Select a category to read its scoring criteria.
01Deep Income Targeting
100 pts+
Stacked tiers within the elected minimum set-aside: 25 pts for 20% of rent-restricted units at ≤50% AMI with rent at the lesser of FMR or the 50% AMI rent; +25 pts for an additional 10% of units at ≤50% AMI; +25 pts for 7% of units at ≤40% AMI; +25 pts for 3% of units at ≤30% AMI. Each tier is in addition to the prior tier.
02Extended Use Commitment
20 pts+
Voluntarily extending the Extended Use Period an additional 10 years (30→40 years). Mutually exclusive with the Tenant Ownership/Lease Purchase category (D).
03Construction Type
60 pts+
40 pts: rehab of existing affordable housing to like-new condition. 20 pts: rehab using buildings of historic nature. 20 pts: rehab/conversion of existing buildings to new rental units. 20 pts: senior housing designation (55+ or 62+). Exhibit 7's worksheet also lists 20 pts for assisted living/congregate care units. Category capped at 60 total even though sub-items can sum higher.
04Concerted Community Revitalization Plan
20 pts+
Project is in a Qualified Census Tract and contributes to a locally-adopted Concerted Community Revitalization Plan documented at application.
05Financial Support
20 pts+
Third-party financing/incentives that reduce cost or enhance feasibility, scored per unit: 20 pts for $10,001+/unit, 15 pts for $5,001-$10,000/unit, 10 pts for $1,000-$5,000/unit.
06Applicant Characteristics
40 pts+
20 pts for a demonstrated track record of quality affordable-housing development/management experience; 10 pts for ≥51%-owned/operated minority- or woman-owned enterprise participation; 10 pts for owner equity >10% of TDC not in the form of deferred developer fee. Deductions (not additive to the 40-pt cap): -25 pts if applicant/team member isn't in Good Standing (recent unapproved significant change or unresolved compliance issues, which also disqualifies the track-record points); -10 pts for 2 rounds if the developer/owner requested additional SDHDA funding after an initial reservation.
07Service Enriched Housing
30 pts+
Verifiable full-time, on-site tenant services.
08Percentage of Soft Costs
30 pts+
Sliding scale on soft costs (excluding builder's profit) as a share of TDC: 30 pts for 0-9.99%, 20 pts for 10-14.99%, 10 pts for 15-19%, 0 pts above 19%.
09Project Location
40 pts+
Up to 20 pts for proximity to community services (5 pts each for grocery/retail, hospital/clinic, school or senior center, special service office) OR 20 pts for a bus stop within one block / free transit ≥4x/week (10 pts for reduced-rate on-call transit). Up to 20 pts for Area of Opportunity factors (5 pts each): low-poverty census tract (<10%), above-average jobs-to-population ratio, below-average unemployment, above-average school performance index.
10Households with Children
10 pts+
At least 50% of units contain 2 or more bedrooms.
11Public Housing Notification
10 pts+
Written commitment to notify local public housing agencies of vacancies and give waiting-list households priority.
12Readiness to Proceed – Plans and Specifications
30 pts+
Architectural plans/working drawings at least 50% complete, or an independent/third-party physical needs assessment.
13Readiness to Proceed – Site Control
30 pts+
30 pts for a recorded warranty deed, recorded long-term lease, or approved Transfer of Physical Assets; 20 pts for an enforceable signed/accepted purchase agreement or option.
14Readiness to Proceed – Financing
60 pts+
20 pts for a construction/interim financing commitment; 20 pts for a permanent financing commitment with fixed rate and ≥15-year term (10 pts if fixed rate but <15-year term); 20 pts for an equity commitment disclosing all conditions with investor acknowledgment of use restrictions.
15Readiness to Proceed – Utilities
40 pts+
10 pts each (up to 40) for provider documentation that water, sewer, electricity, and heat (electric/gas/fuel oil) are currently at or immediately adjacent to the site with capacity to serve the project; proximity or extendability alone doesn't qualify.
16Readiness to Proceed – Zoning
20 pts+
Documentation the site is properly zoned or that zoning isn't required for the proposed use.
17Readiness to Proceed – Platting
20 pts+
Documentation the final plat is recorded, with plat book/number reference.
18Project Characteristics
100 pts+
Capped menu of construction/design features detailed in Exhibit 4 (Multifamily Project Characteristics): site exterior (parking, sidewalks, landscaping), building exterior (siding, roofing, windows/doors), energy-efficient design (wall/roof assembly, HERS/Energy Star, LED lighting), building interior (doors, flooring, laundry, bathrooms, appliances), and mechanical systems (HVAC, water heating). Individual line items sum to well over 100 points; the category award is capped at 100.
19Tenant Ownership – Lease Purchase
20 pts+
Project intended for eventual tenant ownership, with a management plan covering homebuyer counseling and future purchase-price calculation. Mutually exclusive with the Extended Use Commitment category (A.2).
20Local Housing Need
100 pts+
SDHDA discretionary assessment awarding the highest score to projects facing the greatest overall housing need; no stated formula. Communities already having 2+ LIHTC projects under construction or in lease-up (<90% occupied) may receive zero points here.
Scoring source2026-2027 QAP, Section V Project Selection Criteria (pp.18-24): V.A Primary Selection Criteria, V.B Readiness to Proceed, V.C Project Characteristics (detailed checklist in Exhibit 4, pp.39-47), V.D Tenant Ownership – Lease Purchase, V.E Local Housing Need. Consolidated point totals and the 350-point submission floor are in Exhibit 7 Self-Scoring Worksheet (pp.61-62); the 400-point award floor is stated in the Section V introduction (p.18).
