Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle
    Affordable Housing Program Scoring Criteria – 2009

    Eligible Projects
    Projects must be owner-occupied or rental housing. Projects must be eligible as outlined in the Project Eligibility Guidelines and in section 951.5 of the Affordable Housing Program (AHP) Regulation. Projects must also be feasible as outlined in the Project Feasibility Guidelines, which includes analyzing the need for the AHP subsidy.

    Please Note: For those criteria where setting aside percentage of units is required to achieve points, the percentage set aside is calculated on the basis of total units in the project, including non-AHP units.

    Category Points
    Use of Donated or Conveyed Government-Owned or Other Properties – The creation of housing where a significant proportion of the land or units is donated or conveyed by: VARIABLE:
    Up to 5
    • Any party, including the Federal Government, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, for an amount that is at least 50% less than the fair market value of the land or units.
    		 5
    - OR -
    • The Federal government, or any agency or instrumentality thereof, for any other value or price.
    		 2
    Long-term leases of 30 years or more qualify as donated property under the conditions described above.  

    Category Points
    Sponsorship by a Not-for-Profit Organization or Government Entity – Project sponsorship by a nonprofit organization, a state or political subdivision of a state, a state housing agency, a local housing authority, a Native American Tribe, an Alaskan Native Village, or the government entity for Native Hawaiian Home Lands. FIXED: 5

    Category Points
    Housing for the Homeless – The creation of rental housing, excluding overnight shelters, reserving at least 20% of the units for homeless households; the creation of transitional housing for homeless households permitting a minimum of six months occupancy; or the creation of permanent owner-occupied housing reserving at least 20% of the units for homeless households. FIXED: 5

    Category Points
    Promotion of Empowerment FIXED: 5
    • Rental: The sponsor provides directly or through a third-party agreement activities that promote empowerment such as at least one of the following: career counseling, employment training, business development, accredited adult education programs, savings/investment education, first-time homebuyer education, homeownership education, early childhood education, parenting classes, basic life skills, case management, self-help housing, on-site health care services such as screenings or vaccinations, or on-site health care case management (providing general health information or education does not qualify).
    		 5
    - OR -
    • Homeownership: The project entails self-help requirements and/or provides directly or through a third-party agreement homebuyer education.
    		 5

    Category Points
    First District Priority VARIABLE:
    Up to 19
    • Homeownership: The financing of housing where at least 50% of the units are occupied by first-time homebuyers.
    		 12
    • Special Needs: The financing of housing where at least 20% of the units are reserved for occupancy by households with special needs, specifically: the elderly, mentally or physically disabled, persons recovering from physical or substance abuse, persons with HIV/AIDS.
    		 7

    Category Points
    Second District Priority VARIABLE:
    Up to 19
    Preservation: Preservation of housing that has Section 8, Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and/or USDA 515 subsidies that will expire in the next three years. If the sponsor is using the AHP subsidy to refinance the property for preservation, then the refinancing must comply with the requirements of section 951.5(b)(6) of the regulation. 19
    - OR -
    District Distribution: District Distribution:
    • Projects located in Hawaii, Wyoming, American Samoa, Guam, or the Northern Mariana Islands
    		 19
    • Projects located in Montana, Oregon, or Utah
    		 17
    • Projects located in Alaska or Idaho
    		 15
    • Projects located in Washington
    		 13
    - OR -
    Native Housing: The creation of rental or owner-occupied housing on properties located in Native American Service Areas or Hawaiian Home Lands housing areas. A Native American Service Area is defined as an Indian reservation or other Indian area within which a Native American tribe or tribally designated housing entity (as designated for purposes of the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act) operates affordable housing programs. A Hawaiian Home Lands housing area is an area of Hawaiian Home Lands in which the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is authorized to provide assistance for affordable housing under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act. 19
    - OR -
    Farmworkers: At least 50% of the units are reserved for seasonal and/or migrant farmworkers. General agricultural labor does not qualify. 19

    Category Points
    Targeting – All AHP-subsidized units must be at 80% of the area median income or below. VARIABLE: 20
    Rental: An application for a rental housing project shall be awarded the maximum number of points available under this scoring category if 60% or more of the units in the project are reserved for occupancy for households with incomes at or below 50% of the median income for the area. Applications for projects with less than 60% of the units reserved for occupancy by households with incomes at or below 50% of the median income for the area shall be awarded points on a declining scale based on the percentage of units reserved for households at or below 50% of the median income for the area and on the percentage of the remaining units reserved for households with incomes at or below 80% of the median income for the area. A weighted average will be used to make this determination.

    Rental projects must reserve at least 20% of the units in the entire project (including units reserved for households above 80% of area median income) for households at 50% of the area median income or below. For projects involving the purchase or rehabilitation of rental housing that is already occupied, the households must have incomes meeting the income targeting commitments in the application at the time it is submitted to the Seattle Bank.     		 
    • If 60% or more of the units are at or below 50% AMI
    		 20
    Weighted Average Income:  
    • 51% to 55% AMI
    		 19
    • 56% to 60% AMI
    		 18
    • 61% to 65% AMI
    		 17
    • 66% to 70% AMI
    		 16
    • 71% to 75% AMI
    		 15
    • 76% to 80% AMI
    		 14
    • 81% AMI and above
    		 13
    Homeownership: All units at or below 80% AMI may be eligible for AHP subsidy.  
    • 20% or more of the units reserved for 60% AMI or below
    		 20
    • 10% or more of the units reserved for 60% AMI or below
    		 18
    • Less than 10% of the units reserved for 60% AMI or below
    		 16

    Category Points
    Effectiveness VARIABLE:
    Up to 5
    AHP Subsidy per Unit:  
    • Less than $9,000
    		 5
    • $9,000 – $12,000
    		 4
    • $12,001 – $15,000
    		 3
    • $15,001 – $18,000
    		 2
    • Greater than $18,000
    		 1

    Category Points
    Community Stability VARIABLE:
    Up to 17
    Mixed-use Housing – The creation of housing in which at least 5% of the total square footage of the project is designated for a non-housing, income-producing tenant. 5
    The reduction of substandard properties by the project’s demolition of and new construction or rehabilitation of a substandard building on the same site. A letter from a local jurisdiction is required to verify that substandard housing as defined by that local jurisdiction is being replaced by this project. 5
    Funder Support: Include the AHP requested amount as approved for the purpose of this calculation.  
    • 100% of funding sources are approved
    		 7
    • 75% of funding sources are approved
    		 5
    • 50% of funding sources are approved
    		 3