Post-World War II housing developments provided Georgia families with modern, affordable dwellings. The home-loan guarantee programs of the Federal Housing Administration and the Veterans Administration made modest down payments, low interest rates, and long-term financing the norm in Georgia. The result was a vast increase in both the number of houses constructed and the percentage of families owning their own homes.
Between 1940 and 1970, the number of housing units in the state doubled to 1,470,754. In 1940, only 3 in 10 Georgia homes were owner-occupied; by 1990, nearly 6 in 10 were. In 1970, 13% of all Georgians were still living in units that lacked full plumbing; in 1990, the number decreased to 1.1%.
In 2002, there were an estimated 3,487,088 housing units in Georgia, of which 3,078,258 were occupied; 67.9% were owneroccupied. About 64.9% of all units were single-family, detached homes; about 12% were mobile homes. The average household size was 2.7 people. It was estimated that about 137,503 units were without telephone service, 14,408 lacked complete plumbing facilities, and 16,281 lacked complete kitchen facilities. Most household relied on gas and electricity for heating.
In 2002, 97,523 privately owned housing units were authorized for construction. The median value of a one-family home was about $131,221. The median monthly cost for mortgage owners was $1,125 while renters paid a median of $664 per month. During 2002, Georgia received over $137.5 million in community planning and development aid from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.