As TDHCA begins its efforts to develop the 2026 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), TAAHP stands at the forefront, ready to champion the priorities of Texas’s affordable housing industry. TAAHP’s advocacy is led by its QAP Committee, which ensures the QAP reflects on-the-ground realities for developers, investors, and community partners across the state. Throughout the revision process, TAAHP will keep members informed of opportunities to participate, collaborate, and shape the policies that govern the state’s most important affordable housing tool.
TAAHP’s QAP Committee is still gathering comments to consider for inclusion in its formal letter to TDHCA. If you have suggestions, questions, or examples from your work that could help inform our advocacy, please send them to [email protected].
TAAHP’s 2026 QAP Advocacy Timeline
- May 2025: TAAHP Annual QAP Membership Meeting
- Early June 2025: TAAHP submits initial recommendation letter to TDHCA
- Summer 2025: TAAHP participates in TDHCA QAP Roundtables
- Fall 2025: TDHCA releases the draft 2026 QAP
- TAAHP submits additional comment letters
- TAAHP provides public testimony at TDHCA Board Meetings
- Mid-November 2025: Final QAP submitted to the Governor
- December 1, 2025: Deadline for Governor to approve or reject the QAP
Stakeholder Engagement to Date
There have already been three major feedback touchpoints in the 2026 QAP development process:
- TDHCA’s April QAP Roundtable – An early discussion forum to surface new ideas and agency concerns
- TDHCA’s May Rules Committee Meeting – Staff presented initial proposed changes to scoring and policy
- TAAHP’s May Membership Meeting– Our annual town hall for surfacing member priorities and shaping our response strategy.
These three conversations, taken together, give us a strong starting point and a clear sense of which issues may be most contested or promising in the 2026 QAP cycle.
TDHCA Rules Committee Meeting – Highlights
At its May 7 meeting, TDHCA’s Rules Committee previewed several major policy shifts for the 2026 QAP:
- Six-Month Extension for Placed-in-Service (PIS): Staff recommended allowing an automatic 6-month extension (by request) to address development timelines and reduce repetitive force majeure waivers. There was broad support.
- Suspension of Quantity of Units Scoring: TDHCA proposed pausing this item for 2026, acknowledging that the push for more units is clashing with worsening deal economics. Stakeholders strongly supported the move, citing shrinking equity pricing, delayed closings, and increased reliance on property tax exemptions.
- CRP Scoring Cap Proposal: Staff floated limiting CRP eligibility to census tracts with 30% poverty or less. Stakeholders objected, warning that this would penalize already-approved plans and limit development in cost-effective areas. TDHCA agreed to revisit the data.
- Sponsor Characteristics Overhaul: Staff proposed restructuring this item, including a cap on HUB participants (no more than 5 past awards), stricter legal definitions, and new scoring options for projects paying full property taxes or sponsored by local housing authorities. The HUB cap proposal drew strong opposition from developers and HUB owners.
- Concerns were raised about proposed poverty-based tiebreakers, resyndication age minimums, and cash-out refinancing limits.
Click here to read TAAHP’s full meeting notes.
TAAHP 2026 QAP Membership Meeting– Highlights
On May 21, TAAHP’s Annual QAP Membership Meeting served as a key opportunity to hear directly from members about what matters most heading into the 2026 QAP cycle. The meeting followed TDHCA’s spring roundtable and Rules Committee discussions, giving members the chance to reflect on those proposals and identify where TAAHP should focus its advocacy.
Key themes and takeaways included:
- Strong support for pausing the Quantity of Units scoring item, with developers warning that the current scoring pressure is pushing deals toward infeasibility. Many agreed that rewarding unit counts without considering rising costs has become counterproductive—and linked directly to increased reliance on property tax exemptions.
- Widespread opposition to the proposed 5-award cap on HUB participation, with members arguing that this restriction would shut out capable minority- and women-owned firms. Several pointed out that capacity cannot be measured by deal count alone, especially in a program where developments often take years to complete.
- Ongoing discussion around proposed scoring incentives tied to property tax status, with members emphasizing that tax exemptions—especially through housing authorities and HFCs—are often essential to making high-quality housing work in challenging markets.
- Concerns about tiebreakers, preservation scoring, and new restrictions on 9% resyndication also came up, with members cautioning against changes that would unintentionally penalize urban or at-risk developments.
All feedback collected during the meeting, along with survey input and additional member outreach, is informing the QAP Committee’s formal recommendations to TDHCA.
Click here to watch the recording.
Upcoming: TDHCA Virtual 2026 QAP Workgroup – June 9
TDHCA will host a virtual stakeholder workgroup on Monday, June 9 from 2–4 p.m. CT to gather additional public input on the 2026 QAP. This is an important opportunity for members to provide direct feedback to TDHCA staff. An agenda and meeting link will be posted soon at TDHCA’s QAP page: https://www.tdhca.texas.gov/multifamily-programs-qap-nofas-and-rules.
What’s Next?
In early June, TAAHP’s QAP Committee will submit an initial comment letter to TDHCA summarizing what we’ve heard so far. Over the summer, we’ll attend every roundtable, weigh in on proposals, and continue gathering member input. Once the draft 2026 QAP is released this fall, we’ll follow up with detailed written comments and public testimony at Board meetings.
To provide additional feedback or raise an issue, contact [email protected]. We’ll keep you updated at every step.