On July 18, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) Board approved the final draft of the 2013 QAP. The changes made from the 2012 QAP were meant to improve clarity throughout the document, create a more transparent scoring process and integrate external suggestions to avoid unintended consequences. These changes include:
- Requiring public notification letters to local government officials at the proposal stage rather than the final application stage to allow for greater public feedback;
- Moving the proposal submission deadline from November to February;
- Creating new criteria for evaluating project costs by comparing each proposal’s development budget to the development budgets of similar proposals submitted in the same cycle, and using cost data collected from the final cost certifications, the most recent HUD 221(d)(3) mortgage limits, and the OHFA’s Cost Index ;
- Revising design and rehabilitation standards to promote the development of energy efficient and durable housing.
During the approval process, the Board did not approve the “Applicant Experience Points” section contained within the QAP. This set of points allocations would award applicants based on the number of housing credit allocations the majority general partner had received since 1990 for projects that had been successfully placed-in-service, are still participating in the program, and have no significant compliance issues. Due to mixed opinions on this section, OHFA is now collecting additional feedback through August 1st. Those who wish to submit a comment may send their feedback to 2013QAPMailbox@ohiohome.org. Comments regarding other sections of the 2013 QAP will not be considered. The OHFA Multifamily Committee will review staff recommendations and all public comments on August 8th and post updates after the meeting.
To view the “Applicant Experience Points” section, click here. The complete 2013 QAP can be found here.
