October 10, 2024

Housing Finance Development

It's Your Housing Finance Development

ADFA awards  million in tax credits to support affordable housing in four Arkansas counties

ADFA awards $75 million in tax credits to support affordable housing in four Arkansas counties

The Arkansas Development Finance Authority has awarded more than $75 million in federal tax credits for affordable housing developments in Benton, Lonoke, Pulaski and Washington counties. 

The federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits will generate approximately $64 million in equity, according to a press release. 

“Developing high-quality and affordable housing is vital for the success of our state,” Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald said in a statement. “The Low-Income Housing Tax Credits program encourages capital investment and will support the construction of multi-family developments, creating hundreds of new housing units as well as new jobs for Arkansans.”

The LIHTC were awarded, based on a competitive application process, to six different developers and will be used to build nine affordable multi-family developments consisting of 499 units for families, seniors and people with disabilities, according to a press release. The total construction cost of the nine developments is approximately $89 million and will create hundreds of jobs.   

Nine developers are receiving more than $7.5 million in LIHTC for 2023. Investors can claim the tax credits over a 10-year period to offset their federal income tax liability. (Chart courtesy of the Arkansas Development Finance Authority).

The LIHTC program is the state’s primary means of drawing private capital toward the acquisition, rehabilitation or new construction of rental housing targeted to lower-income households, according to ADFA.

Developers awarded LIHTC sell the credits to investors at a discounted rate and use proceeds as partial financing for their development. The investors claim the tax credits over a 10-year period to offset their federal income tax liability.

Northwest Arkansas project aims to provide affordable housing for area’s workers

The LIHTC are designed to cover approximately 70% of each development’s eligible development costs. In exchange for the credits, developers must limit occupancy to households earning less than 60 percent of the area median income and keep rents at the affordability level set by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. This affordability must be kept for 30 years.

“The LIHTC program is a great example of how public and private dollars can come together to serve Arkansans and benefit the overall economic health of our state,” ADFA President Mark Conine said in a statement. “These quality multi-family units will provide excellent homes for working families and seniors to combat the growing shortage of affordable rental housing in Arkansas.” 

In addition to LIHTC, ADFA loaned approximately $16 million in federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) funds to developers awarded LIHTC. 

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