—Update— The comment period has been extended from June 14 to June 21 at 5pm CST.

Minnesota Housing Finance Agency has recently released a summary of changes for the 2019 QAP. Written comments must be submitted by June 14 at 12pm to mn.housing@state.mn.us or by mail to Minnesota Housing, attn.: Tamara Wilson, 400 Sibley Street, Suite 300, St. Paul, MN 55101. A public hearing will also be held on June 14 from 10am – 12pm at Minnesota Housing (400 Sibley St. Ste. 300, Saint Paul, MN 55101).

A brief summary of changes for the 2019 QAP follow. The MHFA summary of changes document provides a more detailed synopsis.

  • Increased per development tax credit cap from $1 million to $1.2 million
  • Selection Criteria: 9% projects will receive points for 35-year and 40-year extended-use periods and a waiver of the qualified contract
  • Preservation: Projects are no longer required to be located within a Preservation Priority Area
  • Preservation: Risk of Loss must now be proven through evidence in the form of an appraisal, a rent comparability study, or a market study
  • High Speed Internet is now a requirement under Design/Construction Standards
  • An emphasis on serving large families through the Greatest Need Tenant Targeting selection category (Single Room Occupancy points have been eliminated).
  • 100 bonus points for Permanent Supportive Housing have been removed (MN Housing found that projects receiving these points in the past would have been allocated without the points)
  • Persons with disabilities: Developments serving this population must have no more than 25% of units with such a designation to promote integration.
  • Under Areas of Opportunity, the proximity to jobs threshold has been removed from the Greater Minnesota category

General streamlining to points, including two separate self-scoring worksheets for 9% and 4% projects