report from the Joint Center on Housing Studies (JCHS) at Harvard University found that, “even with multifamily construction at its highest level in two decades, additions to the rental supply have not kept pace with swelling demand. As a result, rents have climbed across the board.” Additionally, the report found that there is a “worsening mismatch of demand and supply, with the number of low-income renters far outstripping the number of available units.” 

Using LIHTC resources to effectively respond to these considerable challenges is a tall order; and on behalf of our members, Prosperity Indiana staff appreciated the dialogue with the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority staff regarding the approach to this drafting process prior to the release of the first draft of the 2018-2019 QAP. Additionally, we appreciated our members who participated in stakeholder meetings and our Connection Point monthly call where we solicited feedback on the current QAP. The comments contained in our feedback reflect the best summary of common themes and concerns expressed throughout those engagements.

Main Themes of Member Feedback include:

• Areas where the QAP has improved compared to previous versions
  
• Continued concerns regarding geographic bias in point awards
  
• Onerous requirements that are barriers to nonprofit participation in the application process
  

Click here to download our letter submitted to IHCDA.

Please direct any follow up comments to Kathleen Lara, Prosperity Indiana's Policy Director at klara@prosperityindiana.org.