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Our Communities

Columbia Housing provides affordable housing options in neighborhoods throughout the Columbia area. Our portfolio consists of several types of housing communities:

Mixed-Income HOPE IV
Mixed-Income LIHTC
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC)
Public Housing
Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD)

Mixed-Income Communities are defined as: A deliberate effort to construct and/or own a multi-family development that has the mixing of income groups as a fundamental part of its financial and operational plans.

HUD has focused over the last decade and a half on the construction of mixed-income communities.

The development of the housing model of mixed-income living implies a promise to move people who have been isolated from market forces closer to the market. This combination provides new opportunities, and seeks to ensure that all of our residents have the tools to be successful in this physical environment.

Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Communities are defined as: Affordable rental housing for low and very low-income families.

The Tax Credit Reform Act of 1986 created the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program (LIHTC). The program regulations are under Section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code. The tax credit encourages developers to build affordable housing to meet the needs of the community. As a condition for receiving Housing Tax Credits, owners must keep the units affordable for a specified number of years. Affordable rents are defined and calculated based on Median Household Income figures published annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The residents who live in Section 42 units must be income and program eligible. The rent that a Section 42 resident will pay is based on a fixed rental fee for the unit size that is lower than the average market rate rent in the area. Affordable rents that are lower than similar market rate units in the community.

Public Housing Communities are defined as: Decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. Public housing comes in all sizes and types, from scattered single-family houses to high-rise apartments for elderly families. There are approximately 1.2 million households living in public housing units, managed by some 3,300 HAs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers Federal aid to local housing agencies (HAs) that manage the housing for low-income residents at rents they can afford. HUD furnishes technical and professional assistance in planning, developing and managing these developments.

Rental Assistance Demonstration Communities are defined as: The Rental Assistance Demonstration was created in order to give public housing authorities (PHAs) a powerful tool to preserve and improve public housing properties and address the $26 billion dollar nationwide backlog of deferred maintenance. RAD also gives owners of three HUD "legacy" program (Rent Supplement, Rental Assistance Payment, and Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation) the opportunity to enter into long-term contracts that facilitate the financing of improvements.