A bill submitted to the Georgia General Assembly in 2023 would have allowed local governments to waive impact fees on workforce housing developments. It passed the Georgia Senate with a 49-4 vote before dying in the state House of Representatives late in the session.
The item passed with support from both of Chatham County’s senators, and such a legislative measure is one of the top priorities on the City of Savannah’s 2024 legislative priorities list. After near passage last year, there is hope the item will pass this legislative session.
“We came really close last year to getting that one across the finish line, and hopefully again this year that one will gain some momentum,” said Joe Shearouse, Savannah’s director of policy and external affairs.
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The item to waive impact fees for workforce and affordable housing projects was one of a handful of priorities on Savannah’s list aimed at increasing the housing supply. Some of those priorities came straight from Housing Savannah’s action plan from 2021.