STATE LIHTC RESEARCHNevada
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QAP scoring guide.
Nevada Housing Division (NHD), State of Nevada Department of Business & Industry · 2026 QAP
THE POINT TABLE
16 categoriesCompetitive scoring
Select a category to read its scoring criteria.
01Project Type Priorities
10 (15 for Tribal Housing category) pts
Applicant selects one project-type category — Senior Housing 55+, Special Needs, Individuals, Families/Children, Mixed Income, Mixed Use, Veterans preference, Alternative materials/methods new construction, or Tribal Governments. Within each geographic sub-account, the Division ranks applications inside the chosen category (by unit-size efficiency, experience formula, market-rate percentage, cost efficiency, etc.); the top-ranked project receives 10 points (15 for Tribal Housing), the runner-up receives 5 points. Veterans preference is a separate flat 1-point add-on. Section 7.2.
02Project Location
5 pts
5 points if the project is in a Qualified Census Tract AND covered by a State/local Concerted Community Revitalization Plan, or alternatively 5 points if located in a non-CDBG-eligible census tract. Section 7.3.1.
03Site Control
5 pts
5 points for fee-simple title held by an entity/individual with a GP or managing-member interest in the ownership entity, or 5 points for a qualifying long-term lease (Tribal/PHA, or 15-20 yr for rent-to-own, or a lease term of not less than 50 years). Section 7.3.2 (labeled 'Maximum Project Readiness Points' in the QAP).
04Additional and Threshold Project Amenities
8 pts
Points for optional development and tenant-unit amenities beyond the required threshold amenities (grills/picnic areas, pools, community/computer rooms, exercise rooms, in-unit A/C, hard flooring, patios/garages, in-unit washer/dryer, accessibility upgrades, etc.), each worth 1-3 points, capped at 8 total. Section 7.3.3.
05Nevada Based Applicant
2 pts
Up to 2 points if the Applicant/Co-Applicant is Nevada-based — for entities, organized under NV law for 12+ months with an in-state office staffed by a principal/officer and at least one employee. Section 7.3.4.
06Affordability Period
4 pts
1 point for each additional 5-year period of extended affordability beyond the base period, up to a maximum of 50 years total (4 points max). Section 7.3.5.
07Water Efficiency of Landscape Design
5 pts
5 points for architect/landscape-architect verification of at least 75% desert and/or xeriscape landscaping. Section 7.3.6.
08Historical Character
3 pts
3 points where the project adapts/renovates a property on the National or State Historic Register, verified by a letter from the Nevada SHPO. Section 7.3.7.
09Smart Designs
16 pts
Points for site/location quality and sustainability: proximity (within 1/2 mile) to 3+ community services (2 pts), proximity to a ped/bike path (1 pt), proximity to transit/school bus stop (1 pt), USDA funding (6 pts), and Energy Star or equivalent certification / above-minimum energy efficiency (6 pts). Section 7.3.8.
10Superior Project
21 pts
Composite category: lowest LIHTCs requested per person served (4/2 pts, limited to top 2 per region), lowest total development cost per unit on a sliding scale (up to 8 pts), acquisition/reuse of a foreclosed/vacant/abandoned or non-residential building (2 pts), preservation of existing LIHTC units excluding USDA-RD (2 pts), USDA-RD letter of support for preservation (5 pts), ≥25% of units with Project-Based Rental Assistance (2 pts), sponsor pays tenant electric/gas/heating-cooling utilities (2 pts), and larger new-construction developments (≥50 units Clark Co. / ≥30 units elsewhere) (5 pts). Section 7.3.9.
11Low Rent Targeting
6 pts
Points based on the weighted-average AMI rent level of restricted units, on a sliding scale: <40% AMI = 6 pts, 40-<42% = 4 pts, 42-<45% = 3 pts, 45-<50% = 2 pts (Rent-to-Own projects scored separately: 6 pts if 60-100% of units at ≤60% AMI rents, 4 pts otherwise). Section 7.4.1.
12Low-Income Targeting
2 pts
Flat 2 points for a signed letter agreeing to restrict rents/incomes to the 50% AMI limit for all LIHTC units (sponsors may still separately elect the 40/60 threshold set-aside). Section 7.4.2.
13Resident Services
6 pts
Up to 6 points based on tenant services provided at no mandatory fee: on-site van service ≥2 days/week (2 pts), on-site coordinator ≥10 hrs/wk (2 pts) or ≥20 hrs/wk (4 pts), or a signed MOU with an experienced (3+ yr) service provider for ≥15 hrs/wk on-site (4 pts). Section 7.4.3.
14Lowest Developer Fees
5 pts
1 point for each 1% the developer fee is reduced below 15%, up to 5 points (e.g., <11% = 5 pts, 11.0-11.99% = 4 pts, ... 14.0-14.99% = 1 pt, >15% = 0 pts). Section 7.4.4.
15Low Contractor Fee
3 pts
1 point for each 1% the contractor fee is reduced, up to 3 points (<12% = 3 pts, 12-12.99% = 2 pts, 13-13.99% = 1 pt, >14% = 0 pts). Section 7.4.5.
16Affordable Housing Incentive
8 pts
Composite category (Section 7.4.6): (A) arm's-length real estate transfer to the Applicant for a nominal/below-FMV price -- 1 pt if price is >10% and <=15% of FMV, 2 pts if >5% and <=10%, 3 pts if >1% and <=5%; plus (B) funding from a listed set of qualifying public/non-mortgage sources (local PHA, CDBG, HUD 202/811/USDA-RD 515, FHLB AHP, local government housing funds, tribal housing funds, or non-related third-party non-mortgage funds/grants) as a percentage of total project cost -- 1 pt at 5.00% or less, 3 pts at 5.01-20.00%, 5 pts above 20.01%. Maximum 8 points (3+5); there is no separate nonprofit/housing-authority-ownership point factor in this section.
Scoring source
Nevada 2026 QAP (Nevada Housing Division), Section 7, "Project Scoring for 9% LIHTCs" (Sections 7.1-7.7), pp.24-36; Section 8, "Tax Exempt Bond Project Scoring and Additional Criteria" (Sections 8.1-8.2), pp.36-38.
Tie-breakers
Review the agency’s tie-breaker rules alongside the scoring criteria.
- Lowest ratio of gross 10-year LIHTC amount to Total Project Cost (2 decimals) wins
- If still tied, resolved by lottery under NAC 319.990
- Application that received a waiver automatically loses any tie-break
Underwriting parameters
Nevada 2026 QAP (Nevada Housing Division): Section 6.4 (Maximum Costs for 9% LIHTC Projects), Section 6.5 (Project Reserves for Replacement Requirements), and Section 6.6 (Financial Feasibility Requirements for both 9% and 4%), pp.17-19; Section 9 (Operating Expenses), p.38; Section 11 (Eligible Basis Boost), pp.38-39; Section 12.1 (Project Cap/Maximum Reservation), p.39; Section 15 (Fees), pp.41-42. (Companion document referenced but not separately numeric: the Division's "Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Compliance Policies and Procedures Manual," incorporated by reference in Section 14, and the "Market Study Guide," Appendix A.)
Utility allowance
Preferred method: Locally-conducted survey of actual utility rates paid by comparable units in the area (the QAP's default/required method, absent Division-approved use of HUD USM or another alternate)
None found — NHD publishes no standalone UA calculator/schedule (unlike CTCAC's CUAC). It only offers Exhibit C.2, a "Utility Allowance Certification Form" used to document whichever method was applied, and links to a third-party Novogradac Rent & Income Calculator (not UA-specific, not agency-authored). ↗2026 QAP, Section 10 "Estimation of Utility Allowance" (p. 38)
Development guides for Nevada
PHASE 1Site sourcing and screeningPHASE 2Site control, the Phase I clock, and the team's background checkPHASE 3Electing the entitlement pathwayPHASE 4Picking a credit program and competition bucketPHASE 5Restricted rents and the operating pro formaPHASE 6Cost, construction type and the labor packagePHASE 7Building the capital stack and closing the gapPHASE 8Assembling and filing the applicationPHASE 9The post-award clock: reservation to carryoverPHASE 10Construction, the 10% test, and getting to 8609PHASE 11Compliance monitoring through Nevada's 30-year tail
Use the LIHTC feasibility checklist →