HomeAid Georgia Joins Capitol Build Day
HomeAid and supporters highlight Georgia’s housing crisis at State Capitol
Atlanta, GA – March 6, 2025 – To draw attention to the affordable housing crisis in Georgia, HomeAid partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Georgia, homeownership advocates, and Habitat affiliates from around the state on March 5 to frame a Habitat house in Liberty Plaza at the Georgia State Capitol. Lennar Atlanta, Ashton Woods Homes, Taylor Morrison, Brightwater Homes and HomeTrust Bank represented HomeAid, along with HomeAid board members and staff. After the build, the house frame was transported to Atlanta Habitat to be used in a future home for a Habitat family.
The event provided an opportunity for housing advocates to ask legislators to allocate funding in this year’s budget to nonprofit affordable homeownership developers for land acquisition, property development and rehabilitation. HomeAid board member Carol Morgan of Denim Marketing remarked, “We need the help of legislators to provide funding and streamline regulations to lower the cost of construction. Regulations account for nearly 30% of the cost of a home in Georgia. We need our friends in the legislature to help encourage more diverse housing types and discourage minimum lot and unit sizes that will allow for more housing units to be built at an attainable level for teachers, bus drivers, and public servants.”
According to Habitat for Humanity of Georgia, monthly mortgage payments increased 43% on average during the last year in the state. Workforce “first-time” homebuyers simply can’t attain an affordable mortgage. In addition to mortgage rates, regulations restrict what builders can do. State and local government regulations account for 26.9% of the final price of a new single-family home built in Georgia. 92% of housing developers report being subject to municipal design standards that exceed their customary designs, adding unnecessary building costs.
Capitol Build Day raised awareness of the financial foundation homeownership creates for families to build equity and experience its generational wealth, health, and education benefits, elevating families into greater economic mobility. “I encourage you to visit a job site and meet a Habitat homeowner,” said Spencer Frye, State Representative Athens District 122. “Your life will be enriched by meeting this incredible group of Georgia citizens who want to take the next step into homeownership in our state. They are setting down roots and contributing to the tax base of their local community. They are establishing generational wealth for their family and stabilizing the future of our great state.”
HomeAid Georgia’s efforts to increase affordable housing opportunities in the state include partnerships to provide affordable housing with nonprofits Veterans Empowerment Organization, House of Dawn, The Drake House, PUSH Ministry, Atlanta Land Trust, 3Keys, Making A Way Housing, and Status: Home. In 2023, HomeAid partnered with Gwinnett Housing Corporation for a renovation of what would become Gwinnett County's first Homeowner Resource Center to provide educational resources for families of low to moderate income seeking homeownership.
HomeAid Georgia is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001 as HomeAid Atlanta with a mission to help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness build new lives through construction, community engagement, and education. In 2024, HomeAid Atlanta expanded its scope and became HomeAid Georgia to better serve the needs of the entire state. HomeAid builds, renovates, and maintains facilities for nonprofits serving people experiencing homelessness. HomeAid has completed over 200 construction projects at locations for victims of domestic violence, teen mothers, veterans and more, utilizing connections with building industry professionals and community organizations. HomeAid also provides essential items like diapers, wipes, and hygiene products to those affected by homelessness. Learn more at www.homeaidga.org.