There is no doubt that Georgia, like most states across the nation, is facing a housing crisis.
While Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s efforts to address the housing crisis are commendable, his investigation into single-family rentals turns a blind eye to the real issues driving up the cost of living and contributing to the housing shortage.
Georgia is facing a housing shortage of between 100,000 and 350,000 homes, and our population continues to skyrocket, according to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. What doesn’t help the gross disparity between population and housing available are the burdensome regulations that add 26.9% to the cost of single-family homes.
Put simply, the problem is not what Sen. Ossoff is alleging, it’s NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard), where existing homeowners resist efforts to welcome new buyers and renters into their neighborhood.
Communities employ creative techniques that are well known by now: zoning restrictions, drawn-out environmental reviews, minimum lot sizes, establishing historic preservation sites, parking requirements and more — all of which limit housing supply and drive up housing costs.
Public data lumps large companies and individual investors together
Credit: Hand
Credit: Hand
Professionally managed housing providers help bridge the gap for those who cannot afford to buy a home, allowing them to live in safe neighborhoods with excellent school systems without breaking the bank.
Georgians who understandably can’t make a six-figure down payment can still live in their desired neighborhood with affordable rental prices, allowing them to save for the future while enjoying the benefits of a single-family home today.
To say that the U.S. housing crisis is a result of businesses seeking to provide more opportunities for families on a budget is demonstrably false.
This misstep has been driven by erroneous statistics presented by the Government Accountability Office and cited by Ossoff himself. The GAO report Ossoff references grossly misrepresents the current institutional ownership makeup of the Atlanta metroplex, stating that 25% of single-family rental homes are owned by out-of-state companies.
What Ossoff fails to mention about this statistic is that it lumps together individual investors and professionally managed housing providers. The data Ossoff is using as the basis for his investigation conflates professional home providers with individuals who set up LLCs to purchase multiple homes.
Individual investors account for about 60% of all investor home purchases in 2024, while institutions represent only a fraction. In fact, according to the Mercatus Center, professionally managed housing providers have never accounted for more than 2.5% of home purchases in any given quarter.
And that distinction is an important one. Homes operated by individual investors, small LLCs and shady landlords are often mismanaged, underfunded and disregarded. Professionally managed housing providers have the resources, scale and vertical integration to deliver the highest quality housing options and around-the-clock service that thousands of Georgia families rely on each and every day.
Income for Georgians has not kept up with costs of buying a home
To purchase a home in 2025, Georgians have to make over $100,000 per year — well over the state’s median household income of $74,664.
Inflation, high interest rates and the lack of housing inventory simply make buying a home out of reach for many.
Single-family rentals enable everyone from young families to retirees to live in a stand-alone home and not have to bother with maintenance or other expensive upkeep that usually comes with homeownership.
Instead of trying to remove housing options, Ossoff should focus on promoting ways to build more homes, boost supply and resolve the housing crisis in our country.
Professionally managed housing providers have stepped in to provide affordable housing options for the average Georgian who does not have the means to purchase a house in today’s market. And every day, they are helping countless Georgians across the state unlock their version of the American dream.
Ossoff’s investigation into professionally managed housing providers will only make the housing crisis worse. If Sen. Ossoff is serious about addressing the housing issues in our state, he should focus on boosting the housing supply, growing our labor force and removing barriers to build — real issues impacting housing in Georgia.
Mesha Mainor is a former Georgia state representative who served House District 56. Originally elected as a Democrat, she made headlines in 2023 when she became the first Black woman in Georgia history to switch to the Republican Party while in office. She is a lifelong advocate for education, public safety and policies that empower working families.
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