Rhode Island — OZ 2.0 Resource

55

Total eligible tracts

1

Rural eligible

14

Max designations (25%)

1

Days to federal window

Nomination process

The lead agency has been identified, but no public process has been published yet. Contact information is below. See how to advocate for what to do while the process develops.

Rhode Island Commerce Corporation has not published a formal, confirmed OZ 2.0 nomination process as of this writing; the agency's OZ page still largely reflects OZ 1.0 content. There are unconfirmed indications Commerce RI may be working toward an internal submission target around June 23, 2026, but this has not been verified against a primary Commerce RI source and should be treated as provisional. Email Giselle Mahoney at giselle.mahoney.ctr@commerce.ri.gov or call Commerce RI at (401) 278-9100 to introduce your jurisdiction, confirm whether a June 23 (or other) target date is real, ask when community input will open, and offer tract-level eligibility data for any tracts you want considered. As a small-population state, Rhode Island must nominate at least 25 tracts regardless of the statutory 25% cap, so the pool is constrained and early engagement matters.

Eligible tracts

Loading 55 eligible tracts…

View on EIG map → IRS appendix (XLSX) Source: IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-14 · EIG DCI 2023 · FFIEC CRA 2025 · Urban Institute 2026

County	Eligible tracts
Providence County	50
Kent County	2
Newport County	2
Washington County	1

Data context

7

Eligible tracts in EIG DCI top distress quintile

The EIG Distressed Communities Index (2019–2023) is referenced in many state scoring rubrics. Quintile 1 = most distressed. See whether OZ 1.0 reached the most distressed places →

0

Counties with eligible tracts designated USDA persistent poverty

Persistent poverty = 20%+ poverty rate in every census 1980–2010. Source: USDA ERS County Typology Codes (2015 edition). Relevant for USDA RD program eligibility and QROF rural bonus. See QROF rural bonus mechanics →

60

Prior NMTC investments in eligible OZ tracts

CDFI Fund NMTC Public Data Release (2024). Indicates prior CDFI capital deployment track record in these tracts. See how NMTC and OZ stack →

46

Eligible tracts with CRA designation (LMI or distressed/underserved)

Banks earn CRA credit for investing in low- or moderate-income tracts (Track 1), and in non-metropolitan middle-income tracts officially designated distressed or underserved by FFIEC (Track 2). When an OZ project sits in a CRA-eligible tract, bank capital can satisfy CRA obligations while generating OZ tax benefits. How CRA and OZ interact →

Cities: Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Central Falls, Cranston and 7 more

ZIP codes: 02860, 02909, 02908, 02907, 02895 and 18 more

See all 12 cities and 23 ZIP codes

All cities:

Providence, Pawtucket, Woonsocket, Central Falls, Cranston, Johnston, Lincoln, Newport, Warwick, Middletown, North Providence, West Warwick

All ZIP codes:

02860, 02909, 02908, 02907, 02895, 02863, 02905, 02904, 02920, 02861, 02903, 02919, 02910, 02840, 02865, 02841, 02893, 02889, 02886, 02911, 02862, 02842, 02940

Look up a specific tract (FFIEC) → Source: FFIEC Census Flat File 2026, joined to IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-14 eligible tracts.

23

Eligible tracts in top investability quintile (Urban Institute model)

The Urban Institute investability model scores OZ-eligible tracts by predicted likelihood of attracting private capital, based on OZ 1.0 investment patterns. Quintile 1 = highest predicted investability among scored tracts. Not all tracts are scored — coverage reflects tracts with sufficient OZ 1.0 data.

How to influence the nomination

No public process has been announced for Rhode Island yet. See how to advocate for steps to engage the governor's office and build a coalition now, and off-list nominations for strategies available when a state hasn't opened a formal process. While waiting, the Accelerator for America OZ Designation Toolkit provides frameworks you can prepare in advance.

Who to contact

Rhode Island Commerce Corporation

https://commerceri.com/site-selection/opportunity-zones/

giselle.mahoney.ctr@commerce.ri.gov

(401) 278-9100

Certified CDFIs

2 certified CDFIs headquartered in Rhode Island. CDFI Fund certified list →

USDA Rural Development

USDA RD Rhode Island State Office →

RCAP Regional Partner

RCAP Solutions →

Rural LISC

Rural LISC →

Native / tribal

No formal tribal consultation process has been published for Rhode Island's OZ 2.0 nomination. If your jurisdiction contains or is adjacent to tribal land, contact the relevant Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) or tribal government directly before submitting a nomination.