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Last month, more than 80 leaders from government, business, finance, and advocacy convened in Atlanta for Up for Growth’s Georgia Regional Pro-Housing Policy Forum to address a housing shortage straining families, employers, and communities across the state.

Opening remarks from Egbert Perry of the Integral Group and Chatiqua Ellison from the Office of Mayor Andre Dickens emphasized the urgency of aligning local leadership with state and federal action to accelerate housing production and improve affordability.

Dr. Michael Wilkerson of Econorthwest and Leah MacArthur of Up for Growth grounded the first session in local data, highlighting the need for solutions that go beyond zoning reform and building more homes. Insights from this presentation can be found here.

A rural housing panel featuring Lee Hill of Baker Donelson, Sherrell Byrd of SOWEGA Rising, Tommy Lowmon of Woda Cooper Companies, and Mayor Jason Holt of Fitzgerald examined structural barriers in rural communities such as low appraisals, high construction costs, and limited access to capital and explored how federal and state tools can better support local housing delivery.

A panel on Metro Atlanta and its fast-growing suburbs brought together Michael Saadine of the National Housing Crisis Task Force, Harriett Tregoning of NUMO Alliance at the World Resources Institute, Marcus Wiedower of Hillpointe, and John Majors of Atlanta Urban Development to address supply, permitting, and financing bottlenecks, highlighting opportunities to connect local innovation with federal resources and accelerate housing production.

Closing remarks from Mike Kingsella, CEO of Up for Growth, and Dr. Bambie Hayes-Brown, President and CEO of Georgia Advancing Communities Together, reinforced a call to action, urging participants to stay engaged through ongoing advocacy and coalition-building as part of Up for Growth’s growing national network.