STATE LIHTC RESEARCH

New Mexico
QAP scoring guide.

New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA), doing business as "Housing New Mexico" · 2026 QAP

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● Verified guideChecked Sep 12, 2026View source QAP ↗

THE POINT TABLE

Competitive scoring

20 categories

Not separately published in the QAP or found in agency award summaries; the QAP does state a hard scoring floor below which awards will not be made (see tie_breakers/threshold note): Reservations are withheld from 9% Applications scoring below 53 points unless too few projects clear that bar, in which case Housing New Mexico may lower the minimum at its discretion. This 53-point floor is the closest documented benchmark to a "competitive" score; no separate data on the actual score(s) that won awards in recent rounds was located.

Select a category to read its scoring criteria.

A. Nonprofit/NMHA/TDHE/THA/Government Entity Ownership

5 (Tier 1) or 3 (Tier 2) pts

Tier 1 (5 pts): qualifying nonprofit/housing authority/government entity owns ≥51% of GP interest with net worth ≥$1,000,000. Tier 2 (3 pts): net worth ≥$250,000 (or ≥$2,000,000 for non-local nonprofits). Requires a Right of First Refusal grant, ≥10% of developer fee to the qualifying entity, and QAP-training attendance by a representative.

B. Locational Efficiency

6 pts

Up to 2 points for proximity to services/amenities (general: 1-mi walk to 3 facilities or 2-mi to 6, incl. a food source; rural/tribal: 5-mi to 2 facilities). Up to 4 points for access to public transportation (2 pts standard fixed-route stop; 4 pts for frequent service within 0.25 mi).

C. Rehabilitation Projects

5 pts

For rehab/conversion projects meeting a $25,000/unit (moderate) or $45,000/unit (substantial) rehab cost threshold and a 20-year-since-placed-in-service requirement: 1 pt at ≥21 yrs, 2 at ≥23, 3 at ≥25, 4 at ≥27, 5 at ≥29 years. Stackable with Sustaining Affordability points.

D. Sustaining Affordability

6, 8, or 10 pts

10 pts: existing subsidized projects with restrictions expiring by 12/31/2029, at risk of conversion to market rate/Qualified Contract eligible, or new federal rental assistance covering ≥75% of units. 8 pts: existing federal rental assistance covering ≥75% of units. 6 pts: federal rental assistance covering ≥20% of units. Requires documented, secured rent/subsidy commitments.

E. Income Levels of Tenants

12, 14, or 16 pts

Scaled points based on the depth of income/rent restriction elected. 40-60 election: 12/14/16 pts for 25%/30%/40% (Urban) or 10%/15%/25% (Non-Urban) of units at ≤50% AMI. 20-50 election: only the 16-pt tier. Average Income election: 12/14/16 pts for average AMI ≤56%/55%/54% (Urban) or ≤57%/56%/55% (Non-Urban), with ≥5% of units required above 60% AMI.

F. Projects that Incorporate Market Rate Units

2 pts

Market-rate units equal to ≥15% of total units. Mutually exclusive with the Average Income election points.

G. Projects Committed to a Longer Extended Use Period

8 pts

Points scale with length of committed Affordability Period beyond the 15-year Compliance Period plus 20-year minimum Extended Use Period (35-year floor), up to a stated maximum commitment.

H. Households with Special Housing Needs Housing Priority

5 pts

Requires ≥20% of units reserved for Households with Special Housing Needs plus ≥10% of units at ≤30% AMI (or secured project-based rental assistance), a Service Coordination Plan (min. 4 hrs/week onsite, scaling with unit count), and dedicated space. Points allocated among specific services (food pantry 2, transportation 5, health screening 3, security training 1, case management 5, capped at 5 total). Mutually exclusive with Criteria I and J.

I. Projects Reserved for Seniors Housing Priority

5 pts

Age-restricted senior housing (62+/55+ per HOPA) with a Service Coordination Plan (min. 5 hrs/week onsite) and dedicated space; up to 5 points from a menu of optional services (food pantry, transportation, health screening, security training, case management). Mutually exclusive with Criteria H and J.

J. Households with Children Housing Priority

4 pts

Requires ≥25% of units reserved for households with children, specific bedroom/bathroom design minimums (e.g., 10% of new-construction units with 3+ bedrooms), and a Service Coordination Plan (min. 5 hrs/week onsite). Mutually exclusive with Criteria H and I.

K. Leveraging Resources

10 pts

Points equal the whole-number percentage of Total Development Cost contributed via irrevocable, non-hard-debt sources (unrelated third-party cash/land donations, GP deferred fee or donated land, government cash/land/fee waivers, tribal cash or trust-land donations), rounded down, 1 point per 1% of TDC up to 10 points (Native American Trust Land donations qualify for a flat 5 points).

L. Marketing Units to Households on Public/Indian Agency Waiting Lists

2 pts

Commitment (with PHA/TDHE letter) to market units to households on public or Indian housing agency waiting lists.

M. QCT/Concerted Community Revitalization Plan

3 or 5 pts

3 points for location within a Concerted Community Revitalization Plan (CCRP) area with a contributing housing activity; additional 2 points (5 total) if also located in a Qualified Census Tract (QCT).

N. Projects with Units Intended for Eventual Tenant Ownership

2 pts

All units in single-family/duplex/fourplex/townhome format designated at application for eventual tenant ownership, with a long-range Tenant Conversion Plan. Not combinable with Criterion G points.

O. Projects with Historic Significance

2 pts

Projects certified on the National Register of Historic Places (Part 1 Historic Tax Credit approval); for scattered sites, historic GSF must be ≥10% of total project GSF.

P. Efficient Use of Tax Credits

1, 3, or 5 pts

Points awarded for requesting fewer tax credits per low-income unit and/or per low-income square foot than published per-project-type (Tribal, PSH, non-PSH efficiency/1BR-heavy, All Other) and per-construction-type (new construction, substantial rehab, moderate rehab) thresholds.

Q. Non-Smoking Properties

4 or 6 pts

6 points for NM Smoke-Free at Home Platinum (new construction, no smoking anywhere on property) or Gold (rehab/adaptive reuse, no smoking anywhere); 4 points for Silver (no smoking in units/common areas or within 25 ft of entries/windows). Requires certification and a space reserved for smoking-cessation classes.

R. Adaptive Reuse Projects

2 pts

Conversion of a non-residential building (e.g., motel, hotel, dorm, convent) to residential rental use; converted space must be ≥20% of building GSF for combined new-construction/adaptive-reuse projects. Mutually exclusive with Rehabilitation Project points.

S. Underserved Communities

9 pts

Up to 3 points each (stackable) for: (1) new construction of ≤435 units with market-study-supported need; (2) location in a town/CDP with population <16,000 (2020 Census); (3) location in a town/municipality with no active LIHTC award (9% or 4%) in the last 5 years.

T. Other Scoring Points Available

6 pts

Up to 3 points for Deep Affordability (an additional 5% of units at ≤30% AMI with secured rental assistance, beyond any Special Housing Needs set-aside) plus 3 points for a resident-selection preference favoring active-duty/honorably-discharged/retired U.S. military veterans (requires HUD pre-approval if project has project-based Section 8).

Scoring source

2026 9% LIHTC Qualified Allocation Plan (New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority, effective Dec. 1, 2025), Section V, "Scoring Criteria," pp.35-67 (Criteria A through T). Minimum score and ranking rules at Section III.F.2, p.25-26. Mandatory 4% (non-competitive) selection criteria at 2026 4% LIHTC QAP, Section V, pp.29+.

WHEN SCORES ARE CLOSE

Tie-breakers

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

Tied project with lower Total Development Cost per Unit is selected first

MODEL ASSUMPTIONS

Underwriting parameters

Housing New Mexico 2026 Universal Multifamily Underwriting Supplement (Appendix C to the 2026 9% QAP; effective Dec. 1, 2025) — incorporated by reference via QAP Section VI, "Underwriting Criteria." Key subsections: II.B (Feasibility), III.A (Development Costs), IV.B.6-8 (Developer Fees), V.A (Operating Pro Forma / vacancy / escalation / opex), V.B (Minimum DSCR, p.17), V.E (Operating Reserves, p.18).

OPERATING ASSUMPTIONS

Utility allowance

Preferred method: not specified

NM Utility Allowance Schedules per County ↗

2026 9% QAP, Section VII.D "Annual Certification Review," item 16 (owner must obtain "accurate, allowable, current utility allowances"); the operative menu of allowed UA sources is in Exhibit F, Part I Application, tab "2 - Page 4," field "Source of Utility Allowance Calculation"

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Development guides for New Mexico

PHASE 1Site sourcing and screening PHASE 2Site control and due diligence against a QAP that just split in two PHASE 3Electing an entitlement pathway with no state law to lean on PHASE 4Choosing 9%, 4%, or a hybrid under two separate QAPs PHASE 5Income targeting and the operating pro forma PHASE 6Construction type, rehab scoring, and the labor package PHASE 7Assembling the capital stack: soft funding and tax abatement PHASE 8Application assembly and submission PHASE 9The post-award readiness clock PHASE 10Construction through placed-in-service PHASE 11Year 15, the Qualified Contract waiver, and a 30-year floor

Use the LIHTC feasibility checklist →