Straight from the Mike – Not Loud Enough Yet

A house is not a home. Oh, you can remember the rest of the lyrics. A house is not a home unless someone is living there. I can hear the melody bellowing from the late balladeer, Luther Vandross now. It is such a poignant song done by a few talented singers over the years.

An aspiring number of Georgia citizens were left on the front porch and on the sidewalks of homes desired by so many seeking a home buying boost from our state. Why? You may have missed it. State Senator Gail Davenport of Clayton County, and her 20+ co-sponsors of SB 491, deserve, not just mentioned, but should have enjoyed a sip from the ‘mission accomplished’ cup of bill passage spirits before Sine Din. Unfortunately, such will not be the case, at least with this year’s session conclusion.

We saw passionate testimony and heartfelt presentations on the merits of the State offering down payment assistance to help qualified citizens get over ‘the hump’ and take a huge step toward attaining the American Dream. I could feel the excitement building with a number of our citizen group advocates. Ms. Barbara Guillory, from Level Blend Consulting, comes to mind.

The State of Florida has had such a law for years now. It is known as the Sadowski Act. It was able to be funded by adding a small fee, 25 cents per real estate transaction being dedicated to an affordable housing fund for down payment assistance administered by the state.

It should come as no surprise that other than the price sticker shock of a home today, the next highest hurdle is the ability of a first-time home buyer to have the down payment necessary to even get the buying process underway. Let’s be clear. The misery and the frustration index are rising in our counties as a shrinking housing inventory sinks even further. Interest rates have now awakened to market pressures and they now know only one direction, skyward.

As a Georgia House Study Committee on Workforce Housing convened in the previous legislative session under the Chairman, Representative Vance Smith, House Dist. 133. A key point put forth by the committee, from industry testimony, was the four L’s thwarting affordable housing. They were land, labor, lumber, and laws. While it is difficult to find any issue with those points, I would hasten to put on the table some interesting plans of action. The first would be down payment assistance, a program that is led by the private sector along with support from the government, as suggested by SB491. It can work and the time for it is now. Let’s not forget serious developer incentive programs and even consideration of tax cut carve-outs. We should not lose sight of the fact that affordable housing is economic development.

It is quite evident to me that few of us could have anticipated the thirst of corporate buyers to devour ‘for sale’ homes and convert them into out-of-reach, upper-level rentals. Amazing right? One can rather easily tell in the neighborhood when you see the changeover and feel it by the usual three plus vehicle numbers lining the driveway. An easy to meet high monthly rent is by division amongst the working people under one roof.

Oh, and by the way, as a heads-up suggestion for the next session in 2023, I would clearly suggest enlisting co-sponsors from both parties. Housing is not a partisan issue, especially in the eyes of an aspiring middle school teacher, first responder, or firefighter.

Now that campaign season is upon us, do not hesitate to ask candidates seeking your vote, where do they stand on addressing the wealth gap in our communities? Our incumbents need to explain, we need to complain, and challenger candidates need to make a promise.

Let’s make a commitment to bring down the barriers, level the field, and let zip codes get back to referring to ‘mail only’ matters. Eliminate the impediment spike to avoid bursting the bubble of hope among working families and individuals.

Turn up the volume, so you will be heard before the rush to the chamber exits next year.

And finally, kudos to the sponsors of the ‘Taste of Mableton Day’ that took place recently. 

Until next time… 

Michael Murphy