Augusta leaders launch study on pausing apartment construction amid debate over housing mix

Commissioner Stacy Pulliam, commissioner for District 2 and co-chair of the housing study committee, convened a meeting in the Beasley Room to discuss whether Augusta-Richmond County should pause new apartment construction and how to shape a longer-term housing strategy.

The discussion, sponsored by the committee created at the request of Commissioner Francine Scott, focused on competing goals: attracting commercial investment and “rooftops” to spur retail, while preserving opportunities for workforce and affordable housing and avoiding unintended harms to homeowners and property owners.

The meeting brought commissioners, the mayor pro tem, developers, builders, realtors, the Augusta Housing Authority, Augusta Habitat for Humanity and planning staff to the table. Speakers outlined both the reasons some commissioners favor a pause — to slow multifamily growth in certain areas and examine whether the county has too many rental units — and the reasons industry and housing advocates warned against a broad moratorium without firm data and mitigation measures.

"I'm not sure how we get to, like, say, we're gonna stop it without having some concrete or some discussion on why other than we got too many," Commissioner Francine Scott said after explaining why she convened the committee.

Why it matters

Supporters of a pause argue that limiting some apartment construction could signal to retailers and large employers that the county is attracting homeowners, which proponents say helps recruit big-box…