05/16/2026
BUILDLAB
4 min readCTCAC & CDLAC 2026 Deadlines: The Dates That Decide Your Tax-Credit Year
The 9% credit runs in two competitive rounds; the 4% / bond credit runs through CDLAC in scheduled QRRP rounds. Miss a date and you wait months. Here is the 2026 calendar.
Tax-credit timing is unforgiving. The 9% competitive credit runs in two rounds a year, and readiness points reward projects that have site control, entitlements, and financing locked in before they apply. Miss a round and you wait months for the next one — months your land cost and interest clock keep running.
Two programs, two calendars
It helps to keep the two paths straight, because they run on different schedules:
- 9% competitive credit — CTCAC, two rounds per year. In 2026, Round 1 applications were due April 7 and Round 2 is due July 21.
- 4% credit with tax-exempt bonds — these run through CDLAC’s Qualified Residential Rental Project (QRRP) program in scheduled rounds, not on the 9% calendar. 2026 QRRP rounds close in February, May, and September.
Readiness is a deadline too
The application date is the obvious deadline, but the real work is being application-ready before it. Site control, zoning, environmental clearance, and committed financing all take time — and your technology scope (broadband, community WiFi, security, accessibility) should be designed early so it never becomes the item that delays a submission.
