Advocates urge cross‑sector housing solutions as stability rises to top of child welfare agenda
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Summary
Advocates from the Institute for Child Success and the South Carolina Housing Coalition told the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children that housing stability is central to child well‑being and announced statewide listening sessions this July and an Oct. 23 housing summit to gather community input for legislative action.
At the monthly meeting of the South Carolina Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children, Sitlolly Rojo of the Institute for Child Success and Deborah DePali of the South Carolina Housing Coalition urged lawmakers to treat housing stability as a core child‑welfare priority and announced a series of community listening sessions and a statewide summit.
Sitlolly Rojo, who identified the group as the early childhood common agenda, said the coalition compiled input from a statewide survey and now represents roughly 1,000 people on its listserv and about 500–600 signatories. She told the committee that the coalition has six legislative priorities for children and flagged priority No. 3 as “promote economic opportunity and housing stability.”
Deborah DePali described two years of Housing Innovation summits and the growth of the housing effort, saying the work requires public, private and philanthropic dollars. “We’re doing it again this year, October 23. Mark your calendars,” she said, and announced four regional listening sessions planned for July to mirror JCLCC public hearings, with three‑minute comment opportunities for community members.
The presenters described local models intended for replication. DePali highlighted a Spartanburg faith‑based emergency shelter effort coordinated across dozens of congregations and referenced the national Care Portal platform and a state nonprofit site (HomeForMe / connectingSC) that matches community resources to family needs. Director Tony Gatone (DSS) and others noted similar local partnerships and tools already in use.
Committee members pressed for details on goals and timing. Senator Tamika Isaac Devine asked about the schedule and expected participants; Rojo and DePali said locations and dates will be set in July and that invitations will go to faith communities, local government, school districts, neighborhood associations and other partners. DePali also said the coalition is conducting weekly policymaker briefings and working on zoning and developer incentives to increase affordable supply.
Why it matters: Committee members framed housing as a foundational influence on children’s health, education and economic stability. Presenters called for cross‑sector action and a statewide effort to capture local solutions and scale them through policy and funding decisions.
The committee did not take formal legislative action on a housing bill at this meeting; presenters committed to share listening‑session schedules with staff for wider distribution.
