LIHTC Update Now on PolicyMap!

The PolicyMap team is excited to announce that the most recent Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) data is now available for all PolicyMap users! Located under the Federal Guidelines tab, users can now access the most up-to-date data for nearly 33,000 LIHTC projects across the nation!

Created by Congress in 1986 to increase the supply of affordable housing in the U.S., LITHC has become the largest federal funding source for the production of low-income housing in the country. By reducing the federal tax liability for developers who either construct or rehabilitate affordable rental housing, the program has successfully expanded the number of units built across the nation.

You can explore LIHTC properties in your area using the map below:


As with any federal program, LIHTC receives its share of criticism as well. Some, such as Brookings’ fellow Alan Mallach, argue that LIHTC is overly focused on production, placing insufficient emphasis on the “people” component of housing policy. As HUD housing policy has become increasingly focused on de-concentrating poverty and improving access to neighborhoods with greater opportunity, the conversation about the extent to which LIHTC helps achieve these goals has been growing. In fact, a recent study by a member of HUD’s research cadre examined the spatial distribution of LIHTC properties and determined that they are in fact more highly clustered in high-density, high-poverty metro areas than other housing units. You can find a link to that article, as well as more info from a recent HUD panel discussion about LIHTC and how it relates to fair housing issues, by clicking here.