Update from the Illinois Housing Council

The Illinois Housing Council (IHC) is a statewide non-profit organization, promoting the stabilization of Illinois communities through the construction and preservation of affordable housing. IHC is comprised of industry leaders committed to advancing our mission through education, information and constructive relationships with local, state and federal officials. IHC often engages with the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) on policy and technical issues impacting affordable housing. Here is an update on their joint efforts:
· This summer, IHC and IHDA have been working to gather feedback from affordable housing development stakeholders in Illinois as IHDA prepares for and drafts next year’s Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP). The QAP sets forth the criteria for evaluating all projects that apply for an allocation of Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).
· In June, IHDA hosted two QAP Summits – one in Springfield and one in Chicago. After the Summits, IHDA and IHC coordinated three Focus Groups on Opportunity & Revitalization Areas and Architecture & Design that yielded practical recommendations for strategies to improve the QAP process.
· While IHDA works to draft the updated QAP for publication this Fall, a survey is being distributed to gather on-the-ground information about the actual usage of Project Amenities options and requirements included in IHDA’s 2015 QAP. The survey can be completed at the following link before August 12: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2015QAPAmenities.
Stay tuned to www.ilhousing.org for details on IHC’s Fall Networking events where we will review the QAP draft changes during the open comment period.
Save the Date! September 17th, 5-7:30pm – IHC Fall Mixer @ Cliff Dwellers, 200 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60604.