Georgia lawmakers left the state’s main construction incentive for affordable housing untouched this year. And they offered no new relief from rising property tax valuations on apartments that rely on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program.
Senate Bill 476 served as a centerpiece of a Republican push to finance income tax cuts. The bill would have reduced the state credit from a full match of the federal LIHTC to 50% for new projects starting in 2027. It would also have imposed a future sunset date.
Georgia’s program ranks among the most generous in the country. Many states offer their own versions of a match with the federal LIHTC program, often focusing on preserving existing affordable housing rather than building more.
Demand for affordable housing runs so strongly that some programs have closed their application process because they reached capacity. The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, for example, closed its application process hours after opening it in February because it received more applications than available slots.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proposed creating a state housing tax credit program this year to address affordable housing. Kansas lawmakers, however, decided last year to phase out that state’s program three years after launching it, saying the hit to tax revenue was much larger than expected.
The Georgia Senate passed its bill in February as one revenue offset to reducing personal and business income taxes. Leaders folded it into a larger tax package, which never cleared the House before adjournment this month.
Housing advocates and developers warned that the LIHTC proposal would chill the construction of affordable apartments. They said it would sharply cut the amount of equity that projects can raise.
Business groups also raised concerns about changing the rules midstream for a program many local governments use to support new rental housing. With the package dead for the year, the state credit remains a one-to-one match with the federal program. It continues without a legislated end date.
Constitutional push
At the same time, lawmakers revived a proposal to amend the state constitution. The change would allow LIHTC properties to be treated as a distinct class for property tax purposes.
The measure, House Resolution 1392, returned after an earlier version cleared committee two years ago but never reached a floor vote. Sponsors billed it as a way to stabilize assessments for rent-restricted projects.
The renewed push followed years of fights over how assessors value income-restricted apartments. It also arrived amid efforts to scale back the tax credit that finances much of Georgia’s affordable rental stock.
In several counties, assessments on LIHTC properties have spiked. In some cases, tax bills rival or exceed a property’s annual revenue. That result occurs when tax credits are effectively treated as income despite court rulings against that approach.
For developers, the outcome keeps the front-end financing tool stable but leaves a key operating cost unchecked. Higher assessments threaten project feasibility and long-term affordability.
Lawmakers in both chambers signaled they may revisit LIHTC funding levels and property tax treatment in a future session. The stance sets up another fight over how Georgia balances cheaper rents with lower taxes.