This is a comment from Jo Smith, a member of Port Wentworth City Council. The opinions expressed in this article are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views of her fellow councilors or the city.
I have a problem with a pending bill in the Georgia Senate. SB 494 would prohibit certain residential zoning restrictions and legally overrule local zoning statutes, as state legislature always does.
It will tie the hands of city councils and county governments across Georgia.
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According to SB 494, councilors cannot ban huge housing developments that are 100% rented. The Georgia Municipal Association, which represents nearly all Georgia cities, states, “Senate Bill 494 aims to allow corporations unrestricted access to develop ‘build-to-rent’ subdivisions that differ in price, quality, management and Tenant protection differ greatly.”
I’m all for balance. Tenants can be good neighbors, but not always. It takes balance.
So much for “local control” being thrown completely out the window. We who live in our city know what’s best for our city, not the Senate.
We will no longer be able to limit rents to a certain percentage of a neighborhood. In fact, entire cities could be transformed into “rent-only cities” within a few years.
Have you ever lived in a rented apartment? I have. I have also owned my own houses. My city has wonderful HOA neighborhoods and our price range makes it easy for a middle-class family to shop here.
However, there are a lot of tenants, and that’s okay too. Renters are mixed (take that from someone who lived in a rented apartment where people actually threw trash on the floor, didn’t pick up their dog poop, and barely acknowledged each other because they were leaving soon).
Personal experience and common sense tell me that this law will affect our quality of life. It’s a well-known fact that people who don’t have “pride of ownership” don’t take good care of their homes and common areas because of what’s called “division of responsibilities” – trusting someone else to take care of things.
Additionally, unless you have a good relationship with your landlord, cosmetic repairs will be put off for long periods of time, spoiling the overall look of a neighborhood. What must a landlord do? Always suing the landlord?
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Don’t just take my word for it, here’s a quote from a Harvard University study: “Strong and consistent evidence suggests that homeowners are more likely to: a) be satisfied with their homes and their neighborhoods; b) engage in voluntary and political activities; and c) stay in their homes longer, thereby contributing to the stability of the neighborhood.”
It will also be incredibly tough for our school system in this state. Tenants change significantly more often than homeowners. Ask any teacher or principal, a huge increase in transition rates has a negative impact on school performance.
I know people don’t always have the down payment on a house. What worries me, however, is that the real estate trend is toward widespread corporate buyouts and “100% single-family occupancy only neighborhoods.” This craving (often from out-of-state developers) is taking housing stock off the market, driving up costs. Owning a home is the best way for a family to build generational wealth.
If you think the same as me, please help me fight SB 494. Call your Georgia state senator and tell them you oppose this bill and support local zoning control instead.
Senator Lester Jackson:
Office (404) 463-5261
lester.jackson@senate.ga.gov
Senator Billy Hickman:
Office (404) 463-1371
billy.hickman@senate.ga.gov
Senator Ben Watson:
Office (404) 656-7880
ben.watson@senate.ga.gov
If you are not sure who your Senator is, you can look them up on the Secretary of State’s website: www.mvp.sos.ga.gov/MVP/mvp.do
