Beaufort County approves up to $30,000 in impact-fee subsidies for qualifying low-income buyers

Beaufort County Council voted on March 9 to provide up to $30,000 in the current fiscal year to fund impact-fee subsidies for qualifying low-income homebuyers under the county's existing impact-fee ordinance.

Staff explained the program's eligibility tiers: qualifying applicants at or below 60 percent of area median income (AMI) may receive up to 100 percent of the applicable impact fee; applicants at 61–79 percent of AMI would receive a 60 percent subsidy. As an example, staff said a 2,000-square-foot home in the southern part of the county carries an approximate impact fee of $4,500, while northern rates were higher.

Officials clarified the program is homeowner-focused (the owner must be the applicant), not a developer subsidy, though separate provisions in the ordinance allow council to consider developer incentives for deed-restricted affordable developments. Staff said historical usage had been low (four or five awards per year prior to the last five years) and that the county would publicize the program to mobile-home dealers and community organizations to generate applications.

A roll-call vote recorded the measure as passing (recorded roll call showed majority support; the chair announced the motion passed). Council discussed alternative routes (housing trust fund administration or a special grant structure) for longer-term solutions and asked staff to coordinate outreach and eligibility verification through Building Codes and Finance.

What happens next: Administration will publish application details and reach out to dealers and nonprofits; the Building Codes office will verify applicant eligibility and process requests until the approved funding is exhausted.