STATE LIHTC RESEARCH

South Carolina
QAP scoring guide.

South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority (SC Housing) · 2026 QAP

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● Verified guideChecked Sep 12, 2026View source QAP ↗

THE POINT TABLE

Competitive scoring

16 categories

From the Authority's published "2026 Full Application Scores" (2026_Application_Scoring_20260729.pdf, dated 7/29/2026, "subject to change based on further review"): New Construction full-application scores across all pools ranged from roughly 105 to 127 points (out of the 142-point theoretical max) — e.g., top scorers included Worley Senior Apartments (Greenville, 127), Broughton Senior/Riverbend Trace/Gaffney Mill (126), Hardeeville Village (Jasper, rural, 126), down to Ridgecrest Commons (Horry, 105). Rehabilitation full-application scores (separate 23-point rubric) ranged from about 19 to 22 (e.g., Market Place Apartments 22, Radcliffe Manor/Belton Woods 21, down to Chester Townhouses/Kingston Pointe/Manor York Senior at 19); two rehab applications were disqualified. Because SC awards within multiple set-aside pools (Urban/Suburban/Rural/Rehab/PHA) with separate dollar allocations rather than one statewide cutoff, the actual score needed to win varies by pool and by how much credit authority remains in that pool — these are directional ranges, not a single "winning" threshold.

Select a category to read its scoring criteria.

Distance to Amenities

70 pts

New Construction only. Points awarded per amenity category (Grocery, Shopping, Pharmacy, Retail, Healthcare, Public Facility) on a sliding driving-distance scale that varies by county tier (Urban <1/<1.5/<2/<3 mi; Suburban <2/<2.5/<3/<4 mi; Rural <3/<3.5/<4/<5 mi), each with detailed qualifying-establishment definitions. Max 2 amenities per category count.

Public Transportation

1 pts

1 point if site is within 0.3 walking miles of an active, fixed-location transit/bus stop served 6 days/week including 10 consecutive weekday hours, in service as of the preliminary application date.

Area Employment

10 pts

Tiered points (2/4/6/8/10) based on jobs paying $1,251-$3,333/month within a radius that scales by county tier (2 mi Urban / 5 mi Suburban / 10 mi Rural), per U.S. Census OnTheMap LEHD data. 10 pts for ≥5,000 jobs down to 2 pts for 1,000-1,999 jobs; below 1,000 jobs earns 0.

USDA Rural

5 pts

5 points if the site is located entirely within a USDA-defined rural area as of the preliminary application deadline.

Land Donation or Ground Lease

5 pts

5 points if a local government/school district (or an entity that received the property from one) owns the site as of preliminary application, with land/building costs ≤$5,000 or ground lease ≤$100/year, and ownership held since at least 7/31/2025 without purchase from a Principal or related party.

Affordability (AMI set-aside election)

10 pts

10 points for committing to a county-income-tier AMI matrix under either the average-income or 'original' minimum set-aside election (High/Moderate/Low county tiers require 54%/56%/58% average AMI, or 30%/40%/50% under the original election, respectively).

Qualified Contract Waiver

10 pts

10 points for a notarized letter from the proposed owner waiving the right to request a qualified contract for the duration of the extended-use period.

Affordable Housing Shortage

10 pts

Tiered, non-cumulative points based on how long the project's county has gone without a new-construction 9% LIHTC award: 10 pts (15+ funding cycles without an award), 7 pts (10+ cycles), 5 pts (5+ cycles), or 3 pts (3+ cycles).

Sustainable Building

5 pts

5 points for committing to one of five named green/energy certification programs (Enterprise Green Communities, LEED for Homes, National Green Building Standard Bronze+, EarthCraft, or CHiP HOME), certified by a qualified green/energy professional.

Leveraging

6 pts

Up to 6 points (tiered by $/unit of committed support) for documented outside funding/financial support from qualifying sources: HOME/CDBG funds, an established local housing program, public foundation funds tied to local government/healthcare institutions, waived infrastructure/amenity fees from a governmental entity, or Authority-approved other support, OR a ≥20-year low-interest loan at/below the AFR. Points scale from 1 pt ($1,000-$1,999/unit) to 6 pts (≥$10,000/unit).

Other Credits

5 pts

5 points for qualifying for and utilizing Federal Historic Tax Credit, SC Certified Historic Structure Credit, SC Textiles Rehabilitation Credit, SC Abandoned Building Revitalization Credit, or SC Brownfields Cleanup Credit.

Supportive Housing

5 pts

5 points for committing 10% of units to persons with disabilities referred through a state-coordinated system, either at ≤30% AMI with rent capped at 20% of income, or via project-based rental-assistance vouchers.

[Rehabilitation pool only] Preservation of Assisted/At-Risk Housing

10 pts

Separate comparative rubric (Appendix C1 §V) used only within the Rehabilitation set-aside, not summed with New Construction categories above. 10 pts if currently qualified-contract eligible, or if ≥90% of units carry a federal/RD project-based assistance contract with <3 years remaining; 5 pts if QC-eligible within 2 years, or if <90% of units carry such a contract with <3 years remaining.

[Rehabilitation pool only] Physical Distress / Major System Replacement

9 pts

1 point per qualifying major system being replaced (roof, HVAC, flooring, windows, hot water heaters, tubs/showers, kitchen cabinets/countertops, ranges, refrigerators), up to 9 points, informed by the Physical Needs Assessment.

[Rehabilitation pool only] Age of Development

3 pts

1 pt for developments 21-25 years since last placed-in-service date, 2 pts for 26-30 years, 3 pts for 31+ years.

[Rehabilitation pool only] Concerted Community Revitalization Plan

1 pts

1 point if the site is within an area covered by a qualifying local-government-adopted Concerted Community Revitalization Plan (CRP) meeting stated criteria (10-year lookback, no Principal-initiated plan, project furthers CRP goals, committed non-housing infrastructure investment).

Scoring source

SC 2026 QAP, Appendix C1 - 9% LIHTC (2026_Appendix_C-1_Update_20260127.pdf), Section III "New Construction Scoring Criteria" (pp. C1-5 to C1-10), Section IV "Tie Breaker Criteria" (p. C1-10), and Section V "Evaluation of Rehabilitation Applications" (p. C1-11). Set-aside structure: same document, Section II (pp. C1-2 to C1-4). 4% TEB ranking methodology: Appendix C2 - Tax-Exempt Bonds (2026_Appendix_C2_Final.pdf), Section II.C-D (pp. C2-3 to C2-5). Actual 2026 round results: standalone "2026 Full Application Scores" PDF (2026_Application_Scoring_20260729.pdf, published 7/29/2026). All from schousing.sc.gov's "2026 LIHTC Program" document library.

WHEN SCORES ARE CLOSE

Tie-breakers

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

Team's only award this cycle beats a team's 2nd or 3rd award
County with fewest 9% LIHTC awards in the prior 3 funding cycles wins
Higher $/unit of Leveraging points wins
Location within a qualifying Concerted Community Revitalization Plan area wins
Tenant homeownership conversion plan at end of 15-year compliance period wins
Still tied: Authority breaks it by lottery

MODEL ASSUMPTIONS

Underwriting parameters

SC 2026 QAP (2026_QAP_Updates_Combined.20260331.pdf), Section IV.P "Financial Underwriting" (QAP internal pages 14-19, PDF pages 17-22), covering Development Costs, Reserve Requirements, Developer/Contractor Fee limits, Annual Operating Expenses, Debt Coverage Ratio, Expense Coverage Ratio, Funding Sources, Permanent Financing, Rent/Expense/Vacancy assumptions, Minimum Hard Cost Requirement, and Ground Leases. Developer-fee variance for bond deals: Appendix C2 (Tax-Exempt Bonds), Section II.B.7. Fee schedule: standalone "2026 Fee Schedule" PDF (2026_Fees_20251028.pdf). All sourced from schousing.sc.gov's "2026 LIHTC Program" document library (agency page: https://schousing.sc.gov/development/housing-tax-credit-lihtc).

OPERATING ASSUMPTIONS

Utility allowance

Preferred method: not specified

SC Housing Statewide Utility Allowance Schedules (Upstate / Midlands / Low Country regional schedules, HUD Form-52667 format, published annually) ↗

2026 QAP, Section IV ("Threshold Participation Criteria"), A ("Required Documentation"), item 6, "Utility Allowance Schedule" (p.6 of the QAP, table of contents item 6)

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Development guides for South Carolina

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 monitoring, the CPA cost certification, and the path to Form 8609 PHASE 11Compliance, Year 15, and South Carolina's owner-elected 30-or-35-year extended-use tail

Use the LIHTC feasibility checklist →