Congresswoman Introduces Smoke-Free LIHTC Bill

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) recently introduced the Smoke Free Affordable Housing Act (HR3322) to encourage subsidized housing developers to maintain a healthy environment for residents while protecting the subsidized property from expensive smoking-related remediation costs. According to her press release, the Smoke Free Affordable Housing Act would incentivize subsidized housing developers to establish and maintain smoke-free policies to create a healthy environment for residents and protect the investment of hardworking taxpayers.

The Smoke Free Affordable Housing Act directs states receiving federal tax credits from LIHTC to give preference to applications that show commitment to developing non-smoking buildings. State and local housing authorities are required to award low-income housing tax credits based on a qualified allocation plan (QAP), and developers are ranked according to how they score in their QAP. The requirement to have a QAP is set up in federal statute; however, states and localities determine the specifics of how they rank developers. States can award points based on a variety of factors, such as location and building characteristics. Some states, such as Hawaii and North Carolina, already award QAP points for developers that commit to having non-smoking buildings.

H.R. 3322 was assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee.