--- title: HB 1177. Development authorities; certain affordable housing uses of property qualify as projects; provide collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hb1177 cite_as: HB 1177, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1177 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1177.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1177/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72789 date: 2026-03-03 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1176.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1178.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 199 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1177.md?full=1 bill_number: HB 1177 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: bill status_date: 2026-02-03 last_action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute sponsors: - Al Williams - Mary Oliver - Spencer Frye - Ron Stephens - Buddy DeLoach - Stan Gunter text_version: Comm Sub has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB1177/2025 upstream_id: 2106688 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - affordable housing - development authorities - workforce housing - economic development - local government finance --- # HB 1177. Development authorities; certain affordable housing uses of property qualify as projects; provide ## Text The House Committee on Governmental Affairs offers the following substitute to HB 1177: A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT To amend Chapter 62 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to development authorities, so as to provide that certain affordable housing uses of property qualify as projects that may be undertaken by development authorities; to provide for legislative findings and declarations; to provide for related matters; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA: SECTION 1. The General Assembly finds and declares that there is a significant shortage in housing stock that is affordable by households making less than the median annual household income of various parts of this state, and that the lack of such housing stock is inhibiting the development of trade, commerce, industry, or employment opportunities in this state. The General Assembly further finds and declares that reducing the shortage of such housing stock will support the development of trade, commerce, industry, and employment opportunities and be beneficial to the welfare of the people of this state. SECTION 2. Chapter 62 of Title 36 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to development authorities, is amended in paragraph (6) of Code Section 36-62-2, relating to definitions, by striking "; and" at the end of subparagraph (M), by replacing the period at the end of subparagraph (N) with "; and", and by adding a new subparagraph to read as follows: "(O) The acquisition, construction, improvement, modification, leasing, or financing of real or personal property for single-family, two-family, or multifamily residential uses which will further the development of trade, commerce, industry, or employment opportunities in this state, provided that no such project as defined by this subparagraph shall be undertaken by an authority unless the authority determines that the occupancy or residential use of such property shall be primarily by households that have an annual gross household income that does not exceed 175 percent of the federal poverty level, and further determines that a firm or corporation has demonstrated the reasonable need for workforce housing in the county or municipal corporation which activated such authority pursuant to Code Section 36-62-4." SECTION 3. All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary. HB1177 would let Georgia development authorities treat certain affordable housing projects as an authority-eligible "project," allowing them to help finance homes for lower-income workers. ### Plain-language summary Georgia's development authorities currently can undertake various kinds of projects, defined under O.C.G.A. § 36-62-2, to spur trade, commerce, industry, or jobs. Housing has not been one of the listed project types. HB1177 adds a new category letting these authorities acquire, build, improve, lease, or finance single-family, two-family, or multifamily housing when doing so supports local trade, commerce, industry, or job growth. The bill limits this new power: an authority can only pursue such a housing project if it determines the homes will mainly be occupied by households earning no more than 175 percent of the federal poverty level, and if a firm or corporation has shown a real need for workforce housing in the county or city that created the authority. The bill also states legislative findings that a shortage of affordable housing is holding back economic development in parts of the state. ### What it does - Adds a new category of eligible "projects" to Georgia's development authority law (O.C.G.A. § 36-62-2) covering single-family, two-family, and multifamily housing. - Requires that any such housing project be occupied primarily by households earning no more than 175 percent of the federal poverty level. - Requires a firm or corporation to demonstrate a genuine need for workforce housing in the local jurisdiction before an authority can pursue the project. - Declares that a shortage of affordable housing is hindering trade, commerce, industry, and job growth in parts of Georgia. - Repeals any existing state laws that conflict with these changes. ### Who it affects Local development authorities across Georgia, which gain new authority to fund housing; county and municipal governments that activate these authorities; businesses seeking workforce housing for employees; and lower-income households who could occupy the resulting housing. ### Why it matters If passed, development authorities in Georgia counties and cities could use their existing financing tools, such as bonds, to help build or improve housing aimed at lower-income workers, potentially expanding the supply of affordable housing tied to local job growth, provided a documented workforce housing need exists. ### Key provisions - Section 1 sets out legislative findings that a shortage of housing affordable to below-median-income households is hurting economic development in Georgia. - Section 2 amends O.C.G.A. § 36-62-2(6) by adding subparagraph (O), defining affordable housing acquisition, construction, improvement, leasing, or financing as an eligible authority project. - Section 2 conditions this new project type on primarily serving households earning no more than 175 percent of the federal poverty level. - Section 2 also requires a demonstrated need for workforce housing from a firm or corporation in the county or municipality that activated the authority. - Section 3 repeals any conflicting laws. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-02-03) - Last action: House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (2026-03-03) - Sponsors: Al Williams, Mary Oliver, Spencer Frye, Ron Stephens, Buddy DeLoach, Stan Gunter - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/72789 > The history, votes, and amendments (199 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb1177.md?full=1