Advocates pushing for Georgia lawmakers to lift a decades-old, statewide ban on rent control face an uphill battle in the current 40-day legislative session, which started last Monday. “I don’t see that happening,” state Sen. Gloria Butler, a Democrat representing Stone Mountain, told Capital B Atlanta in December. “I’m being realistic because these are real […]
rent control
Posted inHousing, Money
The Rent Control Bill Stalled, but This Activist Isn’t Done Fighting
Margie McLeod spent Tuesday outside the Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta trying to sway lawmakers to support a bill she already knew was unlikely to get signed into law this year. “I’m not the type of person to give up,” the 75-year-old community activist told Capital B Atlanta on Wednesday. “We don’t know what’s […]
Posted inHousing, Money
Why This Black Lawmaker is Pushing Rent Control Legislation
A veteran member of the Georgia General Assembly is calling for an end to the state’s 39-year-old ban on rent control laws. State Sen. Donzella James on Thursday introduced a bill that would repeal sections of Georgia law barring local governments from issuing rent regulation restrictions. Georgia lawmakers issued a statewide ban on such laws […]
Posted inHousing, Money
Can This Community Activist Get Rent Control on the Ballot?
Community activist Margie McLeod spent years watching gentrification spread across Atlanta before deciding to do something about it last year. The 75-year-old retired bus driver grew tired of seeing her neighbors in Cascade kicked out of their homes after landlords dramatically raised their rents. Rates in South Atlanta soared during the first half of 2022 […]