HR 656: House Study Committee on Expanding Home Ownership Opportunities for Georgians; create

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.

• 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.

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.

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.

• 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.

1. 2026-03-03House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2025-03-25House Second Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-21House First Readers (House)
4. 2025-03-20House Hopper (House)

• Phil Olaleye (D, HD-059)Primary sponsor
• Victor Anderson (R, HD-010)
• Mary Oliver (D, HD-084)
• Bruce Williamson (R, HD-112)
• Carolyn Hugley (D, HD-141)

• housing affordability
• home ownership
• institutional investors
• legislative study committees
• Georgia real estate