STATE LIHTC RESEARCH

Guam
QAP scoring guide.

Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority (GHURA) · 2025 (covering CY2024 and CY2025 LIHTC allocations; adopted by GHURA Board of Commissioners Oct 21, 2025) QAP

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● Verified guideChecked Sep 13, 2026View source QAP ↗

THE POINT TABLE

Competitive scoring

15 categories

Not stated. Neither the QAP nor available board materials disclose a historical winning-score benchmark or recent award scoring data beyond the 77-of-111 minimum threshold to be considered.

Select a category to read its scoring criteria.

1. Project Location and Proximity

20 pts

Four subcategories worth up to 5 points each based on driving distance from the site to the nearest amenity: Public Transportation, Grocery Store/Shopping, Health Care Facilities, and Employment Hubs. Scoring per subcategory: <5 miles=5 pts, 5–10 miles=4 pts, 10–15 miles=3 pts, >15 miles=0 pts. Evidenced via the Market Study.

2. Project Financial Feasibility/Viability

18 pts

Three subcategories worth up to 6 points each: (a) Debt Coverage Ratio — ≥1.20=6, 1.15–1.19=4, 1.10–1.14=2, <1.10=0; (b) Operating Expense Ratio (opex/EGI) — ≤45%=6, 46–50%=4, 51–55%=2, >55%=0; (c) Sources and Uses of Funds (equity % of total funding) — >80%=6, 70–80%=4, 60–70%=2, <60%=0.

3. Project Characteristics

12 pts

Six design/quality subcategories worth 2 points each: Unit Layout/Space Efficiency (incl. 80% of project as Studio/1BR/2BR), Universal Design and Accessibility, Architectural Compatibility and Neighborhood Integration, Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Design, Community Spaces and Amenities, and Durability and Maintenance.

4. Populations Served by the Project

15 pts

Three subcategories worth up to 5 points each: Special Needs (physical disabilities, mental health, seniors; requires ≥20% unit set-aside for special-needs tenants plus committed services), Homeless and At-Risk Populations (homelessness, foster/emancipated youth, domestic-violence survivors), and Preferences (local residents, veterans, displaced individuals/families, individuals with children).

5. Developer/Owner and Management Team Experience and Capacity

12 pts

Two components worth up to 6 points each: Developer/Owner Experience (tiered 0/3/6 points by LIHTC track record, program understanding, and financial capacity) and Management Team (tiered 0/3/6 points by LIHTC compliance/operations experience).

6. Community Support and Involvement / Impact on the Neighborhood

5 pts

Five subcategories worth 1 point each: Community Engagement Strategy, Partnerships with Local Organizations, Community Development Initiatives, Community Outreach and Education, and Tenant Input and Feedback.

7. Affordability of the Rents and the Length of the Affordability Period

8 pts

Tiered by depth of income-targeting: 100% of units at ≤60% AMGI = 8 pts; 60% of units ≤60% AMGI or 80% ≤50% AMGI = 4 pts; 40% of units ≤60% AMGI or 60% ≤50% AMGI = 2 pts.

8. Increase in the Extended Use Period / Conversion to Homeownership

6 pts

Either (a) length of affordability beyond the 15-year compliance period — 46+ years total=6 pts, 30-year extended use=4 pts, 15-year extended use=2 pts, none=0 pts — OR (b) a committed, feasible plan to convert the development to homeownership after the initial 15-year compliance period, worth the full 6 pts.

9. Local/Federal Government Support

2 pts

Points for a below-market loan or grant (from a federal agency or non-GHURA Government of Guam agency) totaling ≥10% of total development cost: 2 pts if a commitment letter is secured, 1 pt if only applied for, 0 pts otherwise.

10. Qualified Non-Profit Organization

1 pts

1 point if the project is owned by a qualified non-profit organization under IRC Section 42(h)(5)(B),(C), with a physical office in Guam and required 501(c)(3)/Form 990 documentation submitted; 0 points otherwise.

11. Qualified Census Tract

2 pts

1 point if the project is located in a Qualified Census Tract, plus 1 additional point if it contributes to a documented community revitalization plan (letter of interest or binding agreement required).

12. Public Housing Waiting Lists

1 pts

1 point if the project markets to the local Public Housing Authority's waiting lists, including existing Section 8 waiting lists (letter to the PHA required); 0 points otherwise.

13. Project will Receive Project-Based Rental Assistance

1 pts

1 point if the whole project has secured authorization for project-based rental subsidies (e.g., Rural Development 515 or HUD Housing Choice Voucher/Section 8 PBRA) resulting in tenants paying ~30% of gross income toward rent; 0 points otherwise.

14. Historic Nature of the Project

1 pts

1 point if the project involves preservation of a building(s) listed on a national or state historic registry; 0 points otherwise.

15. Developer Fee

7 pts

Sliding scale by Developer Fee as % of total development cost (excluding developer fee and reserves), with separate, lower bands for Acquisition/Rehab than New Construction. New Construction: Fee <8%=7 pts (max) down to 16–18%=0 pts. Acquisition: Fee <9%=3 pts (max) down to 13–11%... down to 0. Rehabilitation: Fee <9%=4 pts (max) down to 16–18%=0 pts.

Scoring source

2025 LIHTC Qualified Allocation Plan (Final), Section III "Selection Criteria," Criteria 1 through 15 (pp. 11-28 of the 43-page QAP), plus Section IV "Rights of GHURA" (p. 29, tie-breaker) and Section II.B "Threshold Requirements" (pp. 8–10). Approved by the GHURA Board of Commissioners October 21, 2025; embedded as Old Business Item V.1 in the GHURA Board Packet of October 21, 2025 BOC Meeting (https://www.ghura.org/sites/default/files/board_packet_of_october_21_2025_boc_mtg_1.pdf).

WHEN SCORES ARE CLOSE

Tie-breakers

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

Fewest tax credits requested per unit wins the tie

MODEL ASSUMPTIONS

Underwriting parameters

GHURA does not publish a standalone "Underwriting Standards" section or companion underwriting/compliance manual; the QAP itself is the only source. Cite: 2025 LIHTC Qualified Allocation Plan (Final) — Section III "Selection Criteria," Criteria 2 "Project Financial Feasibility/Viability" (pp. 13–14 of 43) for DCR/opex-ratio/sources-uses standards, Criteria 15 "Developer Fee" (p. 28 of 43), Section V "Fees" (p. 29 of 43), and Section VI "Compliance Monitoring Plan – Fees" (p. 36 of 43). This QAP was approved by the GHURA Board of Commissioners on October 21, 2025 and is embedded as Old Business Item V.1 in the GHURA Board Packet of October 21, 2025 BOC Meeting (https://www.ghura.org/sites/default/files/board_packet_of_october_21_2025_boc_mtg_1.pdf, PDF pages ~885–969 of the full packet / pp. 1–43 of the QAP attachment itself).

OPERATING ASSUMPTIONS

Utility allowance

Preferred method: not specified

2025 LIHTC QAP Final (as approved and included in GHURA's Oct. 21, 2025 Board of Commissioners meeting packet), Section VI "Compliance Monitoring Plan" — subsections "Rent Restrictions" (p. 35 of 43: "Gross rent must include any allowance for utilities") and "Audits" (p. 36 of 43: tenant-file review checklist item "utility allowance on file"). No section titled "Utility Allowance" or "Utility Allowance Procedures" exists in the document; these are the only two mentions of utility allowances in the entire QAP.

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Development guides for Guam

PHASE 1Site sourcing and screening PHASE 2Site control and due diligence PHASE 3Entitlement pathway election PHASE 4Program election (9% vs. 4% vs. hybrid)PHASE 5Rents, income limits, and the operating pro forma PHASE 6Cost, construction type, and the labor package PHASE 7One federal credit, two insular-area grants the QAP barely touches, and a real property-tax formula PHASE 8One window, one published score line, and a fee structure that assumes you clear it PHASE 9Twenty days to Carryover, then a federal clock GHURA can only partly stop for a typhoon PHASE 10Construction through placed-in-service PHASE 11Compliance, Year 15, and Guam's 30-year floor

Use the LIHTC feasibility checklist →