Ribbon-Cutting Held for Edisto Place. New Affordable Housing Development Welcomes Residents to New Homes in Columbia, SC

From WOLO / ABC

EDISTO PLACE: New affordable housing development welcomes residents to new homes in Columbia

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — An affordable housing community in Columbia that is almost 10 years in the making has officially opened.

Edisto Place celebrated a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday morning. It was made possible thanks to funds from public, private and non-profit sources.

“As we celebrate Community Developers Week, isn’t it great that it’s on this sunny day in the life of our city?” asked Ed McDowell, City of Columbia mayor pro tem. 

It is the first project in Columbia for the Greenville based non-profit Homes of Hope.

“Affordable housing to us is not the end of the story. A lot of times you see someone being handed a key, they walk in their house and everybody leaves. For us, it’s the beginning of the story,” said Homes of Hope CEO Don Oglesby.

The Homes of Hope CEO expects that the community will connect residents to resources that will help them achieve financial stability.

The City of Columbia District 3 councilman also urges Edisto Place residents to get involved in their community. 

“A community is only as strong as its residents,” said Will Brennan, District 3 councilman. “I encourage the residents of Home of Hope in Columbia to get involved in their neighborhood association.”

Brennan says the opening of Edisto Place could be the beginning of more affordable housing in the Columbia area.

“Absolutely. It’s about finding the land and determination from community sponsors, participants like Home of Hope and the city.  We’re all in,” said the councilman. “Offering the best residential offerings is something the City of Columbia has to do and we’re committed to it.”

Homes of Hope is committed to the same thing and has built hundreds of affordable residences across the Palmetto State.

“If what we do here is just build sticks and bricks here, we’ve failed,” Oglesby said. “If what we do here is help build community and families and individuals can connect to resources for economic mobility, I think we can celebrate that.”

Homes of Hope also helps with workforce development for men overcoming addiction.

Find out more about the organization here.

Apr 11, 2022
By Alex Tejada

From WLTX / CBS

Affordable Housing Subdivision Opens in Columbia, SC

Columbia Community Development and Homes of Hope held a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of Edisto Place, an affordable housing subdivision.

By Tai Wong
April 11, 2022
 

COLUMBIA, S.C. — On Monday, the City of Columbia announced more affordable housing. 

The city cut the ribbon for a new housing subdivision that's based off income.

"I was staying in my car," said Tony, who now lives at Edisto Place. "Staying in my car, staying at friends houses that would open up to me and what have you."

Tony said he was homeless for four months, and the new neighborhood allowed him to call a place 'home'.

"It means that it’s a blessing that I’m not homeless and having this year and being able to afford it, it’s making me comfortable, living my life," Tony told News 19. "I'm blessed. There’s only one word that I can think of and it’s I’m blessed and you know–I’m here."

Columbia City Councilman, Will Brennan told News 19, the project was a partnership between the city and Greenville based nonprofit, Homes for Hope. 

"This is a stepping stone, hopefully for these families- they save for home ownership," Councilman Brenna said. "So the commitment for Homes for Hope as property managers that care and that are compassionate, I think it’s something we need more and more in our city."

All together, the subdivision includes 29 units such as townhomes and single family homes. Columbia Community Development Director, Gloria Saeed said the goal is to be more equitable. 

"We know that we have a huge deficit when it comes to the availability of affordable housing whether it's for rental or homeownership, so that's why it's critically important that we continue, in the City of Columbia, that we support these types of projects," Saeed said. "Making sure that we attract and keep all residents in the City of Columbia, we need to make sure that we have enough affordable housing for all the people that live in Columbia."

She explained rent is based off annual income, starting at around 40 thousand dollars or less for a single person. More people in each household will increase the income requirement. 

To find out more and if you can qualify you can call Homes for Hope at (864) 269- 4663 or go to their website here.