Affordable housing presents a challenge for many in S.C.

By Christina Lee Knauss
Contributing writer of Columbia Business Report

Nearly every day of the week, the phone rings in Alisa Mosley’s Columbia office. On the other end is someone looking for help finding an affordable place to live.

Mosley’s job as executive director of the Affordable Housing Coalition of South Carolina makes her seem like the logical person to call for someone in need, but all she can do is offer advice on where to look. The calls, however, never stop coming.

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“Our group does policy and advocacy work, but I get calls every day from people looking for housing and reaching out to us trying to find it. It’s constant,” Mosley said. “It’s a constant problem in this state. I get calls from people in cities. There’s a huge problem in rural areas. I also get calls from seniors looking for housing, especially along the coast where wealthier retirees can often afford housing and those on a fixed income can’t. The need out there is just so much greater than the number of units available in this state.”

Mosley and her organization are on the front lines of an ongoing fight to get more access to affordable housing for people across South Carolina. It’s a battle that’s not unique to the state. Nationwide, no state has enough affordable rental housing for the lowest income renters, and the situation is not much better for those with slightly higher incomes, according to statistics compiled by the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

Thousands in South Carolina were already struggling before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March, and the economic downturn caused by the pandemic is likely going to make the problem worse. Many people who were already struggling to afford rent when they were working have lost jobs, face eviction, and will have an even harder time finding an affordable and safe place to live.