Smoke-Free Housing Update

The Nebraska Investment Finance Authority (NIFA) has released its draft of the 2019 Low Income Housing Tax Credit Qualified Allocation Plan and has INCLUDED a smoke-free housing benefit (page 19) for developers who agree to keep their properties smoke-free. But the draft is not final yet!

Public comments will be accepted at a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, August 14 at 10 a.m. at 1230 O Street, Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68508. If you are unable to attend the meeting comments will be accepted in advance of the hearing via e-mail to sara.tichota@nifa.org, addressed to the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority Board of Directors.

In 2018 the NIFA Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program assisted developers in 12 locations and nine counties across the state, building or renovating 363 LIHTC units. In 2017 there were 17 locations and 12 counties in which developers built or renovated 633 units. Had smoke-free housing been implemented just two years ago, almost 1,000 families would have been positively effected.

There are 11 states identified to date, which currently have 1-4 points allocated for smoke-free housing: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Vermont.

Other resources include Tobacco Free Nebraska's smokefree.ne.gov page, the American Lung Association, or Tobacco Free Lancaster County.

Public Comments

Tuesday, August 14

at 10 a.m.

at 1230 O Street, Suite 200,

Lincoln, NE 68508.

If you are unable to attend the meeting written comments will be accepted in advance of the hearing addressed to Sara Tichota at NIFA at 1230 O St., Ste. 200, Lincoln NE 68508-1402 or via e-mail to sara.tichota@nifa.org.