Do you want to receive millions in federal funding to build housing?
Through the Housing Tax Credit (HTC) program, your church land can bring in millions in grant financing. We guide you through every step.
Average award to our partners
Awards won for our partners in 7 states
Years of HTC experience
Return on investment
Three steps from church land to a funded housing project.
Assess your land
We study zoning, size, census tract, transit, local need and your state's housing tax credit scoring rules, then give your board a clear recommendation. A first pass takes 8 to 16 hours.
Package and submit
We prepare and submit your Housing Tax Credit application to the state.
Find your development partner
We run the search and selection for the developer who will build and manage the homes.
Homes that match your church's calling.
Senior housing
Affordable apartments for older adults who want to stay in the neighborhood and near their church.
Family housing
Homes for working families, close to schools, jobs and transit.
Supportive housing
Housing with on-site services for people leaving homelessness, veterans and people with disabilities.
Find out what your church land could become.
Your land. Your mission. A community for your neighbors.
Schedule a consultationWe guide your church from first look to tax credit award.
Each step builds on the last, and each has its own fee. Your church decides at every stage whether to keep going.
Assess & conclude
We study your land the way tax credit developers do: zoning and land use, acreage and access, Qualified Census Tract and Difficult Development Area status, transit and amenities, local incomes and need, and how your site would score under your state's Qualified Allocation Plan.
Then we bring your board a clear recommendation: whether to pursue a project, which housing type fits (senior, family or supportive), roughly how many homes, and whether a ground lease, sale or partnership fits your church.
A first pass takes us 8 to 16 hours. If it raises questions that need more research to confirm the site is viable, that work is billed as extra hours.
- Type
- Scope & time
- Amount
- $250 per hour, about $5,000 on average
- Billing
- 50% upfront, balance on completion
Package & submit
We assemble every document the process requires and submit your Housing Tax Credit application to the state housing finance agency.
What we prepare, with typical page counts:
- Type
- Scope
- Amount
- $10,000–$25,000 per submission, depending on complexity
- Billing
- 100% upfront
Identify your development partner
We run the procurement: define what your church needs, invite experienced HTC developers, compare proposals and help you select and negotiate with the right partner.
- Type
- Scope & time
- Amount
- $250 per hour
- Billing
- 50% upfront, balance on completion
Award
When the state awards tax credits to your project, financing can close and construction can begin. The success fee is owed only if your project wins an award.
- Type
- Success
- Amount
- $100,000–$200,000 depending on award size, or $1,000 per unit
- Billing
- At closing
Let's talk about your church's land.
Schedule a consultationHow housing tax credits work, in plain words.
The Housing Tax Credit (HTC), also called the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit or LIHTC, is how most affordable rental housing in the United States gets built. Here's what a church needs to know.
Four parties, one building.
The IRS gives each state credits
Every year, each state receives an amount of tax credits based on its population.
The state awards credits to projects
The state housing finance agency scores applications using its Qualified Allocation Plan and awards credits to the strongest sites.
Investors buy the credits
Banks and corporations invest cash in the project in exchange for the credits, which reduce their taxes over 10 years.
That money builds the homes
The investor equity pays for a large share of construction, so rents can stay affordable for families who need them.
The words you'll hear.
| Term | What it means for your church |
|---|---|
| 9% credits | The competitive credits. States award a limited number each year, so site quality matters most here. |
| 4% credits | Paired with tax-exempt bonds. Not capped the same way, and usually used for larger projects. |
| QCT / DDA | Qualified Census Tracts and Difficult Development Areas. Sites in them can get up to a 130% basis boost. |
| QAP | Qualified Allocation Plan. Your state's rulebook and scoring system for awarding credits. |
| AMI | Area Median Income. Rents are set for households earning a share of it, often 60% or less. |
| Compliance period | Homes must stay affordable for at least 15 years, and usually 30 or more under an extended use agreement. |
| Ground lease | A long-term lease of your land to the project. Your church keeps ownership and earns rent. |
Is your land a strong tax credit site?
Schedule a consultationHelping congregations see what their land can become.
Church Land Advisors is an Urbanize company. We pair Urbanize's site-selection data with plain-language guidance for churches, so faith communities can make confident decisions about their land.
Built on the platform behind LIHTCSites.
Figures as reported by Urbanize.
Stewardship, backed by data.
Mission first
Every option starts with what your congregation is called to do.
Honest odds
We tell you when a site is unlikely, and why, before anyone spends money.
Your decision
We advise. Your congregation and its leaders decide.
What churches ask us.
How does the federal funding work?
The Housing Tax Credit is a federal tax credit that states award to housing projects. Investors buy the credits, and that money helps build the homes. Your church benefits as the landowner or a partner, through lease income, a sale or a share of the development.
Do we have to give up our land?
Not necessarily. Many churches use a long-term ground lease and keep ownership of the land.
What do your services cost?
We charge in stages: an assessment fee, an application fee, a procurement fee for finding your development partner, and a success fee billed at closing if the state awards tax credits. Fees are quoted per project. See Services.
Our church is small. Is our land too small?
Sometimes, but not always. Even an acre or less can work in the right location. That's what our assessment tells you.
Who lives in tax credit housing?
Seniors, working families, veterans, people with disabilities and people leaving homelessness whose incomes fall below a set share of the area median income, often 60%.
How long does a project take?
Often two to four years from first look to move-in. States award credits on a set schedule, and zoning and design take time.
Do we need our denomination's approval?
It depends on how your church holds title. Many denominations require approval for long-term leases or sales. We'll help you find out early.
Will you share our information?
No. Your information is confidential. We only introduce you to developers or partners when you ask us to.
Still have questions?
Schedule a consultationSchedule a consultation.
Tell us about your church and what you're considering. We'll follow up to walk you through our services and next steps.
Pick a time that works for you and we'll walk through your land, your goals and next steps.
Schedule a consultationThank you.
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