5 Georgia housing storylines to watch in 2023

January 5th, 2023

In this Feb. 2016 photo, town homes stand under construction as a pedestrian walks along the BeltLine in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

1. Will homeless encampments be criminalized?

In 2022, state legislators from outside Atlanta pushed legislation that would criminalize encampments for the unhoused. The effort didn’t pass. It turned into a study committee about homelessness in the state. How will the issue develop in the state Capitol this year?

2. The role of investors in housing.

Some local governments have tried to regulate investor-run rental housing but a bill in the state legislature tried to ban those regulations last year. A study committee has since explored the issue. What will we see in 2023?

3. What will happen to housing costs?

Both homebuyers and tenants saw huge increases in housing costs. In 2022, many saw their rents increase by hundreds of dollars. As rising interest rates bring shifts to Atlanta’s market, how will that affect home prices and rents in 2023?

4. Where will funding for affordable housing come from?

Federal money for rental assistance, included in Congress’s pandemic relief bills, is nearly exhausted around metro Atlanta. Will we see statewide or local efforts to dedicate more funding to affordable housing?

5. What’s next for Forest Cove?

The Forest Cove property, the focus of a year-long investigative series by WABE, is now empty following a city-led effort to relocate residents from unsafe conditions. The owner has said it is still committed to redeveloping the property. Will those plans materialize in 2023?

This is part of WABE’s Storylines To Watch In 2023 series. Click here to see which storylines WABE reporters are watching on their beats — including arts and culture, criminal justice, education, the environment, health, immigration and politics — so you’re in-the-know on what the year may bring.