Not stated in the QAP or any companion document found; CHFA does not publish a historical cutoff score.
Select a category to read its scoring criteria.
01
Rental Affordability
35 pts+
Creates units for low-, very low-, and extremely low-income households. Sub-categories: Supportive Housing Units (9 pts: >=10% CAN referral=7, >=10% State referral=5, >=5% Moving-On Households=2, not cumulative beyond the stated caps); Extremely Low-Income (ELI) Households (8 pts, tiered from 2 pts at >=10%-<15% of units up to 8 pts at >=25%); Very Low-Income (VLI) Households (7 pts, tiered from 3 pts at >20%-<30% up to 7 pts at >=40%); Mixed-Income Housing (6 pts, tiered by % non-qualified/market-rate units: 2 pts at >=10%-<20%, 6 pts at >=20%); Existing Phased Development (2 pts, flat); On-Site Resident Services Coordinator & Clinical Partnership (3 pts: full-time credentialed=2, part-time=1, clinical partnership=1, not combinable across (i) and (ii)).
02
Financial Efficiency & Sustainability
28 pts+
Demonstrates cost effectiveness through efficient use of Credits and other sources. Sub-categories: Cost Effectiveness & Hard Costs (4 pts, based on % deviation from CHFA's anticipated construction cost/sq ft; full 4 pts within +/-5%, 1 pt between 5-10% deviation); Credits Per Qualified Bedroom (4 pts, awarded in rank order to only the 4 lowest applicants: 4/3/2/1 pts); Credit Equity Less than 50% of Total Uses (3 pts flat; threshold rises to 65% in QCT/DDA developments); Other Permanent Funding Sources (3 pts flat, for committed non-debt funding >5% of Total Development Resources, excluding most state/state-administered funds); Sustainable Design (10 pts, per Exhibit A-2 tiers across Energy Conservation, Green Building, Solar PV, Digital Literacy/Connectivity, and Commissioning); Cost Effectiveness, Intermediary Costs (4 pts, awarded in rank order to only the 4 lowest applicants: 4/3/2/1 pts).
03
Local Impact
15 pts+
Maximizes existing infrastructure while preserving natural resources, prioritizing built-up/commercial/brownfield sites. Sub-categories: Access to Infrastructure (3 pts, 1 pt each for existing/planned sewer, existing/planned water, and 7-day local bus service within 1/2 mile); Transit-Oriented Development (4 pts: 2 pts for proximity to a qualifying rapid-transit/rail station within 1/2 mile, 1 pt for private amenities within 2 miles, 1 pt for public amenities within 2 miles); Historic Place, Adaptive Reuse, or Brownfield Development (6 pts: up to 2 pts each for offsetting funding, a municipally-delivered clean site, and state/federal historic tax credit commitments); Located in a Qualified Census Tract (1 pt, tied to a concerted community revitalization plan); Concerted Community Revitalization Plan and/or Affordable Housing Plan (1 pt).
04
Housing Needs & Location
10 pts+
Promotes diverse housing opportunities statewide, prioritizing greatest need. Sub-categories: Municipalities with Less Assisted and Deed-Restricted Housing (5 pts flat, for municipalities under 10% assisted/deed-restricted housing per CGS §8-30g(k) and DOH's Affordable Housing Appeals Procedure List); Developments Located in Area of Housing Needs (1-5 pts on a sliding scale per the Housing Needs & Location Guideline).
05
Qualifications & Experience
12 pts+
Promotes an experienced development team with a strong LIHTC track record. Sub-categories: Experience of Sponsor/Applicant/General Partner (up to 5 pts combined: up to 3 pts scaled by number of LIHTC projects with 5+ years in operation [>=6 proj=3, >=4=2, >=2=1], plus up to 2 pts scaled by years of LIHTC experience [>=10 yrs=2, >=5 yrs=1]); Developer/Sponsor Resources (3 pts, tiered by % of permanent Developer/Sponsor Resources to Total Development Resources: >=10%=3, >=5%-<10%=2, <5%=0); Developer LIHTC Program Performance (4 pts, based on the applicant's most recent 9% award: up to 2 pts for construction closing within 8-10 months of award, plus up to 2 pts for final cost certification within 5-10% of the approved budget; any material noncompliance elsewhere disqualifies the applicant from this category).
Scoring source
2027-2028 QAP §III(E) "New Construction Classification Competitive Point Ranking Categories" (p.13) and §III(H) "New Construction Classification Competitive Points" (pp.15-24), with the Sustainable Design sub-criteria detailed in Exhibit A-2 (pp.29-30). Tie-breakers at §III(F) (p.14); Preservation priority ranking (non-point-based) at §III(D) (p.12).
WHEN SCORES ARE CLOSE
Tie-breakers
Review the agency’s tie-breaker rules alongside the scoring criteria.
Highest score in "Rental Affordability"
Highest score in "Financial Efficiency & Sustainability"
Highest score in "Housing Needs & Location"
Highest score in "Local Impact"
MODEL ASSUMPTIONS
Underwriting parameters
Basic Threshold/Financial Feasibility framework: 2027-2028 QAP §III(A) "Basic Threshold Requirements" (pp.7-10) and §III(B) "Financial Feasibility" (pp.10-11); bond/4% underwriting: QAP §IV "Projects Financed With Tax-Exempt Bonds" (pp.24-25); fees: QAP §V(E)-(F) (pp.26-27). The granular numeric underwriting parameters (DCR, vacancy, reserves, developer fee, opex ranges, trending/escalation) are NOT in the QAP itself -- they are published in the CHFA "Multifamily Rental Housing Program Guideline" (eff. 5/13/2025), "CHFA Multifamily Underwriting Standards Summary," pp.3-4, and cross-referenced from the "2026 LIHTC Program Guideline" (eff. 11/1/2025) §§III(C)(1), IV(B); both guidelines are incorporated by reference into the QAP as part of the defined "LIHTC Materials" (QAP §I, p.4-5).
OPERATING ASSUMPTIONS
Utility allowance
Preferred method: PHA utility allowance schedule is the stated "general rule" default for non-RHS/non-HUD-regulated buildings; a local utility company estimate letter is the recognized override. Mandatory carve-outs: RHS-assisted buildings must use the RHS-approved UA, HUD-regulated buildings (HUD reviews rents/UAs annually) must use the HUD UA, and units occupied by HUD rental-assistance (Section 8) tenants must use the applicable PHA schedule regardless of what other units in the building use.
CT LIHTC Compliance Manual (CHFA, administered by Spectrum Enterprises as CHFA's Authorized Delegate; updated 10/2024), Section 2.6 "Utility Allowances," pp. 2-11–2-12 (restating Treas. Reg. §1.42-10(b)(4)(ii) per IRB 2008-39). The 2027-2028 QAP itself contains no utility allowance section — the term does not appear in that document at all.
