Rent Relief Act of 2018

All Policies related to Tax Reform; all provisions related to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, Opportunity Zones, and the UBIT Fringe Benefits Tax. All policies relating to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit. Public Law No: 115-141 (H.R. 1652): Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 This is a large omnibus bill providing appropriations for the remainder of FY 2018 for all federal departments. Two key LIHTC provisions were included in the bill: 12.5% credit allocation expansion for four years, and a permanent authorization of the income-averaging option. Signed by the President on March 23, 2018. Public Law No. 115-97 (H.R. 1): Tax Cuts and Jobs Act: This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. It preserves the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program, with no modifications, and retains the tax-preferred status on Multifamily Housing Bonds. The legislation lowers the top corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018, which will likely affect Housing Credit pricing and value. The law also creates a base erosions and anti-abuse tax (BEAT), which would make Housing Credit investment less attractive to certain investors with foreign operations. However, the final bill exempts 80% of the value of the Housing Credit from the BEAT, which could mitigate the impact. Signed by the President on December 22, 2017. S. 548 / H.R. 1661: The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act. This bill seeks to expand the LIHTC and includes additional provisions to make the program more streamlined and flexible. The Housing Credit allocation authority would be expanded by 50%, which is expected to finance the development or preservation of up to 400,000 additional affordable units over the next decade (the expansion provision is excluded from the House version of the bill). The bill would also: provide a minimum 4% Housing Credit rate for the acquisition of affordable housing and for multifamily Housing Bond-financed developments; permit income averaging in Housing Credit properties to preserve rigorous targeting while providing more flexibility and responsiveness to local needs; create incentives for projects that target homeless or extremely low-income individuals and families, as well as in Native American communities; allow a non-profit or government sponsor to acquire properties when the current 15 year compliance period expires; allow LIHTC properties to claim clean energy credits such as the Energy Efficient New Homes Credit; align LIHTC rules, such as the student rule, more closely with HUD regulations; rename the LIHTC to the Affordable Housing Tax Credit (AHTC); all provisions S. 293 / H.R. 828: Investing in Opportunity Act. This bill aims to improve the economy of distressed areas through a capital gains tax deferment, reduction, or exemption in exchange for reinvestment in Opportunity Zones - geographically targeted low-income areas that would be designated by state governors. The capital gains from the sale or exchange any asset held by the taxpayer would be pooled into newly-created Opportunity Funds, which would be established specifically for making investments in distressed communities; all provisions. H.R. 948: Common Sense Housing Investment Act. This bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to replace the mortgage interest deduction (MID) with a nonrefundable 15% tax credit on the mortgage interest of a primary and secondary residence, up to $500,000. The adjustment is expected to affect only 6% of mortgage holders currently benefitting from the MID, while the replacement would expand the mortgage interest tax benefits to more moderate and low-income homeowners. The savings, which could total $241 billion over 10 years, would be reinvested in affordable housing programs, including the LIHTC and the Housing Trust Fund; all provisions. H.R.6671/S.3250 - Rent Relief Act of 2018 - This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for individuals who pay rent for a principal residence that exceeds 30% of the individual's gross income for the taxable year. The amount of the credit ranges from 25% to 100% of the excess rent, depending on the gross income of the taxpayer. The credit is not available for taxpayers with gross income that exceeds $100,000 ($125,000 for a taxpayer whose principal residence is located in a high-cost area, as defined by the bill). Rent that exceeds 150% of the fair market rent (including the utility allowance) for the residence may not be taken into account for the purpose of determining the amount of the credit. For individuals who reside in government-subsidized housing, the bill allows a credit equal to 1/12 of the rent paid by the taxpayer (and not subsidized under the program) during the year with respect to the residence. S.3365 - Middle-Income Housing Tax Credit Act of 2018 - This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for the development of housing for middle-income households. The credit is based on the existing low-income housing tax credit and applies to the development or rehabilitation of residential rental properties if: (1) 60% or more of the residential units in the project are both rent-restricted and occupied by individuals whose income is 100% or less of the area median gross income, and (2) the project is not federally subsidized or financed with a federally funded grant. The credits are allocated to each state based on population, and state housing agencies then distribute the credits to developers using a competitive process. The credits are paid over a 15-year credit period, and the amounts of the credits are based on a percentage of a project's qualified basis, which is the portion of the project dedicated to affordable middle-income housing. The credit dollar amount allocated to a project may not exceed the amount that is necessary for the financial feasibility of the project and its viability as a qualified middle-income housing project throughout the credit period. To qualify for the credit, the developer must make a long-term commitment to middle-income housing, under which the affordability restrictions for a property remain in place for at least an additional 15 years after the close of the credit period. S. 434 / H.R. 1145: Housing for Homeless Students Act This bill amends the IRS housing credit guidelines to qualify low-income building units that provide housing for homeless children, youth, and veterans who are full-time students. In order to become eligible for the LIHTC, the building units student residents must have been homeless during any portion of the preceding five years (for veterans) or seven years (for children and youth).