Georgia Dream program helped more than 2,000 first‑time buyers last year, staff say

Brenda McGee, director of DCA’s Home Ownership Group, described the Georgia Dream program and its outreach through 97 participating lenders and roughly 250 local branches. "we did over 2,000 new homeowners with an average loan of about a hundred and forty thousand dollars," McGee said, and she outlined standard and targeted downpayment assistance amounts: a $5,000 standard grant, $7,500 for certain public‑service groups or households with a disability, and a time‑limited $15,000 for federally designated distressed counties.

McGee said the program is financed through a private‑activity bond mechanism with an internal cap (DCA aims for a $225–$250 million authorization each year) and requires pre‑purchase counseling for first‑time homebuyers. Committee members said local outreach and paired local funds — for example, a city contribution stacked with state assistance — have helped move renters to homeownership in several districts.