Housing study: Mount Pleasant has a healthy pipeline; consultants recommend infill, code enforcement and coordinated economic development
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Summary
Catalyst Commercial presented a housing assessment showing stable homeownership, a sizable development pipeline and opportunities for infill and neighborhood revitalization. Consultants recommended coordinating housing strategy with code enforcement and economic development to capture demand and protect existing neighborhoods.
Consultants from Catalyst Commercial delivered the EDC-commissioned housing market assessment to the Mount Pleasant City Council on Nov. 4, saying the city has a stable ownership base, permit growth in 2024 and a healthy pipeline of planned housing that could satisfy projected five‑year demand.
"Quality of life is a big thing," Chris Branham said, adding that Mount Pleasant’s downtown and existing neighborhood framework provide a regional advantage. Noah Rakoski and Branham described three current housing formats — infill/masterplan neighborhoods, mixed-use near town centers, and smaller house‑lot formats — and urged the city to align housing, economic development and code enforcement.
Key findings: Consultants found a substantial permit increase in 2024 (about 70 units) and estimated a multi‑year demand pipeline (roughly 5‑year demand on the order of the hundreds of housing units depending on price points). They said roughly 75% of people who work in Mount Pleasant do not live in the city, an indicator that county-level housing dynamics affect local capture of workforce housing.
Recommendations: The consultants recommended pursuing targeted infill near downtown, pursuing neighborhood health strategies (including stronger code enforcement and rental-property inspection programs), and using city-owned or trust parcels for organized infill or public–private partnerships. "Existing housing is your affordable workforce housing," Rakoski said; consultants recommended prioritizing maintenance and selective redevelopment to preserve that stock.
Costs and implementation: The report includes implementation steps and case studies; consultants told the council the EDC has already funded the study and that staff would circulate the final draft and address follow-up questions. Council members asked for additional case studies about how comparable towns redeveloped historic lots and how the city can ensure appropriate architectural and design standards in higher-intensity developments.
Next steps: Catalyst will finalize the report with comments from the EDC and staff. The consultants encouraged council and staff to use the study as a facilitation tool for developers instead of an active recruitment burden.