SB508: SB508 "Community Housing Options Increase Efficiency (CHOICE) Act"; enact

Georgia lawmakers say the state faces a housing shortage driven by construction costs, labor shortages, outdated local zoning rules and other factors. This bill, called the CHOICE Act, creates a voluntary certification system run by the Department of Community Affairs. Counties with at least 50,000 people, cities with at least 6,500 people, or any local government with median household income above $115,000 can apply starting July 1, 2027 to be certified as a 'workforce housing ready community,' 'workforce housing ready expert,' or 'workforce and home ownership leader,' depending on how many pro-housing policies they adopt from a defined list (things like allowing duplexes, accessory dwelling units, smaller lot sizes, or reduced parking requirements). Certified local governments would get priority when applying for grants from the Department of Natural Resources' recreational trails program, Department of Community Affairs grants and loans, and Georgia Environmental Finance Authority grants and loans. The highest tier, 'workforce and home ownership leader,' would also be exempt from providing local matching funds for state road maintenance grants. Certifications must be renewed every five years and can be revoked if the qualifying policies lapse.

• Creates a new certification system at the Department of Community Affairs for qualifying counties and municipalities that adopt a set number of listed pro-housing policies (Article 14 of O.C.G.A. Title 50, Chapter 8).
• Defines three certification tiers (workforce housing ready community, workforce housing ready expert, and workforce and home ownership leader) based on how many of four policy tiers a local government adopts.
• Requires the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Community Affairs, and Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to give grant and loan priority to certified local governments over uncertified ones.
• Exempts local governments certified as a workforce and home ownership leader from providing matching funds under the local maintenance and improvement grant program for road funding (O.C.G.A. § 32-5-27).
• Requires the Department of Community Affairs to annually calculate and publish each county's and municipality's population and median household income starting January 1, 2027, to determine eligibility.
• Allows certifications to be revoked if a local government stops maintaining the required number of qualifying housing policies, and requires renewal verification every five years.

County and city governments large enough to qualify (counties over 50,000 people, cities over 6,500 people, or jurisdictions with median household income above $115,000), along with the Department of Community Affairs, Department of Natural Resources, the state transportation department's grant program, and the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, which administer the affected grants and loans.

Local governments that loosen zoning rules for things like duplexes, accessory dwelling units, or smaller lots could move ahead of others in line for state recreational trails funding, community affairs grants and loans, road maintenance funding, and environmental finance grants, creating a financial incentive tied directly to local housing policy choices.

• Section 2 lists legislative findings on Georgia's housing shortage, including a cited 35 percent rise in new home construction costs and a 67,000-unit drop in affordable rentals since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Section 3 adds O.C.G.A. § 12-2-6.1, requiring the Department of Natural Resources to prioritize certified local governments in recreational trails program grants, ranked by certification tier.
• Section 4 amends O.C.G.A. § 32-5-27 to waive local matching fund requirements for the top-tier certified governments under the local maintenance and improvement grant program.
• Section 5 adds O.C.G.A. § 50-8-8.1, requiring the Department of Community Affairs to prioritize certified governments in its own grant and loan programs.
• Section 6 adds a new Article 14 (O.C.G.A. §§ 50-8-310 through 50-8-315) defining qualifying local governments, the four tiers of housing policies, and the certification, verification, and revocation process, effective for applications starting July 1, 2027.
• Section 7 adds O.C.G.A. § 50-23-5.1, requiring the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority to give the same grant and loan priority to certified local governments.
• Section 6 also directs the department to publish annual population and median household income data starting January 1, 2027 to determine which local governments qualify.

1. 2026-02-17Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2026-02-12Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Elena Parent (D, SD-044)Primary sponsor
• Harold Jones (D, SD-022)
• Kenya Wicks (D, SD-034)
• Sally Harrell (D, SD-040)
• Nan Orrock (D, SD-036)
• Kim Jackson (D, SD-041)
• Freddie Sims (D, SD-012)
• David Lucas (D, SD-026)
• Nikki Merritt (D, SD-009)
• Nabilah Islam Parkes (D, SD-007)
• Derek Mallow (D, SD-002)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
• Josh McLaurin (D, SD-014)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Michael Rhett (D, SD-033)
• Randal Mangham (D, SD-055)
• Donzella James (D, SD-028)

• affordable housing
• local zoning policy
• housing supply
• state grants and loans
• accessory dwelling units