Affordable Housing Program (AHP) funds continue to be an excellent leveraging tool for tribal LIHTC projects

It’s no secret that soft money is drying up for affordable housing projects. There are more developers chasing fewer resources, thereby increasing competition. And said competition will continue to rise as the market braces for increasing interest rates, and developers try to figure out how to pencil out their projects (a.k.a. demonstrate financial feasibility).

These topics, however, are for another blog…today’s entry is to celebrate the success of the Red Lake Reservation Housing Authority, the Eastern Shoshone Housing Authority and Dakota Nation Development Corporation for their recent Affordable Housing Program (AHP) awards! The AHP is a competitive program through the Federal Home Loan Bank system that provides grants and subsidized loans to support affordable rental housing and homeownership opportunities.

With the support of the First National Bank of Bemidji, the Red Lake Reservation Housing Authority in Minnesota received $400,000 from the FHLB of Des Moines for Red Lake Homes XII — a 40-unit rehabilitation project primarily financed with a 2014 allocation of tax credits from Minnesota Housing and an equity investment from Raymond James Tax Credit Funds.

In Wyoming, the Eastern Shoshone Housing Authority received $526,940 for its Tigee Village project, supported by Central Bank & Trust. Tigee Village is the reconstruction of a subdivision that was demolished in 2014 due to the extremely poor condition of the homes. Twenty new units — a mix of duplexes and fourplexes — are presently being constructed after receiving a 2014 LIHTC allocation from the Wyoming Community Development Authority and an equity investment from RBC Capital Markets.

Last but not least, the Dakota Nation Development Corporation received $480,000 for its upcoming SWO Elderly Village project. This project, which was supported by Dacotah Bank, is targeted for a future LIHTC allocation from South Dakota Housing Development Authority and will construct a residential complex for elders consisting of 32 two-bedroom units, one manager unit and communal gathering areas. Several supportive and empowerment services will be offered to the residents and coordinated by the on-site manager.

Over the last 20 years Travois has helped 34 tribes in receiving 60 allocations of AHP funds for a total of $23,442,746 in soft money. If you are interested in applying for AHP funds, whether for a LIHTC project or a non-LIHTC project, or a homeownership project or a rental project, please contact us, and we can review with you the opportunity for accessing this resource.

For more information about other AHP awards, see these other blogs:

Nearly $2 million in AHP grants awarded to four Travois clients

Travois tops $20 million in AHP funds for clients with three more awards in the last month

Closing out the year with client good news

Tribes use FHLB’s Affordable Housing Program to leverage LIHTC projects

Housing Authority of the Seminole Nation receives AHP award

Travois’ AHP success continues

Travois successful with four more AHP applications, totaling more than $2.2 million

Travois clients awarded a total of nearly $1.5 million in AHP funds

Tribal tax credit projects receive additional $1.12 million in AHP funds