State · LIHTC 2026
LIHTC in Rhode Island: 2026 allocations, QAP and data
Rhode Island Housing (RIHousing) allocates Rhode Island's housing tax credits. The population-based part of Rhode Island's 2026 9% credit ceiling, before carryforwards and returned credits, is $3,953,600. That is the small-state minimum: 1,114,521 residents times $3.416 would give only $3,807,204. Its 2026 private activity bond cap is the $397,625,000 minimum, and every 4% deal in the state needs a share of it.
Agency and qualified allocation plan
| Allocating agency | Rhode Island Housing (RIHousing) |
|---|---|
| Tax credit program page | RIHousing LIHTC page |
| Current QAP | State of Rhode Island 2026 Qualified Allocation Plan (2026) |
| QAP status | 2027 QAP draft markup posted by the RI Dept of Housing; it shifts QAP authority to the RI Executive Office of Housing with RIHousing administering: housing.ri.gov link (QAP page housing.ri.gov link returns 403 to curl). |
Agency and QAP links checked 2026-10-30; 2 of them block automated checks (HTTP 403) but are the agency's own published addresses.
2026 credit ceiling and bond cap
| Item | 2026 | Per resident |
|---|---|---|
| Population (IRS Notice 2026-22) | 1,114,521 | 45th of 52 |
| 9% ceiling, population amount | $3,953,600 | $3.55 |
| Formula | greater of $3.416 × pop or $3,953,600 | minimum applies |
| Private activity bond cap | $397,625,000 | $356.77 |
| Formula | greater of $135 × pop or $397,625,000 | minimum 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.
Rhode Island is one of 13 jurisdictions (8 states, DC and the four insular areas) that receive the same $3,953,600 minimum, so its credits per resident ($3.55) are above the $3.416 national rate. 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 34 Rhode Island census tracts in qualified census tracts, spread across 3 counties. No nonmetropolitan county is a 2027 DDA. In metro areas, 18 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 |
|---|---|
| Providence County | 32 |
| Newport County | 1 |
| Washington County | 1 |
Metro areas with Small Area DDAs: Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area.
Every Rhode Island qualified census tract, with its population, poverty rate and median income, is on the Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island
HUD's database lists 189 Rhode Island properties financed with housing tax credits that the allocating agency still monitors, with 13,223 income-restricted units. The largest city totals are below; browse them on the Rhode Island apartments page.
| City | Properties | Restricted units |
|---|---|---|
| Providence | 77 | 5,706 |
| Woonsocket | 13 | 918 |
| Newport | 15 | 917 |
| Pawtucket | 13 | 860 |
| North Kingstown | 9 | 763 |
| Cumberland | 7 | 506 |
| North Smithfield | 5 | 324 |
| County | Properties | Restricted units |
|---|---|---|
| Providence County | 131 | 9,608 |
| Washington County | 20 | 1,443 |
| Newport County | 22 | 1,205 |
| Kent County | 11 | 699 |
| Bristol County | 5 | 268 |
For buyers and lenders: the Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island
A 9% deal in Rhode Island competes for RIHousing's 2026 ceiling of $3,953,600 (population amount) under the State of Rhode Island 2026 Qualified Allocation Plan. A 4% deal needs an award from the state's $397,625,000 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 Rhode Island's 34 qualified census tracts for 2027 can take the 130% basis boost.
On HUD's records for the 139 Rhode Island properties on this site's city pages, 39% of those reporting the field were financed with tax-exempt bonds and 58% took 9% (70% present value) credits; 29 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 Rhode Island deal: get a financing quote.
State housing tax credit
Yes. RI Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, R.I. Gen. Laws 44-71 (2023). Up to $30M per fiscal year, 5-year credits, transferable; awarded with 9% LIHTC; no new reservations after June 30, 2028. (primary source)
More Rhode Island data
- Rhode Island 2026 income and rent limitsby town
- Rhode Island tax credit apartmentsby city
- Rhode Island QCTs and DDAs2027 lists by county
- Year 15 and Year 30 propertiesby county
- QCT and DDA lookupby address
- Monthly credit ratesIRS
- LIHTC in Puerto Ricoprevious
- LIHTC in South Carolinanext
- All statescompare
Questions people ask
How much 9% LIHTC does Rhode Island get in 2026?
The population part of Rhode Island's 2026 housing credit ceiling is $3,953,600: the greater of $3.416 per resident or $3,953,600, applied to the 1,114,521 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 Rhode Island?
Rhode Island Housing (RIHousing). It awards 9% credits under its qualified allocation plan (State of Rhode Island 2026 Qualified Allocation Plan, 2026) and sets the rules 4% bond deals must meet to receive credits.
Does Rhode Island have a state low-income housing tax credit?
Yes. RI Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, R.I. Gen. Laws 44-71 (2023). Up to $30M per fiscal year, 5-year credits, transferable; awarded with 9% LIHTC; no new reservations after June 30, 2028.
Financing a Rhode Island tax credit deal?
Construction, bond, bridge-to-equity and permanent debt for Rhode Island 4% and 9% deals.