Annual Reporting
Happy New Year! As we head into 2026, it is important not to push 2025 to far into our rearview mirror. Affordable Housing properties are required to submit specific Annual Reports to their various funding sources by specific deadlines. These reports certify that Owners and Agents adhered to program requirements during the prior calendar year. If an Annual Report is not submitted on time, a notice of program non-compliance may be issued.
This article focuses on Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency’s (PHFA) submission requirements for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), PennHOMES, Housing Trust Fund (HTF) and Capital Magnet Fund (CMF). It is important to check with your funding source and state for their specific requirements.
PHFA requires the following Annual Reports be submitted by January 31:
- LIHTC Owner’s Certification of Continuing Compliance & Rental Schedule
- PennHOMES Addendum to the Owner’s Certification of Continuing Compliance (for properties with PennHOMES and Tax Credits)
- PennHOMES Annual Report (for PennHOMES only properties)
- HTF Annual Owner’s Certification
- CMF Annual Owner’s Certification
The Annual Reports shown above may be obtained through the agency website for the applicable year.
Properties with access to the PHFA Multifamily Web Entry System must upload the Owner’s Certification of Continuing Compliance and Rental Schedule through the Web Entry System. The Web Entry System is not available to properties that have not yet received their 8609. For these properties, reports will need to be downloaded and completed from the agency site and the hardcopy must be mailed no later than January 31 to: Manager of Tax Credits Compliance, PHFA, 211 North Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101.
A complete breakdown of submitting the Annual Reports based on funding type is as follows:
- Tax Credits only
- Owner’s Certification of Continuing Compliance – Web Entry System
- Rental Schedule – Web Entry System
- Tax Credit and PennHOMES
- Owner’s Certification of Continuing Compliance – Web Entry System
- Rental Schedule – Web Entry System
- PennHOMES Addendum – Web Entry System
- PennHOMES Only Report (no Tax Credits) – Email to assigned Housing Management Representative (HMR)
- Tax Credit and HTF
- Owner’s Certification of Continuing Compliance – Web Entry System
- Rental Schedule – Web Entry System
- HTF Annual Owner’s Certification – Email to assigned HMR
- Tax Credit and CMF
- Owner’s Certification of Continuing Compliance – Web Entry System
- Rental Schedule – Web Entry System
- CMF Annual Owner’s Certification – Email to assigned HMR
Please keep in mind, the LIHTC Rental Schedule demonstrates all tenant activity in your property for the year (move-ins, move-outs, transfers and recertifications). When you enter a household’s TIC into the PHFA Web Entry System, this information will automatically be populated into the Rental Schedule. Once all TICs for each of your property’s household’s has been entered into the Web Entry System for the calendar year, you only need to create the Rental Schedule in the Web Entry System and submit it.
For properties that do not have access to the Web Entry System, the Rental Schedule must be created manually and the hard copy submitted directly to PHFA through mail (as described above). A copy of each TIC on the Rental Schedule must be included with your submission. A Rental Schedule template may be found on the agency website.
Creating and maintaining affordable housing communities is a complex task. Numerous state and federal requirements must be followed – both during development and for years thereafter. We clarify LIHTC, Federal HOME, HUD, and certification requirements you must follow to remain compliant. For more information on these services, don’t hesitate to contact us.
About the Author
Bette is currently the Director of Compliance for MLCM. Prior to joining MLCM in August 2014, she was with the Cumberland County Housing & Redevelopment Authorities for 17 years. While at the Authority, she worked in the Section 8 Rent… Read more