The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) is one of the most effective tools for creating new and critically needed affordable housing, and accounts for the vast majority of all affordable rental housing created in the United States. This is one in a series of articles that show how public housing authorities (PHAs) and community development agencies have successfully used federal tax credits and tax-exempt bonds to build and/or preserve public housing and affordable housing, and to increase the sustainability of their communities.

Knoxville Community Development Corporation: Lonsdale Homes, North Ridge Crossing and The Vista at Summit Hill Properties

Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC) recently approved a $33.1 million rehabilitation initiative at three affordable housing properties. In total, 705 units at Lonsdale Homes, North Ridge Crossing and The Vista at Summit Hill will undergo significant improvements with an emphasis on energy efficiency and quality of life for residents. The plans include better insulation, LED lighting, energy-efficient appliances, plumbing repairs, roof replacement and new windows, flooring, cabinets and countertops. The improvements will be funded with a combination of low-income housing tax credits and multifamily housing bonds. “This initiative will yield significant benefits for the three properties and the residents we serve,” KCDC Executive Director and CEO Ben Bentley said. “The physical condition of these properties will be greatly enhanced and that, in turn, leads to lower operational and maintenance costs.”

“These improvements further our mission of providing quality affordable housing for our residents,” Sean Gilbert, KCDC’s Senior Vice President of Housing, added. “KCDC has been able to dramatically impact the quality of life for 705 Knoxville families by utilizing the LIHTC 4% credit/tax-exempt bonds.  If not for these important financing tools, low-income families would be forced to reside in aging units with deteriorating structures and without modern amenities and improved energy efficiency.  Our families will be able to focus on job growth and their children’s education without the distraction of obsolete housing structures.”

The plans are part of KCDC’s transition of its public housing stock to the rental assistance demonstration (RAD) program, which was created by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 2012 to help agencies continue their housing mission without dependence on federal funds. The program allows housing agencies to leverage public and private debt and equity to reinvest in their properties.

For more information about this project or to share your organization’s 4 percent LIHTC success story, please contact nahro@nahro.org.