DeKalb leaders press for $300 million in transportation funds and a rental registry to track investor-owned homes

DeKalb County officials used DeKalb Day at the Capitol to press lawmakers for greater transportation investment and a new rental-property registry to track investor-owned homes.

"Over $300 million is being invested," DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said, underscoring the county’s push for projects that increase connectivity and support transit-oriented development. She said mobility investments are a top legislative priority for the county.

Cochran-Johnson also urged action on housing-market trends she described as troubling: "Over 50% of properties sold south of Memorial Drive since 2020 are not sold to individuals but LLCs, Wall Street, and private investors," she said, arguing the county needs a rental database championed by Representative Mary Margaret Oliver to track investor-owned units and better enforce codes. The CEO said that about "70% of code violations occur at properties that are not owner-occupied," a statistic she used to justify the registry proposal.

County leaders framed the registry as a tool for improving code compliance and protecting neighborhoods from investor-driven practices that can displace long-term residents. Cochran-Johnson tied the housing proposal to regulatory oversight: "The county needs to better understand where they're located because I want my tax money, too," she said.

The remarks came during an event that also drew members of the county’s state delegation. Senator Kim Jackson and other delegation members used the occasion to note recent wins — including legislation to boost the DeKalb homestead exemption — and to pledge continued coordination with county officials.

No formal legislative action was taken at the event. County officials said they will continue to press the General Assembly for funding and to support the rental-registry proposal during the remainder of the session.