STATE LIHTC RESEARCH

Oregon
QAP scoring guide.

Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) · 2025 QAP

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● Verified guideChecked Sep 12, 2026View source QAP ↗

THE POINT TABLE

Competitive scoring

8 categories

null — no numeric scoring exists to report a "winning score" against; competitiveness in an oversubscribed round is determined by threshold pass/fail plus the ordered tiebreaker criteria (see tie_breakers).

Select a category to read its scoring criteria.

Deeper Affordability / PBRA

See criteria

Project incorporates an average unit AMI of less than 50%, OR includes Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA) on at least 20% of units.

Family / Early Childhood Facilities

See criteria

Project contains facilities or space designed to support families with young children, as defined by OAR 813-125-0011.

Enhanced Accessibility

See criteria

Project includes accessible units beyond minimum code requirements.

Economic / Workforce Impact

See criteria

Project design, services, or site location provide employment opportunities to residents and benefit the community (e.g., co-located ECE facility, access to community college/workforce training, walkable/transit access to job-dense areas).

Historic Value

See criteria

Project demonstrates historic value, including use of the federal Historic Tax Credit, and is listed/eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or located in a certified historic district.

Sustainability Standards

See criteria

Project formally commits to meeting OHCS's Sustainability Standards, exceeding current State of Oregon Energy Code energy-efficiency requirements.

Eventual Tenant Ownership

See criteria

Project is intended for eventual tenant ownership.

Organization Type

See criteria

Lead developer is a Culturally Specific Organization and/or a nonprofit organization developing in a rural area.

Scoring source

2025 Oregon QAP ("2025-qap-final.pdf"), "Project Selection Process" (pp.9-17): "Private Activity Bonds and 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits" (pp.9-11, 4% process) and "9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits > Project Criteria" — "Mandatory Criteria," "Supplemental Criteria," and "Tiebreakers" subsections (pp.13-15), plus "Preservation Projects" (pp.15-17) for the preservation-specific priority/tiebreaker framework. Credit-ceiling set-aside percentages appear earlier at "Credit Overview > 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits," p.3.

WHEN SCORES ARE CLOSE

Tie-breakers

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

Policy Enriched: project includes PSH units (25%+ or 5 units), family/ECE space, or Enhanced Accessibility features
Federal Subsidy Leverage: at least $100,000 committed from HOME, CDBG, Tax Increment Finance, or approved place-based fund
Efficient Unit Production: lowest ratio of credits requested per unit produced wins
Average AMI: lowest average household AMI served wins

MODEL ASSUMPTIONS

Underwriting parameters

Oregon Housing and Community Services General Policy and Guideline Manual (GPGM), Version 1.2, effective July 1, 2025 — the QAP itself states "the charges adopted by the [Housing Stability Council] are included in the General Policy and Guidelines Manual (GPGM)" (2025 QAP, "Applying for Credits > Project Charges," p.5) and public-comment responses in the QAP appendix confirm developer fees and underwriting parameters live in the GPGM, not the QAP body. Relevant GPGM sections: "General Underwriting > 1) Program Limits" (pp.12-14: operating expenses, DCR, construction contingency, developer fees, deferred fee payback, contractor profit/OH, retainage) and "> 2) Program Threshold Requirements > Financial Feasibility" (pp.17-19: Sources & Uses Table A, vacancy, escalation, reserves) and "Administrative Guidelines > 5) Program Charges" (pp.21-23: fee schedule). GPGM URL: https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/rental-housing/housing-development/development-resources/Documents/lihtc/gpgm-2025-final-branded.pdf (retrieved via archived copy after the live OHCS SharePoint URL intermittently 404'd on direct fetch; the URL is the one currently indexed and linked as the GPGM by search engines and by OHCS-referencing pages).

OPERATING ASSUMPTIONS

Utility allowance

Preferred method: not specified

OHCS LIHTC Compliance Manual (April 2025), Section 5: Part 5.05 (Utility Allowances), Part 5.06 (Annual Review), Part 5.07 (Changing Methods), and Part 5.08 (Approved Methods) — the 2025 Oregon QAP (Version 2025.1) itself contains zero references to "utility" or utility allowances.

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Development guides for Oregon

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 7Oregon's gap money runs on recording fees and bonds — not the QAP PHASE 8Three-of-eight, not a point score: how OHCS actually ranks a 9% application PHASE 9One deadline, two dates: OHCS's own paperwork doesn't agree on when Carryover is late PHASE 10Carryover to cost certification: OHCS's placed-in-service sequence, and Oregon's prevailing-wage blind spot PHASE 11Compliance, Year 15, and Oregon's 60-year floor — longer than 55, not shorter

Use the LIHTC feasibility checklist →