The Georgia Residential Land Development Council (GRLDC) announces Kelly Allison, Regional Vice President of Guild Mortgage, as a member of its Board of Directors. With 26 years of mortgage industry experience and a background in new construction, Allison brings a valuable perspective on the relationship between housing supply, development costs and Georgia families’ ability to achieve homeownership.
Allison joined the mortgage industry 26 years ago after working in new construction, motivated by a desire to help families build generational wealth through homeownership. Today, as Regional Vice President, she supports loan officers, guides regional strategy and removes obstacles that prevent her team from successfully serving homebuyers and their communities.
Guild Mortgage is a national mortgage lender providing home financing solutions to borrowers across a variety of loan programs and homeownership needs.
“Homeownership is the bedrock of America,” said Allison. “It provides more than a place to live. It creates stability, strengthens communities, builds generational wealth and gives families a foundation for their future. Helping families achieve that dream is what has motivated me throughout my career.”
Bringing a Mortgage Perspective to Housing Affordability
Throughout her career, Allison has witnessed firsthand the growing challenges families face in achieving homeownership. She believes one of Georgia’s greatest housing challenges is the widening gap between home prices and household incomes. While home prices rose sharply after 2020, household incomes have not kept pace, making it increasingly difficult for families to purchase homes.
She also points to regulatory burdens, permitting delays and rising development costs that limit the supply of homes across a range of price points.
“The biggest misconception is that housing costs are simply a temporary issue tied to interest rates or home prices,” Allison said. “We have a supply problem. We haven’t built enough entry-level homes, and until we make it easier to build housing across all price points, demand will continue putting pressure on prices.”
Allison’s experience working directly with mortgage professionals and homebuyers gives GRLDC an important perspective as it advocates for practical reforms to reduce unnecessary development costs and increase Georgia’s housing supply.
“Kelly understands what happens when rising development costs and limited housing inventory meet the financial realities of today’s homebuyers,” said Jay Knight, chairman and co-founder of GRLDC. “Her experience in both new construction and mortgage lending gives our board an important perspective on how decisions made long before a home is built ultimately affect a family’s ability to purchase it.”
Addressing the Cost of Time
Allison identifies permitting delays, regulatory requirements and lengthy development timelines as major contributors to Georgia’s housing affordability challenges. She believes affordability cannot be addressed through interest rates and home prices alone. The industry and policymakers must also examine the costs incurred long before a home reaches the market.
That perspective aligns with GRLDC’s legislative priorities.
The organization helped advance Senate Bill 447, which established greater accountability and predictability in Georgia’s Land Disturbance Permit process. GRLDC is now pursuing Final Plat and Bond Reform, which would establish clearer timelines for recording final plats, standardize bonding requirements and eliminate unnecessary delays during the final stages of residential development.
These reforms are intended to reduce carrying costs, accelerate the delivery of new homes and improve housing affordability without compromising responsible development standards.
Advocating for Georgia Families
As a member of the GRLDC Board of Directors, Allison will contribute her mortgage industry expertise to the organization’s efforts to improve Georgia’s residential development process and advocate for policies that expand housing opportunities.
About Georgia Residential Land Development Council (GRLDC)
The Georgia Residential Land Development Council (GRLDC) is a coalition of leading developers, builders and industry stakeholders dedicated to improving land development and permitting processes across Georgia. The organization advocates for policies that increase housing supply, streamline regulations and promote responsible growth. By working collaboratively with policymakers and industry partners, GRLDC advances solutions that help ensure Georgia can meet current and future housing demand. For more information on GRLDC, visit https://grldc.org.
