STATE LIHTC RESEARCH

Illinois
QAP scoring guide.

Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) · 2027-2028 QAP

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● Verified guideChecked Sep 12, 2026View source QAP ↗

THE POINT TABLE

Competitive scoring

32 categories

Not stated. This is a brand-new scoring structure introduced with the 2027-2028 QAP (the Authority's own cover letter calls out "a new scoring structure that offers greater flexibility"), so no historical award data exists yet under this rubric — no minimum/typical competitive score is published.

Select a category to read its scoring criteria.

Building Development Experience

3 pts

General Scoring — Development Team Characteristics (subtotal 14 pts). Awarded when the team includes a co-Sponsor with limited experience being built up via a capacity-building partnership (e.g., Next Generation Capacity Building Initiative), holding ≥25% development Control.

BIPOC Development Control & Women/Disadvantaged/Minority Enterprises (For-Profit-led teams)

11 pts

General Scoring — Development Team Characteristics. Cumulative cap of 11 points across BIPOC Development Control and WBE/DBE/MBE participation, available to For-Profit-led development teams (2 pts per unique certified WBE/DBE/MBE entity).

BIPOC Development Control & Women/Disadvantaged/Minority Enterprises (Non-Profit-led teams)

7 pts

General Scoring — Development Team Characteristics. Cumulative cap of 7 points for teams led/governed by a BIPOC-led Qualified Non-Profit or one of the 10 Illinois Regional Development Authorities (IL-RDA).

Non-Profit Organization Participation

4 pts

General Scoring — Development Team Characteristics. Points for qualifying Non-Profit sponsor/co-sponsor participation (combines with Building Development Experience and the non-profit BIPOC/WDBE cap to reach the category's 14-point ceiling).

Cost Containment

6 pts

General Scoring — Financial Characteristics (subtotal 20 pts). Points for Projects with costs below the Authority's grand total hard cost limits in the Underwriting Standards Guide. A QAP policy priority.

Deeper Income Targeting with Rental Assistance or Income Averaging

6 pts

General Scoring — Financial Characteristics. Points for dedicating higher shares of units to extremely-low-income households (≤30% AMI) paired with rental assistance and/or the Average Income Test. A QAP policy priority.

Leveraging

8 pts

General Scoring — Financial Characteristics. Points for bringing additional non-Authority financial resources into the Project. A QAP policy priority.

Access to Transportation

5 pts

General Scoring — Community Characteristics (subtotal 18 pts). Site proximity to transit/transportation access.

Quality of Life Index

10 pts

General Scoring — Community Characteristics. Score based on the Authority's Quality of Life Index (QOLI) for the Project's census tract. A QAP policy priority.

Market Characteristics

3 pts

General Scoring — Community Characteristics. Market-study-derived characteristics of the Project's submarket.

Additional Accessible Units

4 pts

General Scoring — Project Design and Construction (subtotal 12 pts). Units built beyond minimum accessibility requirements. A QAP policy priority.

Unit Mix

2 pts

General Scoring — Project Design and Construction. Points tied to bedroom/unit-type mix responsive to housing need.

Universal Design

6 pts

General Scoring — Project Design and Construction. Incorporation of Universal Design features. A QAP policy priority.

Statewide Referral Network (SRN) Units

6 pts

General Scoring — Priority Population Referrals (category total 6 pts). Units dedicated beyond the Mandatory 5%/10% SRN set-aside for priority/vulnerable populations. A QAP policy priority.

Green Building Design

10 pts

General Scoring — Sustainability (category total 10 pts). Enterprise Green Communities / green building performance beyond the Mandatory threshold.

Risk of Loss in Affordability

6 pts

Creative Solutions Policy Track (optional, 20-pt track — mutually exclusive with the other two tracks). Preservation of affordability at risk of being lost. QAP policy priority.

Recent Capital Improvements and Investment

3 pts

Creative Solutions Policy Track. Evidence of recent third-party-verified capital investment in the property (reserve study, past work documentation).

Density Bonus

3 pts

Creative Solutions Policy Track. Points for Projects pursuing additional density.

Innovative Models

6 pts

Creative Solutions Policy Track. Novel financing, ownership, or delivery models. QAP policy priority.

No Additional Authority Resource Requests

2 pts

Creative Solutions Policy Track. Projects that do not request further Authority Soft Loan/subordinate resources.

Additional Units Dedicated to Supportive Housing

4 pts

Permanent Supportive Housing Policy Track (optional, 20-pt track). Units beyond the 15% PSH-population threshold requirement.

Rental Assistance

4 pts

Permanent Supportive Housing Policy Track. Committed rental assistance for supportive-housing units.

Coordination of Referrals

4 pts

Permanent Supportive Housing Policy Track. Formal referral coordination with service/CoC partners.

Coordination of Services

4 pts

Permanent Supportive Housing Policy Track. Coordinated supportive-services delivery plan.

Low-Barrier Tenant Screening

2 pts

Permanent Supportive Housing Policy Track. Adoption of low-barrier tenant screening criteria.

Supportive Housing Experience, Training and Endorsements

2 pts

Permanent Supportive Housing Policy Track. Development/service team's PSH-specific experience and credentials.

Affordability Risk Index

5 pts

Targeted Markets Policy Track (optional, 20-pt track). Site location per the Authority's Affordability Risk Index (ARI).

Communities Lacking Affordability

5 pts

Targeted Markets Policy Track. Location in a community identified as lacking affordable housing supply.

Community Revitalization Strategies

5 pts

Targeted Markets Policy Track. Alignment with an approved Community Revitalization Strategy beyond the Mandatory threshold.

Neighborhood Assets

2 pts

Targeted Markets Policy Track. Proximity to the Authority's mapped neighborhood assets.

Opportunity Zones

2 pts

Targeted Markets Policy Track. Site location within a federally designated Opportunity Zone.

Transit Oriented Development

1 pts

Targeted Markets Policy Track. Site qualifies as Transit Oriented Development.

Scoring source

2027-2028 QAP, Section IX "Application - Scoring Components," pp.39-62 of 68 (general criteria table p.40; category detail pp.42-61; Tiebreaker Criteria p.62). Threshold/Mandatory requirements at Section VIII, pp.26-38. Set-Asides at Section IV, pp.14-15.

WHEN SCORES ARE CLOSE

Tie-breakers

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

Highest unit count
Lowest per-unit construction costs
Lowest average income by AMI targeting for all units
Intended for eventual tenant ownership with a robust homeownership plan
Historic significance

MODEL ASSUMPTIONS

Underwriting parameters

IHDA Underwriting Standards Guide (December 2025 update; current as of the 2027-2028 QAP cycle, republished 8/3/2026) — Section II "Sources" (Soft Loan limits, Bond Volume Cap, Deferred Developer Fee, pp.3-8), Section III "Uses" (Developer Fee calc, p.15-17), Section V "Expenses" (Per-Unit Operating Expenses p.21-22, Resident Services p.22-23), Section VI "Reserves" (pp.23-25), and Section VII "Underwriting Standards" (DCR, Cash Flow after Debt Service, Trending Factors, Vacancy Rates, pp.26-29). Cross-referenced by the 2027-2028 QAP at Section VIII.N "Financial Feasibility" (p.36-37 of 68) and Section III.A "Tax Credit Calculation."

OPERATING ASSUMPTIONS

Utility allowance

Preferred method: local_pha

IHDA Utility Allowance Summary / annual Rent Schedule & Utility Allowance Request process (not a rate calculator like CTCAC's CUAC) ↗

IHDA LIHTC & HOME Compliance Manual (April 2026 ed.), Section 5.4 "Utility Allowances," pp. 66-67. (Confirmed by full-text search: the 2027-2028 QAP itself has no utility-allowance section — its only related text is Section VIII.N "Financial Feasibility," which defers generally to the Authority's Underwriting Standards Guide without naming a UA method.)

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Development guides for Illinois

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 7Capital stack and soft money PHASE 8Application assembly and submission PHASE 9Post-award readiness clock PHASE 10Construction, prevailing wage, and the path to Form 8609 PHASE 11Compliance, Year 15, and Illinois's 30-year tail

Use the LIHTC feasibility checklist →