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HR 656

House Study Committee on Expanding Home Ownership Opportunities for Georgians; create

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Victor Anderson and 4 co-sponsors

Creates a temporary Georgia House study committee to evaluate homeownership needs and institutional ownership, and issue recommendations or legislation before Dec. 1, 2025.

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Bill Summary · HR 656

Summary — House Resolution 656 (HR 656)

Title: House Study Committee on Expanding Home Ownership Opportunities for Georgians
Status: House Second Readers
Introduced: January 23, 2025
Classification: House resolution

Purpose

HR 656 creates a temporary House study committee to examine factors affecting homeownership in Georgia and to develop recommendations — including proposed legislation if appropriate — to expand homeownership opportunities for Georgians. The resolution is motivated by rising home prices and increasing institutional ownership of single‑family homes in metro Atlanta.

Background (as stated in the resolution)

  • The resolution cites state law recognizing housing as a matter of paramount concern for public welfare and economic growth.
  • It notes Georgia is ranked highly at risk for housing-market disruption related to private‑equity investment.
  • It asserts three corporate landlords own over 19,000 homes in metro Atlanta (roughly 11% of single‑family rental homes in Fulton, Clayton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb counties) and that out‑of‑state institutional investors own about 30% of single‑family rental stock in Atlanta.
  • Median Georgia home price rose from about $132,000 in 2013 to over $320,000 in 2023.

Key provisions

  • Creates the House Study Committee on Expanding Home Ownership Opportunities for Georgians.
  • Membership: seven members of the House appointed by the Speaker; the Speaker will designate the chair.
  • Charge: study the conditions, needs, issues, and problems related to homeownership and institutional ownership and recommend actions or legislation deemed necessary.
  • Meetings: convened by the chair at times/places the committee deems necessary.
  • Compensation/funding: legislative members receive allowances per O.C.G.A. § 28‑1‑8; allowances limited to five days unless extended; funds come from House appropriations.
  • Reporting: any findings or legislative recommendations must be approved by majority vote of a quorum and filed with the Clerk; if no report is approved, the chair may file meeting minutes in lieu of a report.
  • Sunset: the committee is abolished December 1, 2025.

Who is affected

  • Indirectly affects prospective homebuyers, current renters, landlords (including institutional investors and corporate landlords), housing advocates, local governments, and developers — primarily by producing policy recommendations rather than immediate regulatory changes.

Potential impact / next steps

  • HR 656 itself does not change law; it establishes a fact‑finding and policy‑development body. Its principal impact will be the committee’s report and any draft legislation it recommends before the December 1, 2025 abolishment date. Those recommendations could lead to future statutory or regulatory proposals addressing affordability, investor-owned housing, financing, zoning, incentives for homeownership, or tenant protections.

Legislative actions & sponsors

  • Key actions: Introduced 2025‑01‑23; referred to House Committee on Armed Services (01‑23‑2025); Rules suspended, adopted, filed, reported enrolled, and placed on House Second Readers on 2025‑03‑25.
  • Sponsors: Primary — Stephanie I. Bice; Carolyn Hugley; Bruce Williamson; Victor Anderson; Phil Olaleye; Mary Oliver. Cosponsor — Chrissy Houlahan.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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