Comment on FR Doc # E9-11890

Gil Sperling, U.S. Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program, Mailstop EE–2K 1000 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC 20585–0121 Re: Docket Number EEWAP0515 Dear Mr. Gil Sperling: The King County Housing Authority provides quality, affordable housing for over 17,000 households in Washington State. We appreciate the opportunity to submit comments on Docket No. EEWAP0515, which proposes to streamline verification processes for weatherization of low-income housing. We support the implementation of the proposed rule and further encourage the Department of Energy to consider additional means to remove barriers to weatherizing low-income housing. Specifically, we encourage the examination of tax implications for Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) partnerships in this context. An increasing portion of the assisted and public housing inventory has an overlay of tax credit financing. In LIHTC buildings, the IRS requires that the value of the weatherization upgrades be recognized as revenue, resulting in an unintended consequence to the property ownership. The DOE and the IRS should consider adding an exemption for the material improvements and value of the work funded through the Weatherization Assistance Program. Thank you for your time reviewing our comments. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at (206) 574-1155. Sincerely, Megan Hyla Director of Policy