North Charleston Leaders Seek Public Input on Affordable Housing
North Charleston, S.C. is buzzing as city leaders are reaching out for your thoughts on how to improve affordable housing in the area! With a growing concern over housing costs, the city is intent on making positive changes that benefit everyone, especially those who are struggling to keep up with rising living expenses.
Understanding the Challenge
Recently, data revealed that more than 17,000 households in North Charleston spent over 30% of their income on housing costs as of 2017. This eye-opening statistic translates to nearly 44% of the city’s households being considered “cost-burdened”. It’s clear that action is needed. City planners have set their sights on rewriting the Unified Development Ordinance, which will tackle issues related to housing, zoning, and design standards all at once.
Interestingly, this initiative marks the first comprehensive review of city codes since 1976. Adam MacConnell, who is managing the project, emphasized their goal to streamline development processes for current and future North Charleston residents.
What Does This Mean for Residents?
The current ordinance aims to identify barriers to affordable housing by examining various factors including housing cost policies, increasing the supply of homes, and the availability of transportation. According to MacConnell, addressing these issues requires collaboration from various sectors including the city, neighboring jurisdictions, counties, nonprofits, and private organizations.
He stated, “A lot of our challenges that we face are regional in nature, housing, transportation, flooding and it’s going to take an all hands on deck approach.” This comprehensive way of thinking is what North Charleston hopes will lead to meaningful solutions for all.
Funding and Participation Opportunities
To kick off this ambitious plan, city leaders are eyeing the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing grant, which is federally funded. This grant backs communities striving for more accessible housing options. North Charleston is looking to secure a whopping one million dollars to finance consulting efforts for this initiative, and this requires your help!
Getting your voice heard is crucial, as leaders are encouraging public input on where affordable housing is most needed in the community. There will be platforms such as boards, surveys, and documents available for public participation.
For those keen to share ideas in person, a public hearing is scheduled at City Hall before the committee of the whole meeting starting at 5 p.m.. Here, residents can express their thoughts on what affordable housing should look like.
MacConnell highlighted, “We’ll be generating those public comments about what they think affordable housing should look like.” He further added that the zoning code rewrite should encompass not just housing, but also transportation, conservation, and safe roadways.
How to Share Your Thoughts
Your feedback matters greatly! Residents who wish to share their comments can reach out via email at lalston@northcharleston.org, or send a letter to:
Attn: Linda Alston, City of North Charleston, P.O. Box 190016, North Charleston, SC 29416-9016. Please note, email comments are due by 5 p.m. on Oct. 10, while mailed comments will be accepted until Oct. 7.
Your voice can make a difference in shaping the future of housing in North Charleston. Let’s work together to create a community that everyone can afford to call home!
