Bluffton to build workforce housing neighborhood

BLUFFTON, Ga. (WTOC) - One Lowcountry municipality is taking a step forward in the fight for affordable housing.

“Affordable housing is a very large issue in Bluffton, it’s a large issue in the region,” said town manager Stephen Steese.

Because of that, the town of Bluffton will be turning this nearly two acre plot of land into a workforce housing neighborhood, as they look to keep their front-line workers in town moving forward.

“The kind of people we’re talking about that these homes are being targeted for are teachers, nurses, firefighters, police officers.”

The town hopes to encourage home ownership with this project. To make sure it’s affordable, they say they’ve made investments in the land and partnered with a developer.

“The public side of that is to help that private developer offset some of those costs so that the cost of the home is able to be lowered.”

On top of that, there is also a three-decade affordability covenant on the 12 to 14 unit neighborhood, which will ensure its purpose doesn’t change.

“For the next 30 years, that home can only be sold to someone else who meets that same affordability factor and that ensures that it ‘s not just an affordable house when it’s sold, but it’s affordable for the next 30 years as well for the community.”

The town knows this 1.78 acre plot of land isn’t the solution to this problem, but they say it’s a step in the right direction and for now that’s a start.

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