State · LIHTC 2026
LIHTC in Iowa: 2026 allocations, QAP and data
Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) allocates Iowa's housing tax credits. The population-based part of Iowa's 2026 9% credit ceiling, before carryforwards and returned credits, is $11,062,330. That is $3.416 times 3,238,387 residents. Its 2026 private activity bond cap, which 4% deals compete for, is $437,182,245 ($135 per person).
Agency and qualified allocation plan
| Allocating agency | Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) |
|---|---|
| Tax credit program page | IFA LIHTC page |
| Current QAP | 2026-2027 Second Amended 9% Qualified Allocation Plan (2026-2027) |
| QAP status | Governs the 2026 and 2027 9% allocation years (Iowa Code 16.35). IFA posts separate 4% QAPs. IFA site now lives under opportunityiowa.gov (iowafinance.com redirects). |
Agency and QAP links checked 2026-10-30.
2026 credit ceiling and bond cap
| Item | 2026 | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| Population (IRS Notice 2026-22) | 3,238,387 | 32nd of 52 |
| 9% ceiling, population amount | $11,062,330 | $3.42 |
| Formula | greater of $3.416 × pop or $3,953,600 | per-capita applies |
| Private activity bond cap | $437,182,245 | $135.00 |
| Formula | greater of $135 × pop or $397,625,000 | per-capita applies |
Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 secs. 4.08 and 4.19 (the 9% amounts already include the 12% increase from Pub. L. 119-21 sec. 70422); IRS Notice 2026-22 (2026-15 I.R.B.). Computed by us and rounded to the dollar; agencies may round differently.
Only the population amount is shown. The full 2026 ceiling adds credits unused from 2025, credits returned by projects and any share of the national pool, which the agency reports in its allocation materials. See every state side by side on the 2026 ceilings and bond caps table.
Basis boost areas: 2027 QCTs and DDAs
HUD's 2027 lists, which apply from January 1, 2027, put 81 Iowa census tracts in qualified census tracts, spread across 23 counties. No nonmetropolitan county is a 2027 DDA. In metro areas, 1 ZIP code areas (ZCTAs) are Small Area DDAs. A building in either can take 130% of eligible basis. Check an address with the QCT and DDA lookup.
| County | 2027 QCT tracts |
|---|---|
| Polk County | 19 |
| Johnson County | 9 |
| Black Hawk County | 7 |
| Linn County | 6 |
| Pottawattamie County | 6 |
Metro areas with Small Area DDAs: Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL MSA.
Every Iowa qualified census tract, with its population, poverty rate and median income, is on the Iowa QCT list by county.
Source: HUD 2027 QCT and DDA designations, FR Doc. 2026-20390 (91 FR 63573, Oct. 6, 2026).
Tax credit properties in Iowa
HUD's database lists 536 Iowa properties financed with housing tax credits that the allocating agency still monitors, with 23,041 income-restricted units. The largest city totals are below; see all cities on the Iowa apartments page.
| City | Properties | Restricted units |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 91 | 4,735 |
| Cedar Rapids | 30 | 1,933 |
| Davenport | 30 | 1,558 |
| Council Bluffs | 23 | 1,204 |
| Sioux City | 21 | 833 |
| West Des Moines | 8 | 813 |
| Waterloo | 14 | 781 |
| Dubuque | 16 | 690 |
| Iowa City | 14 | 621 |
| Muscatine | 11 | 473 |
| County | Properties | Restricted units |
|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 117 | 6,178 |
| Linn County | 37 | 2,275 |
| Scott County | 35 | 1,800 |
| Pottawattamie County | 25 | 1,264 |
| Dallas County | 18 | 1,039 |
| Black Hawk County | 18 | 959 |
| Johnson County | 21 | 907 |
| Woodbury County | 21 | 839 |
| Dubuque County | 18 | 746 |
| Jasper County | 14 | 516 |
For buyers and lenders: the Iowa Year 15 and Year 30 list shows which of these properties reach the end of the compliance period or the 30-year extended use minimum from 2022 to 2034, by county.
Source: HUD's national LIHTC database (LIHTCPUB, revised May 28, 2026; projects placed in service through 2024). City pages cover cities with at least five properties; county links go to that county's 2026 income and rent limits.
Financing a LIHTC deal in Iowa
A 9% deal in Iowa competes for IFA's 2026 ceiling of $11,062,330 (population amount) under the 2026-2027 Second Amended 9% Qualified Allocation Plan. A 4% deal needs an award from the state's $437,182,245 private activity bond cap: tax-exempt bonds must finance 50% of the aggregate basis of the building and land, or at least 25% if one or more of those bonds, from an issue dated after December 31, 2025, together finance at least 5% of that basis (the 25% bond test, for buildings placed in service in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025). Sites in Iowa's 81 qualified census tracts for 2027 can take the 130% basis boost.
On HUD's records for the 356 Iowa properties on this site's city pages, 3% of those reporting the field were financed with tax-exempt bonds and 92% took 9% (70% present value) credits; 64 received allocations in 2015 or later.
Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32; HUD 2027 QCT list; HUD's national LIHTC database (LIHTCPUB, revised May 28, 2026; projects placed in service through 2024), bond and credit-type fields. What to read in a QAP: state LIHTC programs. Sizing a Iowa deal: get a financing quote.
State housing tax credit
No state LIHTC found. IFA's housing tax credit program and 9% QAP cover only the federal LIHTC; no state LIHTC found. Iowa's Workforce Housing Tax Credit is a separate general housing incentive.
More Iowa data
- Iowa 2026 income and rent limitsby county
- Iowa tax credit apartmentsby city
- Iowa QCTs and DDAs2027 lists by county
- Year 15 and Year 30 propertiesby county
- QCT and DDA lookupby address
- Monthly credit ratesIRS
- LIHTC in Indianaprevious
- LIHTC in Kansasnext
- All statescompare
Questions people ask
How much 9% LIHTC does Iowa get in 2026?
The population part of Iowa's 2026 housing credit ceiling is $11,062,330: the greater of $3.416 per resident or $3,953,600, applied to the 3,238,387 population in IRS Notice 2026-22. The agency's actual 2026 authority also adds unused and returned credits and any national pool share, so its own published figure can be higher.
Who allocates housing tax credits in Iowa?
Iowa Finance Authority (IFA). It awards 9% credits under its qualified allocation plan (2026-2027 Second Amended 9% Qualified Allocation Plan, 2026-2027) and sets the rules 4% bond deals must meet to receive credits.
Does Iowa have a state low-income housing tax credit?
Not a state LIHTC as of October 2026. IFA's housing tax credit program and 9% QAP cover only the federal LIHTC; no state LIHTC found. Iowa's Workforce Housing Tax Credit is a separate general housing incentive.
Financing a Iowa tax credit deal?
Construction, bond, bridge-to-equity and permanent debt for Iowa 4% and 9% deals.