(a) As contained in Arkansas Code § 15-5-1709(b)(3) of the Arkansas Housing Trust Fund Act of 2009, Arkansas Code § 15-5-1701 et seq., the following evaluation criteria, without limitation, shall be used to determine recipients of funding from the Arkansas Housing Trust Fund:

1. (1) The experience of the entity making the proposal, determined through consideration of the proposer’s past history in completing activities of a similar scale and nature;
2. (2) If rental housing is being proposed, an evaluation of the property management history of the developer and management agent;
3. (3) The timeliness with which units will be developed or the activity implemented and completed;
4. (4) The number of years a development shall maintain units at affordable rents or sales prices and the strength of enforcement mechanisms to ensure long-term affordability;
5. (5) The number of affordable units being made available to households with household incomes at or below fifty percent (50%) and thirty percent (30%) of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development area median household income, adjusted for family size;

6. (6)

   1. (A) The degree to which Arkansas Housing Trust Fund resources are used to leverage additional funding.
   2. (B) Applicants are encouraged to leverage Arkansas Housing Trust Fund resources to the maximum extent possible with funds from other sources.
   3. (C) The extent to which Arkansas Housing Trust Fund resources will be returned through repayment;
7. (7) The extent to which the activity will leverage or augment local community affordable housing goals or locally adopted affordable housing plans such as revitalization areas or other geographic areas targeted for investment;
8. (8) The extent to which the activity will minimize negative impacts on existing tenants and community members, with particular emphasis on displacement;
9. (9) The extent to which housing produced will be part of a mixed income development or neighborhood;
10. (10) The extent to which the activity serves households with special needs, including persons living in rural areas, persons who are elderly, disabled, homeless, or victims of domestic violence;
11. (11) The extent to which the activity adheres to energy efficiency and other environmental and sustainability standards, as adopted by Arkansas Development Finance Authority;
12. (12) The extent to which housing will be located near transit, shopping, community services, and other amenities;
13. (13) The extent to which financial and homeownership counseling is provided to households served by the activity; and
14. (14) The amount of the activity budget spent on administrative costs or developer fees, with such costs or fees capped at ten percent (10%) of total development costs.

(b) Other evaluation criteria:

1. (1) The amount of Arkansas Housing Trust Fund resources requested, the total development budget, provision of firm financial commitments of all other funding budgeted, per-unit costs, and the reasonableness of all development costs associated with the Arkansas Housing Trust Fund-financed activity;
2. (2) The appropriateness, quantity, and quality of any supportive services to be provided in conjunction with the affordable housing to be developed or redeveloped; and
3. (3) The extent to which the activity may serve veterans.