Public meeting held to discuss affordable housing in Hilton Head

HILTON HEAD, S.C. (WTOC) - Affordable housing has been a problem on Hilton Head for years, but a recent threat you may remember is now sparking change.

As hundreds of people’s leases were nearly terminated, town leaders say they realized action needed to be taken immediately to address the issue.

In response to the panic caused at Chimney Cove, Hilton Head’s mayor asked town staff to begin work on an affordable housing framework.

After weeks of effort, that framework was presented at a public meeting Tuesday with direct action to come.

As explained by the consultants, a group of 35 islanders from various backgrounds talked through what this proposal should include.

They came up with a framework that is..

”Built upon four main pillars: community, planning, management, and revenue to create a housing framework that will be sustainable and have action,” Community Planning Manager Missy Luick said.

”There were two council members in that discussion as well, David Ames and Tom Lennox.

”It outlines strategies and action steps that give the town manager permission to move ahead, and I think that’s the bottom line,” District 3, Town Councilman David Ames said.

Tuesday’s meeting was packed with members of the public, who said one after the other how important it is for the town to take action and fix affordable housing.

This plan is detailed with several goals and strategies to do so.

”We’re going to establish a staff member dedicated to housing, that’s critical.We’re going to create a community advisory group that gets together to meet about housing.”

To do any of that, council will have to approve it first something Ames thinks will happen.

”The plan has a lot of the words commitment and commit in it and I think that’s what this council is ready to do.”

The four pillars, or goals, discussed today at this meeting and detailed in this report will be presented to town Council one week from Tuesday first at their meeting on Nov. 1.

At that point it’ll be put to a vote for them to approve or deny this plan.

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