Georgia lawmakers aim to speed housing permits for affordability

"A surge in Sun Belt in-migration for well over a decade blessed Georgia with population growth that prompted a spate of apartment and home construction. Despite a heavy dose of added supply in the past few years, there was no catching up. The state still has a housing shortage, particularly in the Atlanta metropolitan area. By some measures, the shortage exceeds 365,000 homes statewide."

"In Georgia's next legislative session, beginning in January, a bill filed in March is expected to resurface, accelerating permitting processes and tightening state control over local building standards. This in some small way will bring down the cost of housing, State Rep. Mike Cheokas, who sponsored the bill with the Home Builders Association of Georgia, said during a mid-November hearing on the legislation."

"Cheokas introduced the bill at the end of the 2025 session as a place marker to set the effort in motion for further study after the session. The bill marks an aggressive bid to narrow the gap between construction and a stubborn housing shortage by imposing tight limits on how cities and counties can control building permits and by allowing local code tweaks."

Sun Belt in-migration produced prolonged population growth in Georgia, spurring extensive apartment and home construction. Added supply in recent years failed to match demand, leaving a statewide housing shortage reportedly exceeding 365,000 homes, concentrated in the Atlanta metro area. Georgia lawmakers are pursuing measures to reduce regulatory costs that builders cite as contributors to unaffordable housing, including a bill to accelerate permitting and tighten state control over local building standards. The bill, sponsored by State Rep. Mike Cheokas alongside the Home Builders Association of Georgia, aims to impose limits on local permit control and allow local code tweaks to lower construction costs. The proposal has ignited debate over red tape versus local oversight in fast-developing communities.

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