STATE LIHTC RESEARCH

Wyoming
QAP scoring guide.

Wyoming Community Development Authority (WCDA) · 2027 QAP

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● Verified guideChecked Sep 12, 2026View source QAP ↗

THE POINT TABLE

Competitive scoring

21 categories

Not stated. The AHAP does not publish a historical cutoff score or note what score has typically been competitive, and no recent award/scoring summary was located alongside the QAP.

Select a category to read its scoring criteria.

Housing Needs Characteristics – Income Levels

28 pts

Points scaled to the project's Capture Rate (income levels served vs. the Market Study's identified need): 28 pts at 0.0-5.0% capture rate, declining on a defined table to 0 pts at 75.1%+.

Housing Needs Characteristics – Saturation

48 pts

48 minus the saturation percentage (proposed units divided by income-restricted units needed, per the Market Study); fully-occupied or wait-listed rehab projects receive maximum points.

Housing Needs Characteristics – Absorption

14 pts

Scaled by months-to-fill from the Market Study, from 14 pts at 1 month down to 0 pts at 12 months; fully-occupied/wait-listed rehab projects receive maximum points.

Housing Needs Characteristics – Vacancy in Community

40 pts

Scaled by community vacancy rate from both the Market Study (Primary Market Area) and the 2026 Wyoming Rental Vacancy Survey (city/county data): up to 25/15 pts at 0-1% vacancy, declining to -10/-10 pts at 12.01%+ vacancy (up to -20 negative).

Housing Needs Characteristics – Vacancy in Low-Income Projects

28 pts

Scaled by substantiated vacancy rate in existing income-restricted projects in the Primary Market Area: 28 pts at 0-1% down to -10 pts at 8.01-10% (up to -10 negative); communities with over 10% low-income vacancy are ineligible for funding unless the proposal is a rehab with under 10% project vacancy.

Quality of Construction – Construction/Energy Efficiency Standards Exceeded

65 pts

Itemized points for exceeding standard specifications: walk-up/townhome design (10), >30-yr roofing and siding warranties (5 each), high-performance windows <=.3 U-value (5), Energy Star lighting (5), motion-controlled exterior lighting (5), Energy Star appliances (5), ceiling fans (5), plus up to 20 pts for certifications (Energy Star Certification 10, HERS rating <=100 10).

Project Location – Geographic Distribution

40 pts

Points based on years since the project's community last received a 9% competitive award (0 pts if funded in 2026, rising to 40 pts if last funded in 2022 or earlier); subject to 'Dynamic Scoring' deductions of up to -30 pts when multiple applications compete for the same community (-10/-20/-30 pts for the 2nd/3rd/4th-or-greater highest scorer in that community).

Project Location – Proximity to Services

22 pts

Points for driving/walking proximity (within 1, 1.5, or 2 miles) to grocery, retail shopping, pharmacy, healthcare, public school (family projects) or senior center (senior projects), and a recreation center/park.

Project Location – Concentration of Low-Income Housing

0 (penalty-only) pts

Up to -50 pts if WCDA determines the project site is in an area of high concentration of existing low-income housing; rehabilitation projects are exempt from this deduction.

Project Location – Environmental/Inappropriate Location

5 pts

5 pts if the Phase I Environmental Assessment shows no Recognized Environmental Conditions or Areas of Concern (rehab projects get max points); up to -200 pts for unmitigated environmental issues or siting in/near a heavy industrial or commercial area.

Project Location – Community Revitalization in QCT/Community Revitalization Plan

10 pts

5 pts for location in a Qualified Census Tract, plus 5 pts for use of existing housing under a formal or de-facto Community Revitalization Plan meeting listed criteria (or a full 10 pts for tribal-land projects submitted with a current Indian Housing Plan).

Project Characteristics – Project and Unit Amenities

50 pts

Itemized points for project amenities (community laundry, on-site playground/emergency call system, security cameras, covered parking, BBQ/picnic area, storage, multi-purpose room) and unit amenities (dishwasher, garbage disposal, in-unit washer/dryer, central HVAC, luxury vinyl tile flooring).

Project Characteristics – Site Control

10 pts

10 pts for fee ownership; 5 pts for an option to buy or a WCDA-approved 99+ year lease held prior to application (both fall under the same 5-point tier -- the QAP's table has only these two rows, not a separate intermediate tier).

Project Characteristics – Proper Zoning

10 pts

10 pts if zoning is in place with no further approval required, 3 pts if zoning is in place but other approvals (e.g., PUD) are still required, 1 pt if re-zoning is in process.

Project Characteristics – Projects with Project Based Rental Assistance

15 pts

10 pts for new construction with Project Based Rental Assistance (e.g., Project Based Vouchers, USDA RD); 15 pts for rehabilitation of an existing property with Project Based Rental Assistance.

Sponsor/Applicant Characteristics – Property Management Team

20 pts

Discretionary scoring of the management team's end-of-year reporting, financial assessment, risk management, and monitoring findings/responses/follow-up.

Sponsor/Applicant Characteristics – Development Team

20 pts

Discretionary scoring of the development team's project cost management, history of returned credits/funding, timely completion of prior awards, quarterly reporting, experience, and communication; developers new to Wyoming are scored based on out-of-state references or, absent those, portfolio/professional-reference documentation.

Financials – Loan Terms

35 pts

HOME funding requests scored 20 pts (>$2,000,000), 10 pts (>$1,000,000), or 5 pts (<$1,000,000); NHTF funding requests scored 15 pts (>$750,000) or 7 pts (<$750,000).

Financials – Subsidy

0 (penalty-only) pts

Up to -200 pts (at -10 pts per 1% over the limit) if requested tax credits or total subsidy sources exceed WCDA's published per-unit Eligible Basis/subsidy limits in Attachment A.

Financials – Donations, Grants & Waived Fees

35 pts

3 pts per 1% of total project cost covered by documented non-federal, unrelated-party contributions or fee waivers (donated real estate, cash, labor, materials, local fee waivers, etc.); deferred developer fee is given no weight in this category.

Financials – Total Project Costs

0 (penalty-only) pts

-10 pts per 1% that Total Project Costs exceed the Attachment A per-unit cost limits, up to -1000 pts; WCDA may waive this penalty for one project per round via a discretionary 'Statistical Outlier Method' pro-rated award.

Scoring source

2027 Affordable Housing Allocation Plan (AHAP), Section V.C "Scoring Allocation Criteria" (scoring table and all subcategory rules), printed pp. 36-49; "Tie Breaker" and "Non-Point Based Evaluation Criteria," printed p. 37; "4% Bond Awards" (competitive-scoring exemption), printed p. 55; Section II "Set-Asides" (CHDO and Non-Profit set-asides), printed pp. 8-9. Source PDF: https://www.wyomingcda.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2027-AHAP-FINAL-1.pdf (80 pages).

WHEN SCORES ARE CLOSE

Tie-breakers

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

Rehabilitation proposal with Project Based Rental Assistance
Rehabilitation proposal without Project Based Rental Assistance
New Construction proposal

MODEL ASSUMPTIONS

Underwriting parameters

2027 Affordable Housing Allocation Plan (AHAP), Section V.H "Program Requirements -- All Multi-Family Projects," items 16 and 20-23 (numbered underwriting standards for DCR, vacancy, and reserves), printed pp. 58-60; Section V.E "Allocation Restrictions & Provisions" / "Developer & Builder Fees," printed p. 53; Section V.F "4% Bond Awards," printed p. 55; Attachment A ("Total Per-Unit Project Costs," "Tax Credit Total Per-Unit Eligible Basis," "Operating Expenses Limitations," "Anticipated Tax Credit Allocation"), printed pp. 70-72. Source PDF: https://www.wyomingcda.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2027-AHAP-FINAL-1.pdf (80 pages). Supplementary DCR benchmark from WCDA 2025-2026 Compliance Manual, Chapter 7, p.52 ("Special HOME, NSP, and NHTF Rules").

OPERATING ASSUMPTIONS

Utility allowance

Preferred method: No single state-mandated method for LIHTC-only deals — QAP defers to Treas. Reg. 1.42-10 and explicitly names the Local PHA Estimate as usable. HUD USM is mandatory at initial application for any project that also carries WCDA HOME and/or NHTF funds (Energy Consumption Model allowed once built and metered).

WCDA Utility Allowance Schedules (locality PHA schedules, hosted not authored by WCDA) ↗

2027 AHAP (QAP), "Projects with LIHTC Funding," item 2 (p. 63): "Utility allowances must be calculated in accordance with IRC§1.42-10. The local Public Housing Authority Estimate may be used on a Tax Credit project." Cf. "Projects with HOME and/or NHTF Funding," item 8 (p. 61): HUD USM required at application, Energy Consumption Model allowed thereafter. Full federal method menu and WCDA-specific caveats (no agency estimates offered; no sub-metering; PHA schedules barred for HOME/NHTF committed on/after 8/23/2013) are in the Wyoming Affordable Housing Compliance Manual, Ch. 3.K "Utility Allowances" (pp. 19-21) and Ch. 6.D "HUD Requirements regarding Utility Allowances" (pp. 42-43).

YOUR NEXT STEPS

Development guides for Wyoming

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 through placed-in-service: WCDA's Carryover-to-8609 paperwork chain, and a real conflict over the rehab PIS date PHASE 11Compliance, Year 15, and Wyoming's 30-year extended-use floor — not 55

Use the LIHTC feasibility checklist →