Eric Clarkson, former mayor of Chamblee and Pendleton Group Consultant recently spoke at the Savannah Housing Summit:

“I had a great time speaking at the recent housing summit, sharing Chamblee’s story- from a quiet railroad town to a thriving, walkable community with breweries, parks, and a whole lot of personality.  As Mayor, I learned that smart zoning, transit-oriented development, and community input can do amazing things – like turn a previous industrial based district into one of the most livable corners of metro Atlanta.  Thanks to Housing Savannah, Inc. for bringing together such a passionate group of housing leaders. It was a privilege to join the conversation (and no, I didn’t just show up for the snacks – though they didn’t hurt).”

Read more about the summit here and below:

On April 9, Housing Savannah Inc. hosted the 2025 Housing Summit at Savannah Technical College’s Eckburg Auditorium. Speakers, including former Chamblee, Georgia mayor Eric Clarkson, and Georgia State Rep. Spencer Frye, who also serves as CEO of the Athens Area Habitat for Humanity, talked before a packed audience about the policies, initiatives, and efforts that increased affordable and attainable housing in their communities over the past 20 years.

The summit laid out the Savannah Metro Area’s housing challenges, underpinned by the recent Georgia Technical Institute housing study. With the area’s median income of $66,171, the high end of the house that individual or family could afford is just under $205,000. But in Savannah, the median price of a home is $337,000. The region’s housing supply is about two months, when a healthy housing market is four to six months worth of inventory. The last time Savannah had a healthy housing supply was 2012.

The rental affordability gap for safe, quality shelter is even more stark: Based on median income, a renter can afford to pay $1,420 a month, but the median monthly rental price in Savannah is more than $2,000.