El Paso City Council approves 9% LIHTC evaluation procedures after rejecting amendment to remove “best application” option

The El Paso City Council on Oct. 6 approved a resolution establishing evaluation procedures for 9% low‑income housing tax credit applications, after voting down an amendment that would have struck an optional “best application” provision from the policy.

The resolution, which sets the scoring and evaluation framework (Attachment A to the resolution) for 9% Low‑Income Housing Tax Credit applications, passed following debate over whether the city should retain an option to award credits to the highest‑scoring application even if none met the minimum thresholds.

Mayor Johnson opened the special meeting and apologized to staff for reconvening the council to consider amendments. Representative Canales moved to amend the policy to remove the section titled “selection of the best application, optional” on page 11; Representative Acevedo seconded the amendment. Canales argued the city should not create an “exit route” to award a credit to a proposal that did not meet the newly established minimum thresholds, saying, “I don’t think that we should award to a project if it’s not good enough.”

Staff member Nicole responded that any designation of city‑owned property for affordable housing would follow a separate city nomination process and would return to council for approval. Nicole said the city would develop additional policies and cross‑functional review before any final decisions on land contributions, and that each project would be examined individually with multiple opportunities for council review.

The amendment failed on a 6‑2 vote. Representatives Acevedo and Canales voted in favor; six members voted against the amendment. After the failed amendment, Representative Limon moved to approve the resolution as presented; the motion was seconded by Alternate Mayor Pro Tem Piero and passed unanimously.

The council’s action adopts the city’s scoring rubric and evaluation procedures for 9% Low‑Income Housing Tax Credit applications, including an added five‑point local business bonus referenced by staff in the meeting. The resolution and Attachment A will guide how city staff and council score and prioritize applications for the federal 9% LIHTC competitive program.

Votes at a glance: the amendment to strike the “best application (optional)” section failed 6‑2 (Acevedo and Canales voting aye); the main resolution to adopt the LIHTC evaluation procedures passed unanimously.

Council members closed the brief special meeting after the vote and adjourned at 9:12 a.m.