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Bluffton committee reviews $450,000 FY2027 Neighborhood Assistance Program and reports historic spending gains
Summary
The Affordable Housing Committee reviewed its FY2027 Neighborhood Assistance Program budget — set at $450,000 — and heard staff report $1.81 million spent from 2020–2026 across 244 assisted household projects, with home repairs making up about 94–95% of expenditures.
The Town of Bluffton Affordable Housing Committee on Thursday reviewed the Neighborhood Assistance Program budget for fiscal year 2027, which the committee said Town Council approved at $450,000 and which staff said began on July 1.
Staff member told the committee that, as of the meeting, no new jobs had started under the allocation but that four of five projects were awaiting contractor estimates. "Town council approved the 2027 fiscal year budget for the neighborhood assistance program at 450,000," the staff member said.
Why it matters: staff presented year-by-year spending back to 2020 to show the program’s recent growth and help the committee prioritize outreach and contracting. The report showed total program expenditures from 2020 through 2026 of $1,810,000 and a total of 244 household projects assisted. Staff said home repairs accounted for approximately "94, almost 95%" of program expenditures and that annual spending rose sharply from about $66,000 in 2020 to materially higher levels in recent years.
Program details and outreach: the staff member described major spending categories that include home repair/rehabilitation (roofing and floor repair), abatement and demolition (budgeted at $10,000), property cleanup, septic work (not used recently), limited private road repair, and tree mitigation. The staff member said the town relies heavily on partner referrals and word-of-mouth and confirmed the town uses Lowcountry Council of Governments (LCOG) for income verification at a cost of $10 per application.
Committee members pressed on outreach and inclusion. One committee member asked whether Habitat for Humanity homeowners were eligible to apply; the staff member confirmed they were eligible as Town of Bluffton residents. Committee discussion touched on bilingual outreach and the cost-efficiency of piggybacking program notices on existing town mailings rather than a standalone mailing.
What’s next: staff said she would provide committee members with the detailed Excel spreadsheet underlying the presentation and requested any outreach contacts (for example, Hispanic churches) before July to improve bilingual outreach. The committee will continue oversight of spending and outreach at upcoming meetings.
Ending: the committee moved on to an RFP discussion after the budget report and later adjourned the meeting.
