GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County is offering developers a new set of perks to build more housing, including homes working families can afford, under an ordinance commissioners approved this week.
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The Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to repeal and replace the county’s economic development ordinance, renaming it the Economic Development and Housing Incentives Ordinance. After the change, the county’s main incentive tool treats housing and jobs as one effort instead of two.
“We see economic development and housing being intertwined,” said Matthew Elder, deputy director of Gwinnett County Planning and Development. “Jobs bring housing. Housing brings jobs.”
The rules take effect July 1. They let the county speed up permitting and rezoning, waive certain fees, offer tax incentives, or build public infrastructure to land projects it wants. The ordinance bars any direct cash payment to a developer.
“A lot of it is non-financial, expediting permitting or rezoning processes,” Elder said.
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He said reviews on incentivized projects can turn around in about five business days instead of the usual ten.
The county is betting the clearer, faster process keeps it competitive across metro Atlanta.
A new five-tier system spells out how much a builder must invest and how many jobs or affordable units a project needs to qualify for each level of incentive.
The deals come with strings. Developers have to keep a share of their units affordable, priced for households earning 60 percent of the area’s median income. That promise is written into the deed for at least 20 years, and if a developer falls short, the county can claw back what they saved.
The county says it reviews its incentive ordinances at least once a year.
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