The Fed's quantitative easing policy is coming to an end. Inflation has forced the Fed's hand, and to curb inflation, it is focused on tightening the money supply. At the end of last year, the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee announced that it would reduce asset purchases by $10 billion for Treasurys and $5 billion for agency mortgage-backed securities, essentially doubling the current pace of tapering.

This has cleared the way for interest rates to increase this year, and higher interest rates could spell a disaster for affordable housing investment. The affordable housing crisis has intensified in the last two years, but the silver lining has been increased investment in affordable housing this year. Rising interest rates could derail that activity.

"The current housing crisis has its foundation in a number of economic factors and current low interest rates are chief among them," Marvin Owens, chief engagement officer at Impact Shares, tells GlobeSt.com. "I believe rising interest rates will have a chilling effect on a hot market by making it more expensive for large investors to maintain their pace of acquisitions"