The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) has released a draft of its 2013 Qualified Allocation Plan. Notably, PHFA proposes to accept applications in two cycles””



  1. Developments located in Urban Areas will be accepted in the 1st cycle. Cycle 1 is set to close November 2, 2012.
  2. All other applications categorized as Suburban/Rural areas will be considered in the 2nd cycle and Cycle 2 is set for February 15, 2013.


Based on the proposal, each cycle is to receive 50% of the tax credits to be allocated. The draft includes a list of urban areas that will qualify for an application submission in Cycle 1 in the 2013 program year.



PHFA has also proposed a change in its selection criteria in order to reflect the specific needs and market conditions of urban vs. suburban/rural areas. Within the selection criteria, there will be a new series of set-asides based on project preferences, which will replace previous set-asides set by regions. The draft provides an updated version PHFA’s project preferences and outlines the set-aside requirements for each. The list of preferences for 2013 resources include: general occupancy, senior occupancy (62 and older), properties furthering the preservation of affordable housing, applications for supportive housing community revitalization developments, properties located in areas of opportunity, developments seeking an allocation of additional tax credits, and Strategic Investment developments.



PHFA will hold a public hearing to obtain comments on the proposed 2013 QAP on August 22, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, 211 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA. To attend, please contact the PHFA at 717-780-3948. Individuals who wish to comment on the plan, but are unable to attend the scheduled hearing may provide written comments to:

Manager, Tax Credit Program

Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency

P.O. Box 8029

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105-8029