Local housing trust seeks county support to boost state application for 39 workforce units

Representatives of Coastal Community Development Corporation and the Buford-Jasper Housing Trust asked the committee to consider moving their application to County Council with a recommendation that the county commit up to $1.2 million in local match to increase the project's competitiveness with the South Carolina Housing Trust Fund. The project proposes a first phase of 39 new workforce rental units (part of a potential 140-unit plan), targeted at households earning 30–80% of area median income and prioritized for local workers.

Trust representatives said the county match materially raises application scoring and that a combination of grants and low-cost loans can be structured to protect public dollars (a loan may yield fewer scoring points than a grant but preserves a return of funds). They also requested $45,000 in predevelopment funds to assemble the state application by the June 2 deadline and said the trust can leverage private donations and previously raised local capital. Committee members debated whether county funds should be committed now or conditioned on later steps; the committee voted to forward the presentation to County Council for consideration and to request a recommendation from the regional housing trust.