HB730: HB730 Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless; provide for membership

The Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless was created by a 1989 state law to coordinate services for people experiencing homelessness in Savannah and Chatham County. This bill amends that law to update how the authority's board is formed and how it operates. The board would have 13 members: two appointed by the Savannah City Council, two by the Chatham County Commission, and nine selected under a separate process, with at least one member who has experienced homelessness. Members serve three-year terms, capped at two consecutive terms, and must live in Chatham County. The bill also updates definitions used in the law (such as 'homeless,' 'CoC,' and 'coordinated entry'), spells out the authority's purposes in coordinating federally required homelessness programs, sets quorum and meeting requirements (at least six meetings a year plus one more), and requires an annual report to the city, county, and the Interagency Council on Homelessness. All current board members except the executive committee would lose their seats once the changes take effect, and a new organizational meeting must happen within 45 days.

• Sets the authority's governing board at 13 members: 2 appointed by Savannah's City Council, 2 by the Chatham County Commission, and 9 selected under a separate process in Section 6.
• Requires at least one board member to currently be or have previously been homeless, and caps other members to two consecutive three-year terms.
• Requires all current board members except the executive committee to leave their seats once the 2025 amendment takes effect, followed by a new organizational meeting within 45 days.
• Sets board operating rules, including a 40 percent quorum requirement and at least six meetings a year plus one additional annual meeting.
• Requires the authority to submit an annual report to the City of Savannah, Chatham County, and the Interagency Council on Homelessness after the yearly point-in-time homeless count.
• Updates the law's definitions and purposes section to describe the authority's role in managing federal Department of Housing and Urban Development homelessness programs, including coordinated entry and the homeless management information system.

The bill affects the Chatham-Savannah Authority for the Homeless and its board members, current and future appointees from the Savannah City Council and Chatham County Commission, the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah, and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Chatham County who rely on services the authority coordinates.

The overhaul removes most sitting board members and replaces them under new appointment rules, changing who controls decisions about homelessness services in Chatham County. It also formalizes reporting and meeting requirements meant to keep the authority accountable to local government and federal housing officials.

• Section 1 revises Section 2(d) to specify the authority's role as the collaborative applicant for the Interagency Council on Homelessness for Chatham-Savannah and its duties under federal HUD requirements.
• Section 2 rewrites Section 3's definitions, including 'CoC,' 'collaborative applicant,' 'coordinated entry,' 'homeless,' and 'notice of funding opportunity.'
• Section 3 rewrites Section 5 on membership, setting the 13-member board, residency and term requirements, and removal procedures by majority board vote.
• Section 4 rewrites Section 6, requiring an organizational meeting within 45 days of the amendment's effective date, removing prior directors except the executive committee, and setting quorum and meeting frequency rules.
• Section 5 rewrites Section 7 on the authority's purposes, focusing on supporting the Interagency Council on Homelessness's comprehensive plan and administering HUD-related programs.
• Section 6 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-05-01Effective Date 2025-05-01
2. 2025-05-01Act 49
3. 2025-05-01House Date Signed by Governor (House)
4. 2025-04-07House Sent to Governor (House)
5. 2025-03-28Senate Passed/Adopted (Senate)
6. 2025-03-28Senate Committee Favorably Reported (Senate)
7. 2025-03-25Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
8. 2025-03-21House Passed/Adopted (House)

• Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)Primary sponsor
• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)
• Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
• Carl Gilliard (D, HD-162)
• Edna Jackson (D, HD-165)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 21, 2025

   158 yea, 0 nay (9 not voting, 13 absent)

   Local Calendar : House Vote #293

2. PassedSenate voteMarch 28, 2025

   53 yea, 0 nay (1 not voting, 2 absent)

   Local Consent Calendar: Senate Vote #313

• homelessness services
• Chatham County government
• Savannah local government
• local authority boards