Gwinnett County providing affordable options for first-time homeowners

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — It can be difficult to find starter homes for first-time homeowners in this housing market.

But in Gwinnett County, some new developments are trying to tackle the housing shortage.

Channel 2 Gwinnett County Bureau Chief Matt Johnson visited the Forkview development near Lawrenceville on Thursday, where 21 homes are slated to be finished by the summer for first-time buyers.

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Though the need for housing is massive in Gwinnett County and all over the country, county leaders say the need isn’t being ignored.

When construction is complete in this new Gwinnett County subdivision, every homeowner will be a first-time homeowner.

“The demand has really never been higher,” Gwinnett County Housing and Community Development Division Director Matt Elder said.

It would take an estimated 15,000 new homes getting built every year in Gwinnett County to keep up with the demand for the next 16 years.

Edler says he’s tackling affordable housing one home at a time.

The 21 homes in Forkview that will be completed by this summer are some of the 1,100 affordable housing units in development in the county.

“Developments like this will start a starter home-type concept that has gone away since the great recession,” Elder said.

The nonprofit Gwinnett Housing Corporation kicked off construction at Forkview this year.

The housing is paid for with a mix of local money, federal grants, and private money.

Forkview will be for families with a household income of around $74,000 or less.

“(It will) provide a new option for families or young adults to come in, get their feet on the ground, get settled,” Elder said.

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This won’t be the last development but Elder said there’s a fine line when it comes to keep up with Gwinnett County’s growth.

“There’s only so much available land in the county and we really do like our green space,” Elder said.

The houses will hit the market this summer.

Most of the other projects could be done as early as next year with some carrying over to 2026.

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