STATE LIHTC RESEARCH

Arizona
QAP scoring guide.

Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) · 2026-2027 QAP

Browse all states ↗

● Verified guideChecked Sep 12, 2026View source QAP ↗

THE POINT TABLE

Competitive scoring

14 categories

Select a category to read its scoring criteria.

9% Rehabilitation: Project Type

35 pts

Points scaled by property type: Preservation of Residential Historic Project(s) = 5 pts; School or Hotel Conversion = 10 pts; Existing Vacant Housing = 15 pts; Existing USDA or other Federally Funded Project = 25 pts; Existing LIHTC project or other federally funded project with a project-based rent subsidy covering ≥70% of units = 35 pts.

9% Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation Work

60 pts

Points scale with proposed "per unit" rehab hard costs (supported by 3rd-party CNA + scope of work) above the $25,000 threshold minimum: <$30,000 = 0 pts; $30,001-$40,000 = 20 pts; $40,001-$50,000 = 40 pts; $50,001+ = 60 pts.

9% Rehabilitation: Project-Based Rental Assistance

40 pts

Points by percentage of total units supported by project-based rent assistance or federally funded operating subsidy: ≤15% = 10 pts; 16-30% = 20 pts; 31-45% = 30 pts; ≥46% = 40 pts.

9% Rehabilitation: CRP / QCT / DDA / Opportunity Zone

10 pts

5 pts each (up to the 10-pt cap) for being within an adopted Community Revitalization Plan area, a Qualified Census Tract, a Difficult Development Area, and/or a federal Opportunity Zone.

9% Rehabilitation: Developer's Experience

25 pts

Points by number of LIHTC/federally subsidized rental housing projects placed in service by the Developer, Co-Developer, or qualifying consultant: 1 = 5 pts; 2 = 10 pts; 3-4 = 15 pts; 5-6 = 20 pts; 7+ = 25 pts.

9% New Construction (Rural/Metro) & Tribal: Developer's Experience

25 pts

Same point scale as the Rehabilitation track: 1 project = 5 pts, 2 = 10 pts, 3-4 = 15 pts, 5-6 = 20 pts, 7+ = 25 pts, based on LIHTC/federally subsidized projects placed in service by the Developer/Co-Developer/consultant.

9% New Construction & Tribal: Supportive Housing

30 pts

Alternative paths to the 30-pt cap: (a) commit to lease ≥15% of units to households with tenant-based rental assistance = flat 30 pts; or (b) target special-population units (disabled, veterans, homelessness, DV victims, foster youth) with project-based/third-party rental assistance at 30% AMI: 15% of units = 20 pts, ≥30% of units = 30 pts (requires ADOH-approved targeting plan and supportive services plan).

9% New Construction & Tribal: Proximity to Amenities

40 pts

Google-Maps-documented driving distance (≤2.5 mi Metro / ≤4 mi Rural / ≤15 mi Tribal) to: Grocery (10 pts), Shopping or Pharmacy (5), Medical Facility (5), Bus/Transit Stop (5), Employment Center (5), plus up to 10 pts from a list of "Other Amenities" at 2 pts each (senior center, school, community center, public park, library, fire/police station, bank, food pantry, post office, dentist, optometrist, physical therapy office).

9% New Construction & Tribal: CRP / QCT / DDA / Opportunity Zone

10 pts

Same structure as the Rehabilitation track: 5 pts each for Community Revitalization Plan area, Qualified Census Tract, Difficult Development Area, and/or Opportunity Zone, up to the 10-pt cap.

9% New Construction & Tribal: Below Market Loans and Local Support

25 pts

Local Gap Financing (CDBG, non-ADOH HOME, NAHASDA, Tribal/local housing programs, PHA resources, FHLB AHP, other government sources) meeting minimum thresholds ($500k Metro / $100k Rural-Tribal) = 10 pts; federal Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit eligibility = 5 pts; land leased from local government or an unaffiliated 501(c)(3) (≤$2,000/mo, term ≥10 yrs beyond compliance period) = 5 pts; local-government fee waivers (≥$100k Metro / ≥$50k Rural-Tribal) = 5 pts; other charitable 501(c)(3) loans meeting thresholds = 5 pts.

9% New Construction & Tribal: Senior and Family

20 pts

20 pts (flat) for either: senior housing committing to ≥3 of 8 listed amenity/service features (garages/covered parking, +5% accessible units, fitness room, walking path, community garden, adjacency+transportation to senior/community center, on-site bus stop/transportation, or structured recreational/educational programs); OR a family property with ≥20% of units having 3+ bedrooms.

9% New Construction & Tribal: Energy Efficiency & Heat Mitigation

15 pts

10 pts for committing to one of: Enterprise Green Communities, ENERGY STAR (EPA AZ minimum version), LEED v4.1 Silver, ICC 700-2020 NGBS Silver (2025 Bronze deemed equivalent), or DOE Zero Energy Ready Homes; plus 5 pts for a reduced HERS/ERI rating by climate zone (2B ≤50, 3B ≤52, 4B ≤56, 5B ≤60).

9% New Construction & Tribal: Increase in Extended Use Period or Homeownership

20 pts

5 pts per additional 5-year period committed beyond the 30-year minimum affordability period (up to 20 pts / 50 years total); OR a flat 10 pts for committing to homeownership conversion after the 15-year compliance period (Tribal land or nonprofit-qualifying projects only; single-family/townhome units; no post-conversion HOA).

9% Tribal Set-Aside Only: LOCCS Balance

25 pts

Sliding scale on unexpended NAHASDA funds in HUD's LOCCS system as of the application deadline: less than the greater of $1M or 1 full year of funds = 25 pts; 1-2 full years (or ≥$2M) = 15 pts. Applies only to Tribal Set-Aside applications.

Scoring source

2026-2027 Arizona QAP, Section V "Selection Criteria" — document pages 19-31, PDF pages 20-32 of https://housing.az.gov/sites/default/files/2025-12/2026-2027_QualifiedAllocationPlan.pdf. Sub-cites: §V.A "4% LIHTC" / PAB Issuance Threshold (unscored, PDF p.20-21); §V.B "9% LIHTC Rehabilitation" scoring (PDF pp.21-24); §V.C "9% LIHTC New Construction (Rural & Metro) & Tribal" scoring (PDF pp.24-31). The 160-point minimum score threshold is at §IV.C.6 (PDF p.20), inside Threshold Eligibility rather than Section V itself.

WHEN SCORES ARE CLOSE

Tie-breakers

Review the agency’s tie-breaker rules alongside the scoring criteria.

Greatest number of total LIHTC units
Lowest average AMI of rent-restricted units, rounded to two decimals
Longest extended use period

MODEL ASSUMPTIONS

Underwriting parameters

2026-2027 Arizona QAP (adopted/submitted Dec. 1, 2025; Governor-approved), Section VI "Underwriting Standards" — document pages 30–35, PDF pages 31–36 of https://housing.az.gov/sites/default/files/2025-12/2026-2027_QualifiedAllocationPlan.pdf (49-page file). Sub-cites used: §VI.A (9% LIHTC Underwriting — process/timing), §VI.B.1 Pro-Forma (DSCR/vacancy/escalation), §VI.B.2 Operating Expenses, §VI.B.3 Required Reserves, §VI.B.8 Developer Fees, §VI.B.9 Contractor & A/E Fee Maximums; fee schedule at §II.F "ADOH Fees" (document p.10); Bond Issuance Limitation at §V.A (document p.19-20); threshold AMI/score rules at §IV.C.5-6 (document p.19-20).

OPERATING ASSUMPTIONS

Utility allowance

Preferred method: None specified for "conventional" LIHTC buildings (owner/agent's free choice among PHA schedule, utility company estimate, HUD USM, or energy consumption model). However, use of the federal program agency's own utility allowance is MANDATORY (not merely preferred) for RD-assisted buildings, buildings with any RD-assisted resident, or HUD-regulated buildings (e.g., project-based Section 8 or HOME) -- this overrides owner choice for all LIHTC units in that building.

ADOH LIHTC Compliance Manual (effective July 1, 2025), §§ 3.12-3.12.4 "Utility Allowance" (pp. 34-35); confirmed via full-text extraction of the current 2026-2027 QAP (49 pages) that the QAP itself contains zero mentions of "utility allowance" -- UA methodology is addressed only in the Compliance Manual, not the QAP.

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Development guides for Arizona

PHASE 1Site sourcing and screening PHASE 2Site control, title, and the diligence clocks PHASE 3Clearing the local zoning gate PHASE 4Picking a credit program and competition bucket PHASE 5Restricted rents and the operating pro forma PHASE 6Cost, construction type and the labor package PHASE 7Building the capital stack and closing the gap PHASE 8Assembling and filing the application PHASE 9The post-award clock: reservation to carryover PHASE 10placeholder PHASE 11Compliance monitoring through the Arizona extended use period

Use the LIHTC feasibility checklist →