STATE LIHTC RESEARCH

Colorado
QAP scoring guide.

Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) · 2025-2026 (Second Amendment) QAP

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● Verified guideChecked Sep 12, 2026View source QAP ↗

THE POINT TABLE

Competitive scoring

18 categories

null — the QAP and the reviewed CHFA materials do not publish historical winning/competitive scores or recent award-round score data; only the minimum qualifying thresholds (130 / 115 / 95 points) are stated.

Select a category to read its scoring criteria.

Low-Income Targeting (Primary)

Variable/formula (weighted-average AMI mix; up to ~92.5 base score) + 20 bonus for lowest-AMI counties pts

Section 5.A.1 — mandatory to earn points here (along with Extended Low-income Use) to be eligible for any HTC award. Applicant elects one minimum-set-aside threshold (20%@50% AMI, 40%@60% AMI, or Average Income); points = sum of (% of rent-restricted units at each AMI tier) × weight factor (60%AMI=50.0, 50%AMI=72.5, 40%AMI=92.5), capped so no more than 60% of low-income units count in the 40%-AMI tier unless project-based rental assistance exists. +20 additional points for projects in counties with the lowest AMI.

Targeting 30% AMI or Below (Extremely Low-Income bonus)

15 pts

Section 5.A.1(d) — elective add-on to Low-Income Targeting: 5 pts for 10% of units ≤30% AMI, 10 pts for 20% of units, 15 pts for 30% of units. Requires the developer/service provider to have ≥5/≥3 years' relevant experience and at-no-cost supportive services. Mutually exclusive with the Section 5.B.5 Homeless/Special Populations points.

Extended Low-Income Use (Primary)

40 pts

Section 5.A.2 — mandatory to earn points here (with Low-Income Targeting) to be eligible at all. 25 points for 15 years compliance + 15 years extended use (the minimum for 4% deals); 40 points for 15 years compliance + 25 years extended use (required election for 9%/competitive state credit deals anyway).

Community Revitalization Plan

1 pts

Section 5.A.3 — 1 point for projects in a Qualified Census Tract that contribute to a documented Community Revitalization Plan with measurable community impact and local funding/investment commitments.

Housing Need Characteristics

See criteria

Section 5.B.1 — points scaled to the county/metro area's CHAS 'housing problems' data (C-1 = % of renter households <51% AMI with housing problems; C-2 = number of such households), per exhibits in the Application (point scale not enumerated in the QAP text itself). Applicants may submit supplemental local/COG/CHDO data.

Project Location — Community Affordable Housing Priority

3 pts

Section 5.B.2.a — 3 points if the project is in a community with an identified affordable-housing priority and the Applicant demonstrates fit.

Project Location — Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)

3 pts

Section 5.B.2.b — 3 points for sites within a half-mile walk of transit corridors with easy job-center access; proposal should maximize allowable density.

Mixed-Income Project

5 pts

Section 5.B.3.a — 5 points for projects with ≤80% Tax-Credit-eligible units (including bond-financed deals), subject to unit-distribution/amenity-parity rules.

Non-Metro County (≤180,000 population)

5 pts

Section 5.B.3.b — 5 points; also one of CHFA's stated 'priorities' (Section 2.A).

Rehabilitation of Blighted/Historic Structures

5 pts

Section 5.B.3.c — 5 points for rehab of blighted (severe disrepair/code-violating) or locally/federally designated historic structures; requires ≥$20,000/unit hard-cost rehab spend.

Preservation Projects

15 pts

Section 5.B.3.d — 15 points for existing Tax Credit projects in year 25+ of Extended Use, or projects with project-based rental assistance/operating subsidy within 3 years of contract expiration.

No-Smoking Policy

1 pts

Section 5.B.3.e — 1 point for a documented 100% no-smoking policy (building and grounds) provided at application.

Modular/Factory-Built Construction

5 pts

Section 5.B.3.f — 5 points for projects maximizing construction efficiency via modular/prefabricated components, with supporting documentation of cost savings.

Universal Design / Accessible Units

2 pts

Section 5.B.3.g — 2 points for Universal Design or ≥5% of units built fully accessible, with supporting documentation.

Pet-Inclusive Policy

1 pts

Section 5.B.3.h — 1 point for allowing companion dogs/cats under reasonable conditions per CRS 24-32-735.

Applicant Characteristics (Nonprofit/PHA General Partner)

5 pts

Section 5.B.4 — 5 points if Applicant is a qualifying 501(c)3/501(c)4 (fostering low-income housing, unaffiliated with a for-profit) or Colorado public housing authority, is sole GP, and materially participates through the compliance period.

Persons Experiencing Homelessness or Special Populations

15 pts

Section 5.B.5 — 15 points for ≥25% unit set-aside (reducible case-by-case) serving Persons Experiencing Homelessness or Special Populations, with trauma-informed/UFAS/ADA design and comprehensive no-cost supportive services (staffing budget, MOUs, ≥3 years provider experience, referral source, Housing First tenant-selection practices). Mutually exclusive with Section 5.A.1.d extremely-low-income bonus points.

Housing Authority Waitlist Agreement

2 pts

Section 5.B.6 — 2 points for a written agreement with the local public housing authority giving development priority to households on subsidized/public housing waiting lists.

Scoring source

Colorado 2025-2026 QAP (Second Amendment), Section 5 'Scoring Criteria,' printed pp. 40–46 (PDF pages 44–50) — 5.A 'Primary Selection Criteria' (Low-Income Targeting, Extended Low-income Use, Community Revitalization Plan) and 5.B 'Secondary Selection Criteria' (Housing Need Characteristics through Housing Authority Waitlist). Minimum qualifying-score thresholds are stated at the top of Section 5 and repeated at Section 3.B.4, Threshold #1 (printed p. ~16/PDF p. 20).

MODEL ASSUMPTIONS

Underwriting parameters

Colorado 2025-2026 QAP (Second Amendment), Section 4 "Underwriting Criteria," printed pp. 38–39 (PDF pages 42–43): 4.A Minimum Operating Reserve Requirements, 4.B Minimum Replacement Reserve Requirements, 4.C Minimum Pro Forma Underwriting Assumptions (Vacancy Rate, Annual Rental Income Growth, Annual Operating Expense Growth, PUPA, Debt Coverage Ratio). Developer/contractor fee limits are in Section 3.M.3 "Contractor and Developer Fee Limits," printed pp. 34–35 (PDF pages 38–39). These standards are contained entirely within the main QAP document itself — no separate underwriting-standards companion PDF was found; CHFA's separate "Compliance Manual" (referenced in Section 11) covers only post-award compliance monitoring, not underwriting/application-stage standards. Source PDF: https://www.chfainfo.com/getattachment/7535845e-c0fa-4061-9bcb-60d7158ea294/2025-2026-QAP-Second-Amendment.pdf (adopted by CHFA Board September 26, 2025; approved by the Governor November 13, 2025).

OPERATING ASSUMPTIONS

Utility allowance

Preferred method: not specified

2025-2026 QAP (Second Amendment) Section 11.J 'Utility Allowance,' pp. 63-64; detailed in CHFA's standalone 'Utility Allowance Policy for Housing Tax Credit and Multifamily Loan Developments,' effective 10/20/2025 (pp. 2-5, 'Utility allowance sources required by property type' and 'Options for all other Housing Tax Credit and/or CHFA Multifamily Loan developments')

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Development guides for Colorado

PHASE 1Site sourcing and screening PHASE 2Site control, title, and the diligence clocks PHASE 3Entitlement pathway election PHASE 4Program election (9% vs 4% vs hybrid)PHASE 5Restricted rents and the operating pro forma PHASE 6Cost, construction type and the labor package PHASE 7Capital stack and soft money PHASE 8Filing the Preliminary Application — which isn't preliminary at all PHASE 9The post-award readiness clock PHASE 10Construction, cost certification, and the 8609 clock PHASE 11Compliance, Year 15, and CHFA's 30-to-40-year tail

Use the LIHTC feasibility checklist →