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Spectrum Compliance — LIHTC compliance experts since 1987. File reviews, audit prep, site inspections & monitoring for affordable housing properties nationwide.

10/28/2026

The IRS published new Section 42 percentages for November 2026:

• 8.24% for the 70% present-value credit
• 3.53% for the 30% present-value credit

If you work with tenant files or manage an LIHTC property, you may be wondering what needs to change.

Good news: these are not new rent or income limits.

The percentages are primarily used by accounting, development and syndication teams to calculate the Housing Credit available to a building. Depending on the transaction, statutory 9% or 4% minimums may apply instead.

For property teams, this announcement does not create a new eligibility calculation or tenant-file requirement.

Not every new LIHTC number needs to become another item on the site team’s to-do list—and we thought that distinction was worth sharing.

IRS Revenue Ruling 2026-21:
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rr-26-21.pdf

10/27/2026

A utility allowance changed. Did someone start the clock?

For LIHTC properties, a new utility allowance is not simply a document to save for the next annual certification.

When the applicable utility allowance changes, the new allowance must be used to calculate gross rents for rent due 90 days after the change.

A newly published PHA allowance may be implemented sooner when permitted by the applicable housing agency and any lease or tenant-notice requirements. Other methods—including certain utility-company estimates, agency estimates, the HUD Utility Schedule Model and energy-consumption models—may require a full 90-day disclosure and review period before the new allowance can be used.

That makes the source of the allowance just as important as the number itself.

A practical checklist:

• Confirm that the allowance comes from the correct source or approved methodology
• Record the date the new applicable allowance becomes effective
• Determine whether a 90-day review period is required or whether earlier implementation is permitted
• Calculate the final implementation deadline
• Recalculate gross rent for every affected unit type
• Determine whether tenant-paid rent must be adjusted
• Retain the allowance, supporting documentation and calculations
• Follow all housing-agency and tenant-notice requirements

When an allowance increases, a unit’s gross rent can exceed the applicable limit even though the tenant-paid rent has not changed. “We didn’t raise the rent” does not necessarily mean the unit remained within the limit.

When an allowance decreases, the property may have room to increase the tenant-paid rent. Before doing so, management should review the lease, applicable program requirements, state and local law, and the required notice to tenants.

Layered property? Do not assume that one procedure applies to every program. HUD, USDA Rural Development, HOME and state housing-agency requirements may affect the applicable allowance, implementation date and approval process.

Treasury Regulation §1.42-10:
https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-26/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-1/subject-group-ECFRd13f17a89aa6852/section-1.42-10

10/27/2026

The 2027 Social Security COLA is here: 3.6%.

For affordable housing teams, that means it is time to review pending certifications and reexaminations effective January 1, 2027, or later.

Before completing a file:

✓ Check the certification’s effective date
✓ Confirm whether the income is Social Security, SSI or state-paid disability
✓ Update the annual income calculation
✓ Keep the calculation and supporting documentation clear
✓ Review every program applying to a layered property

Remember: HUD, USDA and LIHTC requirements are not interchangeable. LIHTC-only properties should follow their state housing agency’s procedures.

A small percentage can make a meaningful difference in a tenant file.

https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/press/releases/2026-10-14.html

10/22/2026

One affordable housing property can come with several different sets of rules.

LIHTC. HUD. HOME. USDA Rural Development. State requirements.

They may all apply to the same property, but that does not mean they ask for the same documentation, use the same timelines or calculate everything in exactly the same way.

Before reviewing a tenant file, create a simple program map showing:

✓ Which programs apply
✓ Which rules control
✓ Which forms are required
✓ Which certification dates matter
✓ Which rent and income restrictions must be followed

Because a file can be correct for one program and still be missing something required by another.

The property may have one address, but compliance rarely comes with only one rulebook.

10/21/2026

NSPIRE’s new affirmative requirements are no longer simply items to watch—they are now part of inspection scoring.

Beginning October 1, 2026, HUD started applying point deductions for the new affirmative requirements during applicable Public Housing and Multifamily Housing inspections.

The requirements address:

• Fire-labeled doors
• GFCI and AFCI electrical protection
• Guardrails
• Heating, ventilation and air conditioning
• Interior lighting
• Minimum electrical and lighting requirements
This is a good time for property teams to move beyond a general inspection walkthrough and conduct a focused review of these specific areas.

A practical preparation checklist:

✓ Review the applicable NSPIRE standards and scoring requirements
✓ Identify recurring conditions across units and common areas
✓ Confirm that previous repairs actually resolved the deficiency
✓ Maintain clear work-order and correction documentation
✓ Make sure onsite staff understand what inspectors will evaluate

An inspection score should not be the first time a team discovers that a condition has become a scored deficiency.

Program note: This scoring change applies to HUD’s Public Housing and Multifamily Housing inspection portfolios.
It should not be presented as a universal LIHTC inspection requirement, although an LIHTC property may be affected when HUD assistance is also present.

HUD’s official NSPIRE notices:
https://www.hud.gov/reac/nspire-notices

10/19/2026

The verification that vanished.

The calculation nobody can explain.

The old finding back for a sequel.

Sound familiar?

Your tenant files might be getting into the Halloween spirit. 🕸️

But compliance consequences are real.

Fall review season is here, and year-end preparation starts NOW!|

Give your team time to find missing documentation, work through unresolved questions, and address outstanding issues before your next review.

Spectrum Compliance can help with:

• Tenant-file reviews to identify gaps and inconsistencies

• Compliance consulting to work through tricky questions

• Audit preparation to prioritize follow-up

Don’t wait for the review to reveal what needs attention.

Let’s tackle the scary parts together: Boooh!

https://spectrumlihtc.com/contact/

10/13/2026

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

For property teams, one of the most helpful things we can do is be prepared before someone asks for help.

A quick team check:

✓ Know every funding and assistance layer at the property
✓ Keep the correct forms and procedures accessible
✓ Make sure frontline employees know who to contact
✓ Protect sensitive information
✓ Respond calmly, respectfully and consistently

No resident should encounter confusion because the right procedure was sitting in a binder no one could find.

October is a good time to review the plan together.

HUD VAWA resources:
https://www.hud.gov/vawa

10/08/2026

An important HOTMA update—and one letter makes a big difference.

HUD staff announced that the Department plans to move the HOTMA compliance date for Multifamily Housing programs, including Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA), to January 1, 2028.

However, the formal HUD notice is still pending. For now, January 1, 2028 should be described as the announced Multifamily/PBRA date.

Public and Indian Housing (PIH) programs are on a different timeline. Public Housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) and Mod Rehab generally remain subject to the January 1, 2027 compliance date under current HUD guidance, with certain exceptions identified in Notice PIH 2026-15.

The easiest way to remember it:

• PBRA: Multifamily Housing—2028 announced, formal notice pending
• PBV: PIH—2027 under current guidance

For LIHTC properties with multiple funding or assistance layers, this is a good reminder that one date may not apply to every program. Confirm each property’s program mix before updating procedures, forms, systems or staff training.

We’ll continue watching for HUD’s formal Multifamily notice.

10/07/2026

October is here.... which means year-end is closer than we would probably like to admit!

Now is a great time for LIHTC property teams to take a look at:

✓ Tenant certifications and supporting documents
✓ Current income and rent limits
✓ Utility allowances and tenant-paid rents
✓ Vacant-unit records
✓ Outstanding file or inspection findings

Reporting requirements vary by agency, but preparing now can help prevent a January search for missing documents, unresolved findings and that one file everyone thought someone else had reviewed.

At Spectrum Enterprises, we help affordable-housing teams prepare through monitoring, tenant-file reviews, physical inspections and practical training.

A little work in October can make year-end much more manageable.

What is at the top of your compliance checklist?

https://spectrumlihtc.com/

10/01/2026

What if your LIHTC training focused on the questions your team actually faces?

Spectrum Compliance offers personalized onsite training designed around your organization’s needs.

You help set the agenda, we focus on your priorities—and we bring the training to your area.

Learn more or ask about training for your team:
https://spectrumlihtc.com/training/personalized-lihtc-training/

Address

South Portland, ME
04106

Telephone

207-767-8000

Website

http://www.spectrumlihtc.com/

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