2018 Legislative Session
2018 Policy and Advocacy Agenda
Georgia law includes a commitment to safe, decent, affordable housing for all. Housing Georgia is dedicated to engaging a broad coalition of organizations and individuals to make that vision a reality.
Housing is the bedrock for strong families and vibrant communities. Today, one out of every five Georgia families is paying over 50% of their income for housing – a challenge that is unaffordable and results in housing that is insecure, uninhabitable or nonexistent.
Housing Georgia’s Policy and Advocacy Agenda supports strengthening resources and commitments to meet the affordable housing needs for all sectors and income levels, including rural, underserved, and vulnerable populations of seniors, children, and people with disabilities.
Housing Georgia Policy Priorities
Increase Resources and Opportunities to Provide Housing for All
- Empower cities and counties to establish Local Housing Trust Funds, with options for dedicated revenue streams, to fund their specific affordable housing needs.
- Protect the state Low Income Housing Tax Credit as a significant and continuing source of funding for new affordable multi-family housing statewide.
- Maximize Georgia’s access to federal funding that supports affordable housing.
- Increase resources to the Housing Trust Fund for the Homeless to establish added permanent housing options so that homelessness is temporary and rare.
- Enable local communities to use zoning, tax and financial incentives to require the development and preservation of housing that meets the needs of families across the economic spectrum.
- Extend the capacity of communities to use public subsidies to achieve long-term housing affordability.
- Strengthen connections between housing, good jobs, quality schools and transit options
Housing Georgia Action Strategies
- Housing Day at the Capitol on March 1, 2018 – Advocacy Training and Engagement.
- Advocacy updates and alerts throughout the legislative session to empower statewide engagement with legislators on affordable housing priorities.
- Engage with Department of Community Affairs to increase access to affordable housing through:
- Adoption of federal audit recommendations for use of HomeSafe Program funds.
- Enforcement of annual state housing goals and legislative reporting requirements.
- Increase state plan commitments for housing low-income families.
- Expand the coalition of organizations working together to increase access to safe, decent affordable housing for all Georgians.
- Raise affordable housing as an issue on the campaign trail in 2018 through support for voter education, candidate forums, and issue awareness on affordable housing priorities.