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Resident warns Bullock County commissioners housing shortage will raise prices unless supply increases
Summary
Statesboro resident Marcus Toole urged the county to prioritize housing supply and higher-density infrastructure to address affordability, warning that scarcity and a lack of skilled builders are driving prices up.
Statesboro resident Marcus Toole urged Bullock County commissioners to prioritize housing supply and higher‑density development to address rising housing costs.
“My primary concern is housing affordability and the future of housing affordability,” Toole said during public comment, adding that “the first rule of capitalism is that the price of anything depends on supply and demand.”
Toole said a long downturn in residential construction after the 2008 housing crisis, combined with a shortage of skilled tradespeople, has constrained homebuilding and created scarcity. He argued that limiting density will push more development onto larger lots and reduce options such as townhouses or condominiums, which will increase prices further.
Toole also warned that pausing construction to avoid infrastructure costs would mainly delay the problem. “If you could pause building for 5 years in this county, every government in the county will pause construction of infrastructure,” he said, adding that when growth resumes, prices would return to the prior trajectory.
His remarks did not propose a specific ordinance or funding change; he urged commissioners to consider density and continued new housing construction as a way to moderate future price increases.
