Georgia CommonsHouse · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session
HR 656: House Study Committee on Expanding Home Ownership Opportunities for Georgians; create
Last action March 3, 2026 · House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute
A House resolution would create a seven-member study committee to examine institutional investment in Georgia housing and look for ways to expand home ownership opportunities for Georgians.
The summaries below were written by an AI model (claude-sonnet-5) from the text of the resolution and are not part of it. Quote the text, not the summary. The stored text is the Comm Sub version, the latest the General Assembly's website lists.
In plain language
This resolution does not change any Georgia law directly. Instead, it creates the House Study Committee on Expanding Home Ownership Opportunities for Georgians, made up of seven House members appointed by the Speaker, who also names the chairperson. The committee would study conditions related to housing affordability and institutional ownership of homes, including concerns raised in the resolution's preamble about corporate landlords owning large numbers of single family homes in metro Atlanta and expanding into rural and suburban counties. The committee can recommend legislation. Members get standard legislative allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8 for up to five meeting days unless more are approved, funded through the House's existing budget. The committee must file a report with the Clerk of the House if it approves one, and it is set to be abolished on December 1, 2026.
What the bill does
- Creates a seven-member House Study Committee on Expanding Home Ownership Opportunities for Georgians, with members appointed by the Speaker of the House.
- Directs the committee to study housing conditions, including institutional and corporate ownership of single family homes, and recommend legislation if needed.
- Sets legislative allowances for committee members under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, capped at five days unless additional days are authorized, funded through the House's budget.
- Requires any approved findings or recommendations to be filed as a report with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished.
- Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2026, ending its work unless further action is taken.
Who it affects
The resolution directly affects the seven House members appointed to the study committee and the Speaker of the House, who makes those appointments. Indirectly, its subject matter concerns Georgia homebuyers, renters, and communities affected by institutional or corporate ownership of single family homes.
Why it matters
The resolution itself creates no new housing rules; it sets up a committee to study rising home prices and growing corporate ownership of rental homes in Georgia. Any concrete change to housing law would depend on legislation the committee recommends after its study concludes by December 2026.
Key provisions
- Paragraph (1) creates the House Study Committee on Expanding Home Ownership Opportunities for Georgians.
- Paragraph (2) sets committee membership at seven House members appointed by the Speaker, who also designates the chairperson.
- Paragraph (3) directs the committee to study housing conditions and recommend action or legislation it finds necessary.
- Paragraph (5) sets member allowances under O.C.G.A. § 28-1-8, limited to five days of pay unless additional days are authorized, funded from House appropriations.
- Paragraph (6) requires committee reports with legislative recommendations to be approved by majority vote and filed with the Clerk of the House before abolishment.
- Paragraph (7) abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.
From the bill
“housing is an issue of paramount concern to this state which affects the health, welfare, and safety of the citizens of this state and the economic viability and planned growth of its communities”
“three corporate landlords own over 19,000 homes in the metro Atlanta area, constituting nearly 11 percent of the single family homes available for rent in Fulton, Clayton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, and Cobb counties”
“The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2026.”
Discussed in meetings (4)
The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.
House Rural Development Committee, February 11, 2026
From 0:16:59 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented a substitute creating a House study committee on homeownership and institutional investment, with input from rural communities, renters, small landlords and industry. The sponsor said medium and large investors buy nearly one in five homes statewide and roughly one in three in metro Atlanta, squeezing families out of starter homes. Asked about rural blight, the sponsor said the study should address it. Asked about other states and constitutional limits, the sponsor cited legislation elsewhere but left legal questions for study. Members raised concerns about affordable housing, population loss and rural communities needing any development. A Home Builders Association of Georgia witness supported the study, argued that more housing supply would lower prices and distinguished investors buying existing homes from those building rentals. The witness attributed 27% of new-home costs to regulation and discussed permitting delays and building requirements. A Georgia Association of Realtors witness supported tax-based approaches rather than caps or bans, described difficulty tracing ownership through related companies and said a national study put first-time buyers’ average age at 40. A Greater Vidalia Chamber of Commerce witness supported learning from other communities before coastal growth reaches Toombs County. The chair closed the hearing without a vote.
House Rural Development Committee, March 2, 2026
From 0:18:20 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor presented an unchanged substitute creating a House study committee on homeownership and institutional investment. The sponsor said investors owned more than 80,000 single-family homes in metro Atlanta and were expanding into rural areas, limiting opportunities to build household wealth. A member requested rural representation. The Georgia Association of Realtors supported the proposal. The CEO of ARC Homes for Rent opposed it, saying existing research was sufficient. Asked whether investors delayed homeownership, the CEO said some younger adults choose to rent longer and that financing, insurance, taxes and maintenance also affect affordability. The CEO said the company owned about 1,000 detached homes and townhomes, with renters averaging their late 30s. A member cited rising home prices and supported further study. The CEO of Quinn Residences also opposed the proposal, saying uncertainty about future regulation could stop investment, including 800 homes under construction. That witness urged attention to housing supply, zoning and fees. Asked how a study alone would hinder construction, the witness said lenders anticipate regulation. Another member suggested studying those barriers. The Association of County Commissioners of Georgia supported examining both investor ownership and local rules, citing infrastructure and planning needs. The sponsor urged a balanced discussion. The committee approved a do-pass motion by voice vote and directed the sponsor to Rules; no count was stated.
House Rules Committee, March 4, 2026
From 1:17:02 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: The sponsor said HR 656 would create a study committee to examine large institutional investors' growing ownership of single-family homes. The sponsor said the study would consider effects on local housing markets and prospective buyers and develop possible responses. No questions or decision followed.
Status timeline
- House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
- House Second Readers (House)
- House First Readers (House)
- House Hopper (House)
Sponsors
- Phil Olaleye (D, HD-59)
- Victor Anderson (R, HD-10)
- Mary Margaret Oliver (D, HD-84)
- Bruce Williamson (R, HD-112)
- Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)
Topics
- housing affordability
- home ownership
- institutional investors
- legislative study committees
- Georgia real estate