Housing authority proposes partnership to expand housing options in Cheraw

Dr. Apostle Bradley, introducing himself as executive director of the Housing Authority of Florence and the Housing Authority of Cheraw, told the Cheraw Town Council he brought a business plan for a potential local partnership to expand housing options.

"My name is doctor Apostle Bradley, and I am the executive director of the Housing Authority of Florence and the Housing Authority of Cheraw," Bradley said, describing an affiliated nonprofit, the Chesterfield Affordable Housing Corporation, and board members who would oversee local efforts. He told the council the proposal would adapt programs that have worked in Florence, including public housing, Section 8 vouchers, low-income tax-credit properties, scattered-site homeownership and a family self-sufficiency program that helps residents train and prepare for homeownership.

Bradley told council there are 43 housing authorities in South Carolina, of which 11 are designated by HUD as high performers, and he said Florence and Cheraw are among those high-performing agencies referenced in his presentation. He said the Chesterfield Affordable Housing Corporation could help develop workforce housing and market-rate houses, and that partnerships or donations of town-owned lots could reduce development costs.

Council members asked clarifying questions and said they appreciated the information. The council did not take formal action on the proposal during the meeting; Bradley left the council with an invitation to continue the dialogue about specific next steps.