Buncombe staff recommend changes to N.C. tax-credit rules, authorize chair to submit comments

Buncombe County staff on Oct. 8 recommended a set of formal comments on the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency's 2026 Qualified Allocation Plan and the subcommittee authorized the chair to submit those comments on the county's behalf.

County staff told the subcommittee the suggested comments focus on six items: extending an agency-designated 30% "basis boost" to 4% low-income housing tax-credit projects as well as 9% projects; allowing counties to qualify for multiple bonus-point categories; clarifying how Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds should and should not be treated in tax-credit awards; offering scoring flexibility for site evaluations in storm-impacted areas; removing point deductions for projects that defer more than 25% of developer fees and keeping a consistent 50% deferral cap after award; and supporting NCHFA's stated intent to allocate at least one tax-credit award to Buncombe County in the regional competition.

Why it matters: the QAP sets scoring, eligibility and subsidy rules that shape which affordable rental…