The data collection applies to households within all LIHTC units in a project as of December 31,2020.

Software and Instructions

New Users

See the section below entitled ‘Download Software’ to install the Spectrum software on your computer.

Existing Users

If you have the Spectrum software currently installed on your computer you will continue to use it for the 2020 data collection.

If your software doesn’t automatically update
If your existing installation does not automatically update to version 7.0.0 see the section below entitled ‘Download Software’ to re-install the Spectrum software on your computer.

### Please keep in mind that if you have any existing (.eoy)  database files on your computer they won’t be modified or deleted during the re-installation of the software. ###

IF YOUR EXISTING REPORT DATABASE FILES ARE NOT AVAILABLE
If you Manually Enter Data
It is expected that you will be adding 2020 Tenant data to your existing database report file(s) (.eoy) that were used for the 2019 data collection cycle. If you are no longer able to access your previous report files or they cannot be located anywhere within your organization contact Spectrum support at 517-277-0120 and request that your 2019 report file(s) be made available to you.

If you Enter Data Using XML Importing
If your 2019 (.eoy) database file(s) are not available you have the option to either contact us and request your previously submitted files or you can create new .eoy file(s) and import the new data into them. If you chose to start with a new .eoy file you will need to complete the Property data entry for each property.

2020 Updates

Version 7.0 of the Spectrum End of Year (EOY) software contains the following new features:
1) Income Averaging Federal Set-Aside Designation
2) Expanded Ethnicity categories
3) Support for version 5.0 and 6.0 of the NAMHA LIHTC XML Data Transfer Standard

1) Income Averaging Federal Set-Aside Designation
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, also known as the omnibus spending bill, made two changes to the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC). In addition to increasing the amount of LIHTC volume cap by 12.5 percent over the next four years, Congress created a new occupancy set-aside option known as “Income Averaging” (IA).

The Spectrum software now provides the ability to enter unit by unit set-aside elections for Properties utilizing Income Averaging.

Income Averaging Tutorial

2) Expanded Ethnicity categories
Ethnicity categories have been expanded as follows:

Current Categories
– Hispanic or Latino
– Not Hispanic
– Tenant Did Not Respond

Updated Categories
– Hispanic or Latino
– Not Hispanic or Latino
– Puerto Rican
– Cuban
– Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano/a
– Another Hispanic, Latino/a or Spanish Origin
– Did Not Respond

Rules:
a) If any of the following are reported then Hispanic or Latino must also be reported.
b) Additionally, any one or more of the following may be reported.
– Puerto Rican
– Cuban
– Mexican, Mexican American, Chicano/a
– Another Hispanic, Latino/a or Spanish Origin

c) The following are mutually exclusive:
– Hispanic or Latino,
– Not Hispanic or Latino
– Did Not Respond

3) Support for version 5.0 and 6.0 of the NAMHA LIHTC XML Data Transfer Standard
Spectrum now supports ALL versions including 5.0 and 6.0 of the NAHMA standard used when creating XML files in management software for import into the Spectrum EOY software.