03/19/2026
Advocacy Needed - State Legislation Around Housing & Homelessness
Special thanks to HouseATL for providing this info!
HAFH FACEBOOK FAMILY/FRIENDS/SPONSORS
There are several bills moving through the state legislature that need either your support or opposition. See below for more details! Please reach out to your representatives to oppose or support these bills.
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Vote NO on HB 61
We need your help to stop the Senate substitute to Georgia House Bill 61 (formerly HB 183), which would allow immediate lockout of long-term residents in extended stay hotels—without due process—and strip tenant protections established by the Georgia Supreme Court. Under this bill, residents could be removed by law enforcement and treated as trespassers, criminalizing housing instability.
Thousands of working families—many with children—rely on extended stay hotels as a last resort due to barriers like high rents, credit challenges, and upfront housing costs. Despite often paying more than average apartment rent, these households would face sudden displacement, risking loss of belongings, employment, and school stability. Research shows many families live in these conditions for years, and thousands of children across Georgia are affected.
HB 61 would increase homelessness, strain social services, and put more children at risk of entering foster care. It also weakens recent protections for victims of housing scams.
Take action today: Contact key state leaders, the bill sponsor, and your State Senator, and urge them to stop HB 61 from advancing to a Senate vote. Find your legislator here.
Bottom line: Long-term residents of extended stay hotels deserve the same legal protections as other tenants. Housing instability should not be criminalized.
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Vote NO on HB 295
We need your help to stop Georgia House Bill 295, which would increase the criminalization of people experiencing homelessness. The bill has passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate.
HB 295 would allow property owners to sue cities or counties if they believe local governments are not enforcing laws related to activities like public camping, panhandling, or loitering. Property owners could seek annual financial damages—paid by taxpayers—claiming impacts to their property value or costs incurred.
At a time when Georgia faces a severe shortage of affordable housing, this bill shifts focus away from real solutions. Instead of investing in housing and supportive services, HB 295 could lead to increased arrests, costly lawsuits, and further strain on local governments and legal systems—without addressing the root causes of homelessness.
Take action today: Contact your State Senator and urge them to oppose HB 295. Share why access to safe, affordable housing—not criminalization—is the solution to homelessness.
Bottom line: Georgia should invest in housing and services, not policies that punish people for not having a place to live.
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Vote YES on HB 689
Georgia House Bill 689 has passed the House and is now under consideration in the Senate. This bill would establish a statewide emergency rental assistance program—administered by the Department of Community Affairs—to provide short-term support like rental and utility assistance, legal aid, and eviction prevention services.
HB 689 builds on the success of Georgia’s federal COVID-era rental assistance program, which helped stabilize thousands of families. With those funds now expired, this bill would create a sustainable, state-funded solution to prevent evictions and homelessness. Advocates are also urging lawmakers to include $25 million in the FY 2027 state budget to support this program statewide.
Short-term financial assistance can make a critical difference for families facing unexpected expenses, helping them stay housed and avoid the long-term consequences of eviction—including job loss, poor health outcomes, and disruptions to children’s education. Research shows eviction prevention is not only effective, but cost-efficient, reducing homelessness and saving public resources.
Take action today: Contact your State Senator and urge them to support HB 689 and the $25 million budget allocation for emergency rental assistance.
Bottom line: Investing in eviction prevention keeps families stable, strengthens communities, and saves taxpayer dollars.
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