The CHOICE Act is a legislative package that provides state-based incentives for localized zoning updates and other deregulatory actions. Participation is voluntary by municipal governments. 

The CHOICE Act incentivizes cities to adopt local ordinances, policies, and procedures that support the development of more housing options in their communities by awarding housing and infrastructure funding grants or loans.

Built into the CHOICE Act is a menu of reforms, de-regulatory actions, and policies local governments may enact, which in theory would decrease the cost per unit of new development. The focal point of the CHOICE Act is on denser development.

At present, 32 'options' exist within the CHOICE Act, which vary greatly in scope and impact; such as

-setting a minimum square footage requirement of 1,200 for 50% of your zoned residential space

-up zoning single family residential parcels to allow for du, tri, and quadplexes, to smaller choices such as

-creating an online permitting system

-chartering a local land bank

Incentives garnered for participation in the CHOICE Act are layered so that the more options your local government choses to enact, the more your government could receive in funding from existing and new sources.

Incentives would be based on the following designations: Workforce Housing Ready Community – Ten policies, Workforce Housing Ready Expert - Fifteen policies, and finally the Workforce and Homeownership Leader – Twenty policies.

Local governments who choose not to participate, or who do not enact at least 10 policies, would be considered not in compliance, and of the lowest priority in the awarding of citied funding opportunities. 

Incentive funding sources include: grant funds under the federal recreational trails program managed by GA DNR, Local Maintenance and Improvement Grants from GA DOT, and Georgia Environmental Finance Authority grants and loans. 

Certifications of status within the CHOICE Act program will be administered by the Department of Community Affairs.