Nov 19, 2024 Town of Hilton Head Housing Action Committee

THE MINUTES FROM, UH, OUR LAST MEETING, WHICH WAS, UH, TWO MONTHS AGO.

THOSE OPPOSED? IT IS APPROVED.

AND

[3. Approval of the Minutes]

UH, ANY ADDITIONS OR CORRECTIONS TO THE, TO THE MINUTES? NOT AS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES.

SANDY GILLIS A SECOND BY STUART BELL.

ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.

SAY, AYE.

A AYE.

THOSE OPPOSED? THAT PASSES.

LET'S

[4.a. Program Updates - Quincy White, Chief Housing Officer]

GO STRAIGHT TO, UH, PROGRAM UPDATES FROM, UH, QUINCY.

GOOD MORNING, BY THE WAY, NEXT DAY.

UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE ABOUT THREE PAGES TO GO THROUGH.

UM, SO SOME HIGH LEVEL UPDATES.

UH, SO SINCE WE LAST MET, UH, WE HAD TWO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS, UH, ONE IN JONESVILLE ON SEPTEMBER 5TH AND ONE IN MUD CREEK ON SEPTEMBER 12TH.

UM, IN JONESVILLE, UH, WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED ATTENDEES, UH, 25 STAFF MEMBERS FROM VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS ELECTED OFFICIALS ATTENDED THE EVENT.

UH, SO THE KEY THEMES, UH, AND FEEDBACK RECEIVED, UM, WERE SURROUNDED AROUND DEVELOPMENT AND PRESERVATION, UM, TO PRESERVE, UH, THE UNIQUE IDENTITY OF JONESVILLE, AS WELL AS THE OLD STABLE SITE, AS WELL AS INFRASTRUCTURE PRIORITIES.

UH, WE'VE OUTLINED AND HIGHLIGHTED SOME KEY STEPS TO INCLUDE A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON THE TURN LANE ON JONESVILLE ROAD, AS WELL AS STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE ASSESSMENTS.

UM, WE ARE ALSO PLANNING TO ISSUE A RFQ IN REGARDS TO THE OLD STABLES AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.

AND WE ARE LAUNCHING, HOPEFULLY, OUR, UH, DISTRICT PLANNING PROJECT, UH, FOR LAND USE AND DENSITY WITH SOME KEY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS, ALSO SCHEDULED FOR SOME TIME NEXT YEAR.

UM, FOR MUDDY CREEK ON SEPTEMBER 12TH, WE HAVE ROUGHLY ABOUT 82 RESIDENTS PARTICIPATE.

30 STAFF MEMBERS WERE THERE AS WELL TO INCLUDE THE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF TOWN COUNCIL.

UH, KEY THEMES WERE SAFETY, UM, IN REGARDS TO SPEED BUMPS AND CROSSWALKS, UH, BEAUTIFICATION EFFORTS, UH, TO INCLUDE HOUSING, STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, AS WELL AS RECREATION.

UH, SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED FROM, UH, THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT INCLUDED, UM, BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER, OUR COMMUNITY CLEANUP EFFORTS.

UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD A COM, UH, COMMUNITY CLEANUP EVENT LAST SATURDAY ON THE 16TH.

SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THAT WAS THERE.

UM, AND I'LL DIVE INTO SOME OF THE STATISTICS WITH THAT AS WELL.

UH, WE ALSO HIGHLIGHTED, UM, THE NEED FOR HOUSING.

AND OF COURSE, WE, UM, DURING THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT, WE SPOKE ON SOME OF THE CONCEPTS FOR THE TOWN OWNED PROPERTY ON BRYANT ROAD, AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON CREATING A MUDDY CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PLAN, UH, TO HIGHLIGHT SOME KEY PRIORITIES, UH, TO REVITALIZE THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO THOSE WERE SOME OF OUR KEY TAKEAWAYS.

UM, AGAIN, WE HAD THE COMMUNITY CLEANUP EVENT ON NOVEMBER 16TH.

UH, WE HAD NEARLY 60 VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATE.

UH, WE'RE STILL WAITING ON SOME OF THE STATISTICS IN REGARDS TO, UH, ALL THE DEBRIS THAT WAS PICKED UP FROM THAT CLEANUP EFFORT.

UH, WE ARE PLANNING TO GO BACK OUT, UM, IN JANUARY TO DO A LARGE DEBRIS PICKUP EVENT, AS WELL AS A CLEANUP EVENT IN JONESVILLE.

BOTH OF THESE ARE BASED ON SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HEARD FROM BOTH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS, WHICH HIGHLIGHTED A NEED FOR A COMMUNITY CLEANUP.

SO SOME WORK GROUP UPDATES.

AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEVERAL WORK GROUPS WITHIN THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE.

UH, SO THE HABITAT WORK GROUP, UH, WE'VE MET SEVERAL TIMES SINCE OUR LAST HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE MEETING.

UH, WE'VE DISCUSSED, UM, DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR PROPERTY ACQUISITION, AND I'M NOT GONNA STEP ON THE TOES OF THE HABITAT PRESENTATION TODAY.

UM, ALSO EXPLORING BUILDING AND SITE DESIGN TO ALIGN WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS, AS WELL AS SECURING, AGAIN, PROPERTIES TO EXPAND WORKFORCE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES.

UH, THE NORTH PORT AND I, I'LL STOP THERE IF THERE'S ANY FEEDBACK THAT THOSE WORK GROUP MEMBERS WANT TO ADD.

UM, BUT I WILL ALSO SAY THERE WAS A NORTH POINT WORK GROUP MEETING.

UM, THERE WAS A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF THE NORTH POINT PROJECT, INCLUDING

[00:05:01]

THE ENTITLEMENT PROCESS.

SO I'M NOT SURE, JACK, IF YOU WANT ME TO PAUSE THERE, IF COMMITTEE MEMBERS WANNA JUMP IN AND SPEAK ON THAT.

WE'RE STILL WAITING ON FEEDBACK FROM IT.

WHERE IT GOES.

I MEAN, WE RAISED A LOT OF QUESTIONS, I THINK, BUT, OKAY.

WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH THE FULL REPORT THEN.

THEN WE'LL COME BACK WITH ANY ISSUES OR QUESTIONS.

SO, UH, IN, IN REGARDS TO NORTH POINT, THERE WERE PARKING REQUIREMENTS, THE SITE ACCESSIBILITY CONCERNS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, THE SITE PLAN AND BUILDING DESIGN ENHANCEMENTS FOR FUNCTIONALITY AND RESIDENT EXPERIENCE.

THESE WERE TOPICS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP DURING THAT DISCUSSION.

OUR DISPLACEMENT WORK GROUP.

UH, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL TABLETOP EXERCISES TO TEST THE PLAN AGAINST REAL WORLD, REAL WORLD SCENARIOS, UH, TO SEE HOW FEASIBLE THE PLAN WAS.

WE DID HIGHLIGHT THERE WERE SOME GAPS IN THE PLAN THAT NEEDED TO BE LOOKED AT, UH, TO ASSURE THAT THE PLAN COULD BE, UM, AS SUCCESSFUL AS POSSIBLE.

SO, UM, OUR COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATION, WE HAD A, A MEETING WITH THE CHAIR AND THE CO-CHAIR WITH OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT TO TALK ABOUT OUR COMMUNICATIONS PLAN FOR HOUSING.

UM, SOME ITEMS THAT WERE HIGHLIGHTED FROM THAT WAS A NEWSLETTER, UH, POSSIBLY A BROCHURE, UH, A PRESENTATION THAT COULD BE SHARED WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE.

UM, I AM WORKING ON A YEAR END REPORT, UM, THAT WILL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR.

UH, SO JUST TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE ONGOING EFFORTS, UM, THE DISPLACEMENT MITIGATION SUPPORT PLAN, CURRENT STATUS, IT IS CURRENTLY UNDER LEGAL REVIEW.

UM, THE DRAFT, THE FINAL DRAFT HAS BEEN SHARED WITH MEMBERS OF THE DISPLACEMENT WORK GROUP, AS WELL AS OUR TWO LEAD PARTNER AGENCIES TO TAKE A LOOK AT, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE MUD CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PLAN, DISCUSSIONS WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND TOWN STAFF, INCLU, INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY FOR OUR DEPARTMENT, ENGINEERING AND CAPITAL PROJECTS HAS BEGUN.

UH, WE'VE ALSO HAD A SMALLER MEETING WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO DISCUSS THE OVERALL PLAN, UH, TO BETTER ALIGN SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENT IN SEPTEMBER.

UH, WE'RE EXPECTING TO HAVE A REALLY SOLID DRAFT BY THE END OF THIS MONTH.

UH, IN REGARDS TO HABITAT, UH, WE CONTINUE TO COLLABORATE WITH HABITAT TO DISCUSS DESIGNS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PERMITTING PROCESS AS WELL AS SITE DESIGNS OVER THE OVERALL SITE AND DESIGNS OF THE BUILDINGS THEMSELVES.

UM, REGIONAL RESEARCH AND INSPIRATION.

WE AS TOWN STAFF, WERE ABLE TO VISIT THE WHARF STREET DEVELOPMENT IN BLUFFTON, UH, TO SEE HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, THE DESIGNS.

NOT ONLY THAT, BUT HOW, HOW THEY WERE ABLE TO WORK AND MAKE THAT SITE WORK FOR THEM AND SEE IF THERE WAS ANY INSPIRATION THAT WE COULD FEED IT TO THE HABITAT PROJECT.

AND I BELIEVE THAT'S THE END OF MY REPORT.

ANY COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, CONCERNS? I, I'D LIKE TO RAISE ONE CONCERN ABOUT THE DISPLACEMENT PLAN, UH, SINCE HE SENT THAT, AS HE SAID TO THOSE OF US, UH, ON, ON THAT WORK GROUP, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS AGO.

AND, UH, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR, I THINK SINCE MAY.

AND WE ARE YET HERE IN ANOTHER MEETING, UH, OF THE HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE, NOT READY TO VOTE ON IT, UH, WAITING FOR, FOR MORE STAFF REVIEW.

UH, AND I HONESTLY SIMPLY JUST NEED TO SAY THAT'S DISAPPOINTING.

UH, AND THAT'S NOT POINTING A FINGER AT ANY ONE PERSON.

UH, CERTAINLY, UH, WE'VE GOT GOOD PEOPLE, TALENTED PEOPLE, SMART PEOPLE, COMMITTED PEOPLE WORK, WORKING ON THIS FROM THE STAFF STANDPOINT.

UH, BUT SOMEHOW WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT TO THE, TO THE FINISH LINE, UH, WHERE WE ARE ALWAYS AT RISK OF THE FIRST MAJOR DISPLACEMENT THAT WE NEED TO DEAL WITH.

UH, SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A CONCERN.

AND I, I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE STAFF TOP TO BOTTOM, UH, TO NOT LET THIS GO ANOTHER MONTH WHERE WE CANCEL A MEETING OR DELAY ACTION, UH, BY THIS GROUP.

IT NEEDS TO MOVE AHEAD.

IT NEEDS TO BE, IN MY VIEW, TOP, TOP PRIORITY.

UH, HAVING SAID THAT, WE KNOW ONCE THE DISPLACEMENT PLAN IS APPROVED, AND, AND IN EFFECT, UH, THE BIG REMAINING ISSUE, THE REAL ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM ON IT, IS WHEN THERE IS A DISPLACEMENT AND WE WE ROLL INTO ACTION, WHERE DO THESE FOLKS GO? UH, IT'S REALLY THE SAME FUNDAMENTAL WE, PROBLEM, PROBLEM WE HAVE WITH HOUSING IS WHETHER PEOPLE ARE COMING NEW TO TOWN AS PART OF THE WORKFORCE OR, OR WHETHER THEY'RE DISPLACED.

UH, THEY NEED HOUSING THAT THEY CAN GO TO, UH, HOPEFULLY ON THE ISLAND.

I THINK WE'LL HEAR FROM HABITAT THAT, THAT A GOOD NUMBER OF FOLKS, UH, THAT, THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, TO, TO GET INTO HABITAT HOUSING HAVE, HAVE REALLY ENDED UP GOING TO THE NEW PROJECT IN HARDY, UH,

[00:10:01]

WHICH IS BEAUTIFUL.

UH, BUT IT, IT'S A, A NET LOSS OF HOUSING FOR, FOR PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND WHEN WORKERS HAVE TO GO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF AVAILABILITY HERE.

SO I, I, I WOULD ENCOURAGE STAFF TO, UH, RESOLVE ANY OF THOSE ISSUES AND WE DON'T REALLY EVEN KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE, UH, WITH THE DISPLACEMENT PLAN.

UH, BUT TO DO THAT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, GET IT BACK TO US AND LET US APPROVE THAT AND, AND, AND GET ON WITH IT.

SO IF I CAN ADD TO THAT, JACK, IN THE SPIRIT OF JUST TRANSPARENCY, CAN YOU GIVE US SOME IDEA OF WHAT ARE THE HOLDUPS, UM, AND, AND AGAIN, AS JACK SAID, THAT'S NOT POINTING ANY FINGERS, BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THIS IS, IT JUST LINGERS AND LINGERS AND LINGERS.

SURE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON CRAFTING THE PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S EFFICIENT, THAT IT'S STREAMLINED, AND OF COURSE, THAT'S BEEN A PROCESS.

UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT HAS BEEN GOING THROUGH A LEGAL REVIEW, UH, TO SURE IT ALIGNS WITH, UM, THE LEGALITIES OF THE TOWN.

UM, THAT'S TAKEN TIME, AND I UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION AND, YOU KNOW, I, I PUT THAT ON MY SHOULDERS, BUT I WILL SAY THAT WE, WE PLAN TO HAVE THAT FINAL DRAFT READY FOR YOU ALL DECEMBER 9TH.

SO IT'S REALLY ALL LEGAL ISSUES THAT ARE STILL BEING CORRECT RESOLVED.

THAT'S RIGHT.

AND OUR NEXT MEETING IS DECEMBER 9TH, AND WE, WE DO PLAN TO MEET THEN AND, UH, BE ABLE TO TAKE ACTION ON, ON THIS.

UH, A LOT OF GOOD WORK HAS GONE INTO IT.

IT NEEDS TO COME DO A AHEAD AND, UH, BE VOTED UPON HERE.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UH, CONCERNS RAISED FROM HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABOUT THIS? NO, JUST ONE NOTE.

I THINK THAT FROM WHEN WE MET ON THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THE VOLUNTARY DISPLACEMENT FORM IS OPTIONAL FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE PURCHASING LAND.

AND I WOULD LIKE TO, I, I GUESS, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AS A COMMITTEE, UM, TRY AND MAKE THAT FORM MANDATORY, UM, AS A PART OF THE PRE-APPLICATION PROCESS AS OPPOSED TO OPTIONAL, JUST SO THAT AT LEAST YOU CAN KNOW WELL AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE, UH, A DISPLACEMENT PLAN OR DISPLACEMENT WOULD HAPPEN.

I, I, IS THAT A MOTION? SO JUST TO ADD SOME CONTEXT TO THAT.

UH, SO I WAS ABLE TO CHECK WITH OUR TOWN ATTORNEY IN REGARDS TO THAT.

AND, UH, SINCE THE, THE, THE VOLUNTARY DISPLACEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE IS NOT A PART OF THE, THE CODE ITSELF, IT CANNOT BE DEEMED MANDATORY.

AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE IT AS A VOLUNTARY FORM.

SO THAT, JUST SO YOU KNOW, EVERYONE'S CLEAR ON THAT.

CAN WE MAKE THAT, I KNOW THERE IS AN LMO REWRITE, CAN THAT BE, MAKE A MOTION THAT THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE LMO REWRITE? I WOULD SUGGEST MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DISCUSS AS TOWN STAFF AS A CONSIDERATION, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO SEE IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.

WELL, THAT WHICH TO BRING IT UP, WE'RE, WE'RE AN ADVISORY RIGHT.

UH, GROUP HERE, NOT, NOT A FINAL DECISION MAKER.

UH, SO I, I I WOULD RULE THAT TO BE A VALID MOTION THAT, THAT WE, THAT WE WORK TOWARD, UH, THE, THE, THE MAN MANDATORY, UH, FORM TO BE FILLED OUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE PURCHASING LAND, UH, UH, WITH THE, THE DETAIL THAT WE'VE SEEN IN THAT, IN THAT REPORT, UH, THAT'S ONLY AN ADVICE AND RECOMMENDATION, UH, UH, TO THE, TO THE FOLKS, PARTICULARLY ON THE LEGAL SIDE THAT ARE WORKING ON IT WITH, WITH THE TOWN.

THAT'S, THAT'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

UH, IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? I'LL SECOND THAT.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON, ON THAT? UH, THOSE IN FAVOR? DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THE MOTION? YES.

THOSE IN FAVOR, AYE.

OPPOSED, UNANIMOUS FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES.

STILL ON ALL THIS, ON DISPLACEMENT, WE'RE NOT, THE TOWN'S NOT PROVIDING REAL FUNDING FOR THIS.

AND OBVIOUSLY THAT GETS INTO A BUDGET PROCESS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT I THINK, AGAIN, WE NEED TO STRESS AT SOME POINT THAT THE AGENCIES AND THE VARIOUS PARTIES TO THIS DON'T REALLY HAVE THE WHEREWITHAL TO BRING ALL THESE THINGS TO BEAR AIR NOW NEEDS TO AT SOME POINT, ALLOCATE SOME RESOURCES TOWARDS THAT.

AND I KNOW WE'VE GOT LEGAL QUESTIONS AND ALL THOSE THINGS ABOUT THAT, AND I KNOW WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS BEFORE, BUT I JUST WANNA PUT THAT BACK ON THE TABLE, THAT THAT'S WHAT IT COMES BACK TO.

BRINGING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO BEAR.

SO IT IS GONNA TAKE A ACTUAL MONEY AND ACTUAL HOUSES, UH, WHEN, WHEN WE HAVE THE EVENT.

SANDY GILLI, ANY, UH, I KNOW YOU AND SCOTT, WE, FROM THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, YOU, YOU REPRESENTING DEEP WELL, WERE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DISPLACEMENT PLAN, AND I, I THINK ANY, ANY ISSUES WITH YOU WERE, WERE ADDRESSED.

IS THAT THE PLAN? THE PLAN ITSELF IS EXCELLENT.

IT REALLY IS.

IT'S

[00:15:01]

IT'S BRINGING A LOT OF BETTER OH, YEAH.

BETTER.

UM, SO THE PLAN ITSELF IS GREAT, BUT IT IS GONNA COME DOWN.

THE DEVIL IS GONNA BE IN THE DETAILS AND HOW WE CAN COALESCE.

THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS.

THE KEY IS GONNA REALLY COME DOWN TO PULLING PEOPLE TOGETHER.

WE, WE'VE GOT A NICE LIST OF HOW WE FIND THE HOUSING FOR PEOPLE.

, I DON'T KNOW, , IT'S, IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S NOT YOU .

UM, BUT, BUT WE DO NEED TO BE BUILDING THOSE RESOURCES AND THOSE HOUSING PARTNERS OF, OF WHETHER IT'S SHORT TERM RENTALS THAT COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE, WHETHER IT'S, UM, HOTEL ROOMS AT SOME OF OUR, OUR, OUR BUDGET HOTELS ON THE ISLAND THAT COULD BE MADE AVAILABLE, ALL OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

AND I UNDERSTAND YOU NEED TO HAVE THE PLAN APPROVED BEFORE YOU START HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BUT, BUT THAT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME AND IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME COALESCING.

SO THIS, I I, I, I'M VERY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT IT IS ON THE AGENDA FOR DECEMBER 9TH, BECAUSE THE SOONER WE GET GOING ON THAT, THE MORE PREPARED WE'RE GOING TO BE IF THAT DAY COMES.

VERY GOOD.

OTHER QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS? COMMENTS ABOUT, UH, QUINCY'S, UH, UPTAKE BEFORE INCURRING

[4.b. Work Area Updates - Jack Alderman, Housing Action Committee Chair]

NONE.

LET, LET'S MOVE TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM, WHICH SHE'S, UH, WORK AREA UPDATES.

UH, A LOT OF THOSE QUINCY COVERED, BUT LET, LET ME SEE IF I'VE GOT OTHERS, UH, THAT NEED TO BE ADDED TO THAT.

UH, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, SIX MORE GROUP AREAS THAT, UH, WE HAVE ASSIGNED MEMBERS OF, OF THIS COMMITTEE TO, TO MEET SEPARATELY, UH, WITH LESS THAN FORUMS IN, IN ANY OF THOSE, UH, DISCUSSIONS.

UH, THE FIRST IS MUDDY CREEK, BRYAN ROAD.

AND, UH, THE, I HAVE, I HAVE TO GIVE PRAISE TO THE, TO THE STAFF AND QUINCY AND THE WHOLE GROUP THAT HAVE PUT TOGETHER THE SITE VISITS, UH, AND, AND CLEANUP, UH, AND THE, UH, THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS.

UH, I THINK ALL THOSE HAVE GONE VERY WELL AND, UH, GOOD, GOOD STARTS.

UM, AND THOSE, THOSE NEED TO LEAD TO, UH, FRUITION WITH ACTUAL PLANS FOR ACTUAL PROPERTIES.

AND I KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S NEXT.

BUT, UH, BRYAN ROAD IS THE NEXT, IN MY VIEW, THE NEXT BIG OPPORTUNITY THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE HAVE.

LEADS IN TERMS OF POSSIBILITIES FOR HOUSING, BUT WE KNOW IT'S A LOT OF LAND AND IT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PIECE OF LAND, UH, THAT COULD BE USABLE IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, UH, THAT CLOSE, UH, TO THE ISLAND.

UH, THE STABILIZATION PLAN, UH, WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS AND THE CLEANUP, UH, BUT, UH, THOSE OF US THAT ARE ON THAT WORK GROUP, UH, IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO BE INCLUDED IN, IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS, UH, WE WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.

UH, LAND DEVELOPMENT AND ACQUISITION, UH, AS QUINCY SAID, UH, THAT, THAT WORK GROUP WITHIN HOUSING ACTION COMMITTEE HAS BEEN, UH, MEETING WITH THE, THE, THE HABITAT FOLKS AND QUINCY AND, AND THE FOLKS FROM, UH, STAFF THAT WILL NEED TO REVIEW PLANS.

UH, ONE OTHER THING I I'D LIKE TO RAISE, UH, ON THAT SUBJECT IS, UH, LOOKING, UH, MORE CLOSELY AT LAND THAT IS NOT WITHIN THE TOWN LIMITS OF HILTON HEAD, AND, UH, PUTTING THOSE IN THE, IN THE STUDY QUEUE.

UH, THERE ARE TWO THAT, THAT I KNOW OF SPECIFICALLY, BUT THERE MAY BE OTHERS.

KNOWING THAT WE ARE NOT GONNA SOLVE ALL OUR HOUSING ISSUES WITH LAND THAT'S AVAILABLE ON HILTON HEAD ISLAND.

UH, WE'RE CONSIDERING IT A GREAT VICTORY THAT HABITAT HAS FOUND A ONE LOT FOR MAY, MAYBE FIVE HOMES.

UH, BUT WE, WE NEED TO BE UP TO SCALE, UH, GETTING MORE OPPORTUNITIES, MORE PLACES.

AND TWO OF THOSE I THINK, ARE NOT WITHIN TOWN LIMITS, AT LEAST ONE IS JENKINS ISLAND, WHICH IS THE LAND ACROSS FROM, UH, WINDMILL HARBOR.

UH, SO NOT, NOT IN THE TOWN, BUT TOWN OWNED.

UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THE, UH, REVERSE OSMOSIS, UH, TREATMENT PLANT HAS BEEN FOR, FOR WATER.

BUT THERE'S SOME LAND AVAILABLE THERE.

THE OTHER IS THE ULMER LAND IN, IN BLUFFTON, A LITTLE FARTHER OFF THE ISLAND, BUT STILL SO MUCH CLOSER THAN SO MANY OF THE OTHER HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES IN, IN BEAUFORT AND JASPER COUNTY.

AND THE, THE TOWN, UH, NOW, UH, HAS, HAS THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS ON THAT LAND.

UH, AND WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE THAT

[00:20:01]

SO QUINCY, IF I COULD ASK IF THOSE BE RAMPED UP AND MAY MAYBE IN THE NEXT MEETING WE, WE GET SOME, SOME REPORT ON OKAY.

ON WHAT THE PARAMETERS AND RESTRICTIONS AND SUCH ARE ON, ON THOSE.

UH, DISPLACEMENT.

UH, WE HAVE A WORK GROUP, UH, SANDY GIL, SANDY WEST, LAWANA, UH, KATIE ARE ON THAT.

AND AS ONCE SHE SAID, MET SEVERAL TIMES, UH, THE LAND MANAGEMENT ORDINANCE ORDINANCE, UH, IS JUST GETTING, UH, RAMPED UP.

UH, AND WE WILL PLAY A REVIEW ROLE IN THAT, UH, AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.

UH, UH, IDENTIFYING AND UNDERSTANDING FUNDING SOURCES, UH, SARAH, I KNOW YOUR GROUP HAS, HAS MET ANY, ANY UPDATES ON THAT AT THIS POINT SINCE OUR LAST UPDATE FROM YOU? NO, I MEAN, UNTIL THERE'S A REAL PROJECT TO RESPOND TO, IT'S HARD TO TELL LIKE WHAT RESOURCES OUTSIDE OF THE FEDERAL I THAT WE'VE ALREADY IDENTIFIED.

AND COMMUNICATIONS IS THE LAST WORK GROUP.

UH, I, I THINK THAT'S A BIG OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO LET FOLKS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

UH, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE, UH, UNINFORMED ON THE HOUSING ISSUES AND THE NEED AND DEMAND FOR HOUSING ON THE ISLAND.

UH, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMUNICATE THAT GREAT STORY, UH, AND SUPPORT IS NEEDED IN THE FULL COMMUNITY TO, TO MAKE THAT WORK.

AND THERE ARE CERTAINLY THOSE OUT THERE THAT, THAT ARE ACTIVELY NOT IN SUPPORT OF IT.

UH, WE DID HAVE THE ONE MEETING WITH THE NEW TOWN COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, HEATHER WOOLWINE, AND, AND THAT WAS POSITIVE, BUT, UH, NEED TO PUT TOGETHER THE SHOW THAT WE CAN TAKE ON THE ROAD TO ALL THE COMMUNITY GROUPS AND MAKE SURE CITIZENS ARE WELL INFORMED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE UP TO WITH COMMUNICATIONS.

UH, THAT'S IT FOR MY UPDATE, UH, IN THE WORK AREAS AND WORK GROUPS.

UH, ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT OR COMMENT? I JUST WANTED TO JUST GENERALLY COMMEND QUINCY AND THE WHOLE TOWN EFFORT ON THE TWO, THE JONESVILLE ONE AND THE MUDDY CREEK EVENTS.

THEY WERE, I ONLY WENT TO THE JONESVILLE ONE, BUT IT WAS A PHENOMENAL EVENT, REALLY WELL RECEIVED.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE.

UH, A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AND, AND HEARD A LOT OF STUFF THERE, WHICH I THINK WAS REALLY INFORMATIVE AND IT REALLY DOES BRANCH OUT THE, UH, THE COMMUNICATION SIDE.

SO I REALLY WANTED TO COMMEND THE, THE WHOLE GROUP ON DOING THAT.

THEY DID GREAT.

I'LL SECOND THAT.

I DID GO TO BOTH.

SO, UM, I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPARE, WELL, NOT COMPARE, BUT EXPERIENCE BOTH.

AND, UM, I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE WELL PUT TOGETHER AND WELL RECEIVED BY THE COMMUNITY.

[5.a. Hilton Head Regional Habitat for Humanity (DBA Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry) Program and New Land Acquisition Overview - Brenda Dooley, Chief Executive Officer, Habitat for Humanity of the Lowcountry]

IF WE ARE CONCLUDED THERE, LET'S MOVE ON TO A NEW, NEW BUSINESS.

AND WE HAVE TWO PRESENTATIONS TODAY.

THE FIRST ONE IS FROM, UH, BRENDA DOOLEY, UH, HABITAT FOR HUMANITY.

WELCOME.

WELL, GOOD MORNING.

THANK YOU ALL FOR INVITING ME BACK TO COME IN AND, AND TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING ON AT HABITAT.

I THINK YOU'VE ALL GOT OUR PRESENTATION IN FRONT OF YOU THERE.

UM, ARE YOU GONNA CLICK? EITHER WAY IS FINE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO AS, AS KIND OF BEEN ALLUDED TO, WE'VE GOT SOME EXCITING THINGS GOING ON, AND I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE TO SHARE THOSE WITH YOU.

UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO JUST GIVE A, AN OVERVIEW OF HABITAT AND, AND KIND OF A, UM, OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE DO AND HOW OUR PROGRAM WORKS.

EVERYBODY KNOWS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HABITAT, UM, SOME KNOW MORE THAN OTHERS, SO I JUST KIND OF LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.

FIRST OF ALL, UM, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT THIS PAST YEAR WE WENT THROUGH A MERGER.

SO, UM, THERE WERE PREVIOUSLY TWO HABITAT AFFILIATES IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.

WE ARE NOW ONE HABITAT AFFILIATE SERVING ALL OF BEAUFORT COUNTY AND ALSO JASPER COUNTY.

AND SO TOGETHER, WE'VE DONE, UM, 181 HOMES IN, UM, ALL OF, UH, THE BIGGER LOCATIONS IN, IN EACH OF THOSE COUNTIES.

WE'RE SERVING FAMILIES THAT LIVE AND WORK IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.

THEY'RE SHOPPING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, THEIR KIDS ARE GOING TO SCHOOL THERE.

UM, THEY'RE PAYING THEIR TAXES THERE AND, AND ARE VERY ENGAGED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.

SO, UM, THOSE ARE OUR FAMILIES.

OOPS, WRONG BUTTON HERE.

UM, AND, AND THIS OVERSIMPLIFIES IT, I, I REALIZE, BUT IT REALLY TAKES FOUR THINGS FOR US TO FUNCTION.

SO IF YOU TAKE HABITAT DOWN TO JUST, IT'S VERY BASIC.

[00:25:01]

UM, VOLUNTEERS WE ARE VERY BLESSED WITH.

WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT, UM, IF WEDNESDAY IS THE DAY THEY'RE COMING TO THE JOB SITE, THEY'RE THERE EVERY WEDNESDAY OUT ON THE JOB SITE DOING WHAT THEY DO AND BUILDING THOSE HOUSES FOR US.

AND THOSE EXPERIENCED VOLUNTEERS COME OUT AND THEY'RE THERE THEN TO HELP LEAD THOSE UNEXPERIENCED ONCE IN A WHILE, VOLUNTEERS.

SO WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO OUR PROGRAM DONORS.

AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY GENEROUS COMMUNITY THAT WE LIVE IN.

UM, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE WE GO TO ALL DIFFERENT SOURCES TO GET OUR FUNDING TO SUPPORT OUR PROGRAM.

AND I'LL TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT LATER.

UM, OUR FAMILIES, WE ALL KNOW, YOU ALL KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT THERE'S NOT AN END OF FAMILIES THAT ARE LOOKING FOR HOUSING RIGHT NOW.

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, THEIR RENTS HAVE DOUBLED.

THEIR RENTS HAVE TRIPLED.

THEY'RE LIVING IN PLACES THAT, THAT WE WOULD ALL BE ASHAMED TO SEE AND WALK THROUGH AND SEE WHAT THEY'RE LIVING IN.

WE START OUR PROCESS WITH AN INFORMATIONAL MEETING SO THAT THEY CAN KIND OF SEE IF THEY THINK THEY WILL QUALIFY FOR OUR PROGRAM.

AT THE LAST MEETING, WE HAD 200 FAMILIES.

WE WERE SELECTING 10.

SO THE, THE NEED IS THERE.

NOT ALL OF THOSE 200 FAMILIES WERE READY TO BE HOMEOWNERS.

THEY DON'T ALL QUALIFY THE FIRST TIME THEY COME THROUGH THE MEETING, BUT THEY COME TO THE MEETING AND THEY FIND OUT WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, AND LOTS OF THEM COME BACK AND REAPPLY.

THEY'VE WORKED ON THEIR CREDIT, WORKED ON THEIR HISTORY, UM, THEIR JOB HISTORY AND SO FORTH, AND, AND COME BACK AND REAPPLY WITH US.

AND THEN LAND.

UM, MOST OF HABITAT AFFILIATES AROUND THE COUNTRY WILL TELL YOU LAND IS THE BIGGEST STRUGGLE RIGHT NOW.

UH, AFFORDABILITY, UH, UM, HAVING A, UH, LAND AVAILABLE EVEN THAT THEY CAN GET ACCESS TO.

SO OUR PROCESS, AS I MENTIONED, STARTS WITH THAT INFORMATIONAL MEANING.

WE HAVE THEM COME IN, WE TALK ABOUT OUR PROGRAM, WHAT IT TAKES TO BE PART OF OUR PROGRAM.

UM, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA DO, OUR FAMILIES APPLYING TO OUR PROGRAM GO THROUGH A PRETTY INTENSIVE PROCESS, JUST LIKE ALL OF US DID WHEN WE APPLIED FOR OUR HOMES.

SO WE ARE CHECKING THEIR BACKGROUND, WE'RE VERIFYING INCOME, WE'RE VERIFYING EMPLOYMENT.

UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT CREDIT HISTORY.

WE'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT LOOKING FOR PERFECT CREDIT, BUT WE DO WANT THEM TO BE IN A GOOD PLACE, UM, WITH CREDIT, UH, UH, THAT THEY CAN WORK ON.

AND, UM, AND THEN THE THING THAT WE DO THAT'S UNIQUE IS WE DO A SITE VISIT.

SO OUR FAMILY SELECTION COMMITTEE MADE UP OF LOCAL VOLUNTEERS, UM, WILL ACTUALLY GO TO THEIR HOME AND, AND SEE WHAT THE CONDITIONS ARE THAT THEY'RE LIVING IN.

AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT 200 FAMILIES APPLYING TO BE PART OF THE PROGRAM, AND, AND WE'RE ONLY SELECTING 10, WE HAVE TO HAVE A BASIS FOR DETERMINING WHAT THE GREATEST NEED IS, WHO'S, WHO'S IN THE, THE GREATEST NEED AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME, THAT, THAT WE CAN HELP IF THEY'RE PART OF OUR PROGRAM.

AND SO WE DO GO OUT AND, AND INTERVIEW THE FAMILY IN THEIR HOME ONCE THEY ARE SELECTED INTO OUR PROGRAM.

THEY HAVE 300 TO 400 HOURS OF SWEAT EQUITY.

A A SINGLE APPLICANT HAS 300 HOURS.

UM, THEY'RE VOLUNTEERING, THEY'RE HELPING BUILD THEIR OWN HOMES.

THEY'RE HELPING BUILD EACH OTHER'S HOMES.

UM, ONE OF THE REALLY COOL PARTS OF THAT IS, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE BUILDING A COMMUNITY, THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER ON THEIR SWEAT EQUITY.

SO WHEN THEY GET INTO THEIR HOME, THEY ALREADY KNOW THEIR NEIGHBORS.

THEY'VE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER, THEY'VE WORKED ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER.

AND, UM, SO THEY START OUT, UM, KNOWING WHO THEY'RE LIVING NEXT DOOR TO AS PART OF THEIR SWEAT EQUITY HOURS.

THEY'RE ALSO GONNA TAKE HOME OWNERSHIP CLASSES.

WE WANT THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL WHEN THEY COME INTO THIS PROGRAM.

SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE BUDGETING CREDIT, UM, PREDATORY LENDING, TEACHING THEM HOME MAINTENANCE.

UH, THEY'RE, THEY HEAR FROM ME OVER AND OVER THROUGH THE WHOLE PROGRAM.

HABITAT WON'T BE YOUR LANDLORD WHEN THIS HOUSE GETS SOLD TO YOU.

THIS WILL BE YOUR HOME.

AND HERE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN TEACH YOU TO DO YOURSELF.

YOU CAN PAINT, YOU CAN DRILL HOLES INTO THE WALL TO HANG PICTURES.

UM, THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOURSELF, AND THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU PROBABLY SHOULDN'T DO YOURSELF.

AND YOU NEED TO HIRE SOMEBODY.

AND THAT GOES BACK TO YOUR BUDGET CLASS THAT YOU TOOK EARLIER.

AND YOU NEED TO BUDGET FOR THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

THEY'RE GONNA COME, ALL OF US WHO OWN A HOME HAVE MAINTENANCE THINGS AND, AND THOSE ARE GONNA COME.

AND THEN ONCE THEY DO GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM AND WE GET THEIR HOME COMPLETED, THEY WILL HAVE TWO MORTGAGES WITH US.

SO WE DO AN APPRAISAL ON THAT HOME, AND WE SELL THE HOME TO THEM WITH THE FIRST MORTGAGE THAT REPRESENTS WHAT WE SPENT ON THAT HOME.

AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WILL REPAY TO US BASED ON THEIR INCOME.

[00:30:01]

SO WE SET THE TERM OF THAT MORTGAGE SO THAT MONTHLY PAYMENTS WON'T BE MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME, AND THAT WILL BE PRINCIPAL NO INTEREST AND THEIR ESCROW.

THAT COVERS INSURANCE AND TAXES AND TERMITE.

AND THEN THE SECOND MORTGAGE IS GONNA REPRESENT THAT DIFFERENCE TO THE FAIR MARKET VALUE.

THE APPRAISAL THAT WE GOT, THAT ONE THEY'RE GONNA PAY WITH TIME, IT'S GONNA GO AWAY LITTLE BY LITTLE OVER THE YEARS, UM, OF THAT MORTGAGE.

AS LONG AS THEY STAY IN THE HOME, IT'S THEIR PRIMARY RESIDENCE, THEY ARE MAKING THEIR PAYMENTS AND FOLLOWING WHATEVER COVENANTS THEY MAY HAVE FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND, UM, IF THEY SELL IT EARLY, THEY DO HAVE THE OPTION TO SELL EARLY, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPAY THAT SECOND MORTGAGE.

SO THE FIRST FOUR YEARS THAT THEY WERE THERE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPAY 100% OF IT AFTER THE FOURTH YEAR, THE FIFTH YEAR, IT STARTS GOING DOWN OVER THE TIME OF THE MORTGAGE, AND IT'S FORGIVEN AT, AT THE END, IT'S FORGIVEN.

SO WE ARE, UM, TRYING TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND BE CREATIVE AND, AND LOOK AT ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO US.

UM, WE AREN'T JUST LOOKING AT THAT SINGLE FAMILY ONE AT A TIME HOUSE APPROACH THAT THAT HAS BEEN HABITAT'S, UM, MAINSTAY.

AND SO WE CAN DO, UM, REHAB OF EXISTING HOUSING STOCK.

WE CAN BUY, UM, HOMES AND, AND REHAB THEM AND, AND MAKE THEM ALMOST AS NICE AS A BRAND NEW HOUSE AND, AND SELL THAT.

WE'RE LOOKING NOW AT DUPLEXES IN TOWN HOMES, OTHER MULTIFAMILY TYPE OPTIONS, HELPING FAMILIES STAY IN BY DOING SOME REPAIRS.

UM, MOST OF THE REPAIRS THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW ARE EXTERIOR MINOR REPAIRS, BUT HOPING TO GROW THAT PROGRAM AT SOME POINT.

UM, WORKING WITH PRIVATE DEVELOPERS, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT SLIDE OR TWO.

AND, AND THEN WORKING WITH FOLKS WHO OWN THEIR OWN LAND AND, AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM AS WELL.

YESTERDAY I WAS IN GEORGETOWN, UM, AT THE HABITAT AFFILIATE IN GEORGETOWN, AND THEY'VE GOT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT.

ONE IS A, UM, ONE BEDROOM COTTAGE THAT THEY'RE BUILDING FOR SENIORS.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

UM, WE, WE TOOK TOURS YESTERDAY AND, AND IT'S A LOVELY ONE BEDROOM.

IT CAN BE A STARTER HOME, BUT, BUT FOR THEM, THEIR INTENT IS FOR IT TO BE FOR SENIORS AND VERY NICE ENERGY EFFICIENT.

UM, JUST A LOVELY HOME THAT THEY'RE DOING FOR SENIOR LIVING.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING THEY'VE JUST STARTED DOING, UM, ARE THE CONTAINER HOMES.

SO BUYING THOSE SHIPPING CONTAINERS FOR ABOUT $5,000 AND CAN TRANSFORM THAT INTO SOMETHING PRETTY COOL.

UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S A ONE PERSON, ONE BEDROOM.

IT'S SMALL, BUT IT'S, IT WORKS.

UM, THEY, THEY'RE ON THEIR SECOND OR THIRD ONE NOW, I THINK, AND, AND ARE DOING VERY WELL WITH IT.

THE ONE THAT WE SAW HAD, UM, IT HAD A, UM, FULL SHOWER IN IT.

UM, IT HAD A WASHER AND DRYER COMBINATION MACHINE, WHICH WAS THE FIRST ONE OF THOSE I HAD EVER SEEN.

SO, UH, SAVES THE SPACE IN THE BATHROOM OFF OF ONE END OF IT IS THE BEDROOM WITH A LITTLE, UM, UH, DECK OFF THE END OF THAT.

SO YOU COULD WALK OUT OF YOUR BEDROOM AND, AND SIT OUT THERE RIGHT OUTSIDE AT THE END OF THE UNIT.

VERY NICE.

AND THOSE HAVE BEEN RATED NOW IN THE INTERNATIONAL CODE AS A STICK-BUILT HOME.

SO THEY ARE VERY HIGHLY RATED, UH, FOR HURRICANES.

AND, UM, JUST, IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.

THEY PUT IT ON A PERMANENT FOUNDATION.

IT'S NOT A MOBILE HOME.

IT, IT SITS THERE ON A SLAB.

AND, UM, I, I WANNA GO BACK WHEN THAT ONE GETS A LITTLE FARTHER AND SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW.

IT'S IN A PRETTY ROUGH STAGE, BUT LOOKS GREAT.

SO THIS IS, AS JACK MENTIONED, WE HAVE OUR, OUR NEWEST NEIGHBORHOOD IN HARDY.

THIS WAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN, UM, THE CITY OF HARDY FARINO HOMES AND HABITAT HARDY HAPPENED TO HAVE THE LAND AND THE DESIRE TO, TO BRING SOME NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING INTO THE CITY.

THIS IS RIGHT ON MAIN STREET.

FARINO BUILT 10 HOMES IN TWO BUILDINGS.

SO YOU SEE THE, THE UNITS THERE ON ONE SIDE, THERE ARE FIVE UNITS THERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARKING LOT.

THERE ARE FIVE MORE THAT LOOK JUST LIKE THOSE.

AND, UM, OUR FAMILIES WENT THROUGH OUR PROGRAM JUST LIKE THEY NORMALLY WOULD.

THEY DID THEIR SWEAT EQUITY, THEY WENT THROUGH THEIR APPLICATION PROCESS JUST LIKE NORMAL.

THEY WILL HAVE MORTGAGES, UH, THE TWO MORTGAGES JUST LIKE NORMAL.

AND WE PURCHASED THOSE UNITS FROM FARINO AT A DEEPLY DISCOUNTED PRICE AND 10

[00:35:01]

FAMILIES, UM, LAST WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, AND FRIDAY.

YOU'VE NEVER SEEN SO MANY HAPPY TEARS AS I GOT TO SEE ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND WEDNESDAY OF LAST WEEK AS I HANDED EACH ONE OF THOSE 10 HOMEOWNERS THEIR KEYS.

AND, UM, VERY EXCITING.

AND AGAIN, AS ALLUDED TO EARLIER, WE DO HAVE, UM, A PIECE OF PROPERTY ON HILTON HEAD.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE BACK ON THE ISLAND AND, AND ABLE TO BUILD SOME HOMES FOR FAMILIES HERE ON THE ISLAND.

UM, THIS IS THE ONE, UM, WHERE WE DID RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE TOWN, THE 500,000 TO HELP US PURCHASE THIS ACRE OF LAND ACRE AND A HALF OF LAND.

WE WILL BE ABLE TO BUILD FIVE SINGLE FAMILY UNITS THERE.

THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE WHERE WE THOUGHT MAYBE WE COULD GET SIX, BUT IF YOU GO TO SIX, THAT PUTS US IN A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT AND COSTS MORE THAN ONE HOUSE WOULD MAKE THAT WORTHWHILE.

SO WE WILL BE BUILDING FIVE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THERE.

AND WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON DESIGN WITH, UM, YOUR, YOUR SUBCOMMITTEE.

AND, UM, WE'VE GOT OUR ENGINEER ON BOARD AND, AND READY TO GET STARTED FIGURING OUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THAT ACRE AND A HALF.

AND THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF, OF THIS IS ONE OF THE LAST HOMES WE BUILT IN BEAUFORT.

UM, SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT WITH THE NICE FRONT PORCH.

THESE ARE OBVIOUSLY MUCH HIGHER THAN THAN THE ONES WE, WE LOOKING AT, UM, HERE ON THE ISLAND NEED TO BE.

THE ONES ON THE BOTTOM DESIGN OR THE BOTTOMS ARE ONES THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN BUFORT.

AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.

YEAH, I, YES, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK ON, ON AN ACRE AND A HALF LAND THAT YOU'VE ONLY BEEN ABLE TO PUT FIVE HOUSES ON, UH, GETTING A HALF MILLION DOLLAR SUBSIDY FROM THIS TOWN.

UH, WELL, I THINK AT ONE POINT WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE HABITAT FOR HUMANITY THINGS WE WERE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY MULTIFAMILY OR TOWN HOME TYPE UNITS.

AND WHEN YOU'VE GOT A ZONING OF EIGHT ACRES, EIGHT LOTS OF THE ACRE, MOST LIKELY THAT AREA, I WOULD'VE EXPECTED THROUGH SOME FORMAT THAT YOU COULD'VE GOT AT LEAST 10.

UH, IT SEEMS LIKE AN AWFUL HIGH SUBSIDY COMING FROM THE TOWN TO OWNING FIVE HOUSES.

AND THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S AN, THAT'S AN ISSUE.

WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD MULTIPLE HOUSING UNITS AND WE GET AN ACRE AND A HALF AND WE GET FIVE UNITS.

SO THAT, THAT'S MY COMMENT.

THAT, AND IT JUST, I DON'T, I HAVE CONTROL OVER THINGS.

I THINK IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE RE THAT'S WHAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE, UH, THERE IS A, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING, WE NEED TO BUILD SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 10, 12,000 UNITS OF HOUSING FOR WORKERS HERE AND BUILDING 'EM FIVE AT A TIME ON AN ACRE AND A HALF JUST DOESN'T SEEM RATIONAL.

I UNDERSTAND.

I HAVE A QUESTION.

YES.

UM, IN A, OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T GIVE ME SPECIFICS, UM, HOUSE TO HOUSE, BUT IN A GENERAL SENSE, CAN YOU GIVE ME AN IDEA OF THE AMOUNT OF COSTS PER HOUSE THAT MORTGAGE WOULD TRANSLATE INTO? WELL, IT CHANGES DAILY, BUT YES.

UM, I MEAN, THAT'S WHY I SAID DOWN, WE'RE SPENDING ROUGHLY ABOUT 130, 150,000 OKAY.

PER HOUSE.

THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE LAND.

THAT'S JUST MATERIALS.

AND, AND WE DO HIRE OUT, WE USE VOLUNTEERS FOR AS MUCH AS WE CAN, BUT WE HIRE OUT THE ELECTRICAL AND THE PLUMBING AND THOSE LICENSED, UM, NEEDS.

BUT ABOUT THAT.

DID, HAS MET WITH, WITH TOWN STAFF AND HABITAT STAFF, UM, ONCE, AND WE'RE MEETING AGAIN NEXT WEEK, I THINK QUINCY, IS THAT RIGHT? YEAH.

MM-HMM.

, BRENDA, YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE, THE MORE INNOVATIVE WAYS TO GET SMALL HOUSING OUT THERE, LIKE, LIKE THE CONTAINERS.

UH, I WONDER, AND OF COURSE YOU ALWAYS WORK IN OWNERSHIP, UH, FOR, FOR THE HOUSES YOU DO VERSUS TEMPORARY HOUSING, BUT I, I WONDER IF THERE IS SOME CONNECTION THERE BETWEEN DISPLACEMENT AND PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GO AND HOPE THAT COULD BE PROVIDED BY HABITAT OR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, UH, TO, TO GET SOME OF THOSE INNOVATIVE SMALL HOUSE PLANS ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, UH, INTO THE QUEUE HERE, MAY MAYBE EVEN MOVABLE, UH, FROM ONE PIECE OF LAND TO ANOTHER WHEN THERE IS A MAJOR DISPLACEMENT EVENT.

HAS THAT, HAS THAT COME UP AT ALL IN YOUR, YOUR THINKING OR IS THAT EVEN A POSSIBILITY? NOT A LOT.

OUR, OUR, OUR DIRECTIVE FROM INTERNATIONAL STILL IS VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON HOME OWNERSHIP.

UM, BUT I NEVER SAY NO TO ANYTHING AT THE BEGINNING.

IF, IF THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND MAKE IT WORK, ABSOLUTELY WE WOULD WANNA TRY TO DO THAT.

UM, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE STEPS TO HOME OWNERSHIP, SO A LOT OF FOLKS CAN MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.

AND IF THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN HELP MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING.

I, UH, ALSO WANTED TO MENTION TO STEWART'S POINT, UH, OUR, OUR WORK GROUP

[00:40:01]

UH, TO, TO KEEP TABS ON THAT.

AND, UH, ONE, ONE OF THE, UH, ISSUES THAT HAS COME UP THERE IS, IS THE DENSITY ISSUE.

HOW MANY UNITS YOU CAN GET ON JUST YES.

A PIECE OF PROPERTY.

AND HOW GI GIVEN THAT THIS IS SO MUCH IN THE WHEELHOUSE OF THE TOWN'S GOALS FOR, FOR HOUSING, FOR WORKFORCE, UH, ARE THERE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT COULD BE MADE TO EXPEDITE QUICKER APPROVALS? UH, VARIANCES FROM THE, THE ISSUE ISSUE THAT I BROUGHT UP IS WHEN WE WERE TALKING ORIGINALLY ABOUT THE FUNDING GOING TO HABITAT BEING ANYTHING, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT POSSIBLY DOING 10 HOUSES TO THE ACRE.

AND THE IDEA THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THREE IS JUST, IT'S JUST NOT, NO, IT'S THREE ON A, IT'S FIVE ON A AND A HALF AC ACRES, IT'S THREE HOUSES TO THE ACRE.

IT'S GOTCHA.

I MEAN, AND AGAIN, IT'S A VERY HIGH COST PIECE OF LAND.

UH, YOU'RE TALKING A COST OF ROUGHLY A HUNDRED AND A QUARTER PER HOUSE THERE ON A, OF A HOUSING BUILD PRICE OF, OF 150,000.

SO ROUGHLY 50% OF THE COST OF THAT HOUSE IS THE LAND.

AND I WOULD THINK THAT YOU COULD HAVE MADE A BETTER USE OF THE LAND IN THAT POINT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU STILL GOT INFRASTRUCTURE GOING THAT LAND, YOU'VE GOT TAP IN FEES WITH WATER AND SEWER.

THOSE ARE NOT, THEY'RE NOT A THOUSAND DOLLARS, THEY'RE FIVE TO $10,000 OF PROPERTY.

UH, AND ALTHOUGH THE TOWN DOES HAVE WAYS OF FUNDING HELPING FUND SOME OF THOSE THINGS THROUGH VARIOUS OTHER GRANT PROGRAMS, AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S JUST AN ANTHEM TO, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS CREATE MORE USES THING, NOT GIVE LESS DENSITY.

I UNDERSTAND THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD LIKE LESS DENSITY, BUT THE POINT HERE IS THAT WE NEED TO BUILD MORE HOUSING, NOT LESS .

WELL, AND, AND I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THE, WHERE YOU COME FROM WITH THE 10, I THINK I'VE SHOWN AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE COULD DO 10 PER ACRE BEFORE, BUT THAT SAMPLE WAS ONE AN ARCHITECTED FOR US.

IF IT WAS A PERFECTLY RECTANGULAR PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY TREES ON IT, WE COULD, YEAH.

I MEAN, AND WE KNOW THEY DON'T COME THAT WAY.

MY BACKGROUND HAS BEEN A LOT OF LAND DEVELOPMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S A PIECE OF PROPERTY FURTHER DOWN, UH, MARSHLAND FROM THIS THING, AND IT'S ROUGHLY AN 11 ACRES.

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING 86 HOUSES ON THERE AND THEY'RE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE AND THEY'RE GONNA BE TWO STORY HOUSES.

SO, UH, THERE, THERE IS A WAY TO PUT MORE DENSITY, I DON'T KNOW THIS PIECE OF LAND, BUT THERE IS A WAY TO PUT MORE DENSITY THAN THREE ON AN ACRE OF HALF ACRE AND A HALF.

AND THAT'S, YES, THERE'S A COST TO IT, BUT YOU'RE BEING GIVEN A HALF MILLION DOLLAR SUBSIDY TO WEIGH THAT COST.

SO THE POINT BEING IS WE NEED TO GET MORE DENSITY IN THIS THING TO MAKE USE OF IT.

AND AGAIN, I DON'T HAVE A VOTE IN THIS MATTER, BUT THAT, THAT'S MY ADVICE.

IT IS JUST NOT WITHIN THE REALM OF WHAT WE THOUGHT HERE WAS GOING TO BE GIVING A HALF MILLION DOLLAR SUBSIDY AND IT BUILDS FIVE HOUSES.

THAT JUST WASN'T OUR PLAN.

I, I THINK THE PRIMARY ISSUE THERE WAS NOT HABITAT'S, RELUCTANCE TO DO MORE HOUSES, BUT THE ANYONE, THE SIGNIFICANT BARRIER OF THE TOWN MAJOR SUBDIVISION, UH, WHICH APPARENTLY CARRIES A LOT MORE ONEROUS PROCESS WITH IT.

AND WE, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT AT THE, THE LAST COORDINATION MEETING ON THIS QUINCY, ABOUT WHETHER, WHETHER SOME OF THAT COULD BE WAIVED BECAUSE OF THIS BEING .

WELL, AND I AGREE WITH THAT.

I UNDERSTAND THE, THE ISSUES REGARDING THE, YOU KNOW, TOWN ZONING AND ALL THE VARIOUS THINGS WE HAVE TO GET THROUGH THERE.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S COMING BACK TO BASICS.

THE LAST HABITAT FOR HUMANITY THING WAS, I FORGET HOW BIG IT WAS, BUT IT WAS 20 SOME ODD HOUSES AND IT 32.

AND IT, IT WASN'T ON 10 ACRES.

ON 14 ACRES.

ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE MIGHT BE ROOM TO ADD A SIX HOUSE MM-HMM .

SO YOU'RE DOING A MUCH BETTER SIZE.

I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS TO BE THAT WE CAN DO MORE DENSITY ON THIS PIECE OF LAND.

AND AGAIN, IT JUST GOES BACK TO THERE AREN'T A LOT OF LARGE PLOTS LEFT ON THE ISLAND THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT AGAIN, AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN MISCOMMUNICATION, I MAY BE WRONG, BUT I WAS ALWAYS GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE WOULD GO, YOU KNOW, EVEN ON AN ACRE PIECE OF LAND HA HABITAT COME UP AND COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT MIGHT GET TO THE EIGHT, EIGHT HOUSES TO THE ACRE.

WHETHER THEY BE, UH, TOWNHOUSE TYPE UNITS, DUPLEXES OR WHATEVER.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S NOT BEING, IF THAT WAS WRONG INFORMATION WE WERE GIVEN OR IF THAT IS NOT BEING LOOKED AT THIS WAY JUST BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

SO, COULD I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? MM-HMM.

, AND I THINK YOU WERE ALLUDING TO THIS, JACK, IS THERE'S, UM, YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CHANGE IN DEVELOPMENT TYPE WHEN YOU GET TO SIX UNITS ON THIS SITE AS OPPOSED TO FIVE IS THAT, DID I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY WHEN WE MET AT THE SITE, UM, THERE WAS DISCUSSION

[00:45:01]

BUT FOR THAT ONE HOUSE TO PUT US INTO A MAJOR SUB DEVELOPMENT, IT JUST WASN'T WORTHWHILE TO DO THAT.

THE COST WOULD BE SO MUCH HIGHER.

THAT, AND THAT'S KINDA WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET TO, IS I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER A PROJECT LIKE THIS IS STARTING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LEARNING THINGS AS YOU GO ALONG, RIGHT? SO THE, THE IDEA OF BEING A MAJOR SUB DEVELOPMENT SOUNDS LIKE A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT HURDLE.

ONE THAT I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND.

UM, MORE ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING, UH, MORE COSTS ON THE UPFRONT SIDE, UM, MORE ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.

MORE TIME, MORE TIME.

AND SO THEN THAT APPROVALS AND THEN THAT FURTHER DIMINISHES WHAT WE'VE PUT INTO THIS PROJECT OF SUDDENLY $500,000 REALLY NEEDS TO BE LIKE $1.5 MILLION IN ORDER TO MAKE THAT IMPACTFUL.

SO I I I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THIS GROUP TRUST THE EXPERTS IN THIS ROOM THAT THEY'VE DONE THEIR DUE DILIGENCE TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, THE BEST PATH FORWARD.

AND ALSO IN THESE SORTS OF PROJECTS, TIME IS MONEY AS WELL.

AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT MIGHT TAKE FOR YOU TO FIGURE OUT.

AND UNLESS THE TOWN WANTED TO EXPEDITE SOME SORT OF CHANGE IN THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SUBDIVISION, I DON'T SEE HOW THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT YOU CAN SOLVE IN A TIMELY MANNER IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT $500,000 IS, IS SPENT AS, YOU KNOW, EXPEDITIOUSLY AS WE WOULD LIKE TO.

WELL, I, I GUESS WHAT I WOULD'VE PUT ON THIS IS, THIS IS I'M NOT PUTTING ON HABITAT, I'M COMING BACK TO THE TOWN.

DID WE SPEND OUR HALF MILLION DOLLARS? RIGHT? SO WE, YOU KNOW, IF IF YOU CAME TO ME AND SAID WE CAN BUILD FIVE HOUSES, YOU GIVE US HALF MILLION DOLLARS, I WOULD'VE SAID WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT AND MAYBE WE SHOULD LOOK AT A DIFFERENT PROJECT.

THAT'S MY POINT.

WE'RE NOT PUTTING, WE'RE, ARE WE APPROPRIATELY SPENDING OUR MONEY IN THE RIGHT PLACE? AND HABITAT'S A GREAT ORGANIZATION, THEY DO GREAT WORK.

I'M NOT QUESTIONING HABITAT, I'M JUST SAYING IS WHEN WE LOOKED AT DEVELOPING THIS BEFORE THAT PIECE OF LAND WAS BOUGHT, THE ANSWER SHOULD BEEN WE CAN PUT FIVE HOUSES ON.

IF THAT'S THE ONLY ANSWER THAT COULDN'T, I PROBABLY WOULD'VE SAID WE SHOULDN'T SPEND THE MONEY ON THAT.

THAT, THAT, THAT THAT, THAT SUBSIDY SHOULD HAVE GONE TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN USED TO BUILD, CREATE MORE UNITS.

THAT, THAT'S MY ONLY POINT.

AND AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ARGUMENTATIVE.

OTHER HANDS WERE UP.

I IAX AND DENNIS AND LANA AND I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND STUART'S POINT WHERE HE'S COMING FROM.

BUT WE DEFINITELY, I MEAN WE TALKED ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, IS HABITAT IS IN A POSITION WHICH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT IT WAS THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN DO.

UM, THE THING THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT IS THAT WE ARE FINALLY GETTING SOME ACTION AND THIS GETTING THINGS DONE AND YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, MAYBE QUINCY CAN EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT WE, OR THE THINGS THAT WILL HAVE TO HAPPEN IF WE CAN GET MORE DENSITY IN THERE, WHICH JUST SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME.

BUT I'M VERY EXCITED JUST TO SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT DEVELOPING DESIGN AND ALL THESE THINGS.

AND TRUST ME, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK AHEAD TO DO.

THERE'S STILL A LOT OF NUMBERS, LIKE STEWART WAS SAYING, UM, DEVELOPING THIS LAND'S NOT GONNA BE CHEAP.

I MEAN HABITATS, THERE'S GONNA TAKE A LOT FROM HABITS AND A LOT FROM THE COMMUNITY DONORS AND EVERYTHING.

'CAUSE THIS IS JUST A FIRST STEP GETTING THE LAND, BUT THE LAND HAS A LOT OF TREES, A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO GO IN.

SO WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.

AND AGAIN, WE WANNA SEE ACTION AND WE NEED TO SEE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD TO GET SOME ACTIONS AND HOW WE GET TO THE CLOSING TABLE WITH THE FAMILIES THAT NEED IT.

SO WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.

AND THIS WASN'T THE ONLY PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT WE LOOKED AT.

THE OTHER WAS SIMILAR.

AGAIN, I'M NOT QUESTIONING HABITAT.

HABITAT DOES WHAT IT DOES, AND THAT'S GREAT.

I HAVE NO QUALMS ABOUT HABITAT.

ALL I'M SAYING IS AS A TOWN, WHEN WE ARE INVESTING MONEY IN SOMETHING, WHICH IS FOR WORKFORCE HOUSING AND HALF MILLION DOLLARS IS A, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE MONEY WE INVE WE ALLOCATED OUT OF OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR THAT THIS COMMITTEE HAD ANY SORT OF SWAY OVER, THAT'S A BIG CHUNK OF IT.

AND TO ONLY GET FIVE UNITS OUT OF IT IS NOT REALLY A SUCCESS STORY TO ME.

I I WOULD ARGUE THAT THEN THAT SHOULD BE A DATA POINT THAT MAYBE THIS GROUP NEEDS MORE MONEY.

NOT NECESSARILY THAT WE NEED MONEY.

WELL, NO, I AGREE WITH, I'VE SCREAM I THINK THAT 500, I THINK, I MEAN, IF ANYTHING, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE COMPLETELY BOUGHT THE LAND, NOT JUST DONE, YOU KNOW, THREE QUARTERS OF IT.

SO I, I DON'T KNOW IF I WANNA NECESSARILY LOOK AT IT IN TERMS OF WE ONLY HAVE THIS MUCH AMOUNT OF MONEY AND WE, I MEAN, MAYBE WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT HAVING A UNIT GOAL FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE ABLE TO INFLUENCE, BUT OH, MAYBE LET'S FLIP THAT AROUND AND SAY, OKAY, FOR $500,000 WE'RE GETTING FIVE UNITS, MAYBE WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT A STRONGER INVESTMENT INTO THIS PROBLEM.

LET'S TAKE THE OTHER COMMENTS, DENNIS.

I I, I AGREE CERTAINLY WITH STEWART, WHEN HE BRINGS UP THE ALLOCATION OF MONEY TO WHAT WE GET OUT OF IT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC RELATIONS, UH, SITUATION WITH THE TAXPAYERS OF THE TOWN THAT THE, THE MONEY IS SPENT WISELY.

UM, AND UM, I THINK IT'S GREAT.

IT'S A GREAT PROJECT.

YOU GUYS DO GREAT WORK AS STUART SAID, BUT I THINK WE, IN THE FUTURE, WE CERTAINLY HAVE TO LOOK AT, UM, OUR BANK FOR THE BUCK.

UH, 'CAUSE WE DO, WE'RE ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE TAXPAYERS.

IT'S THEIR MONEY WE'RE SPENDING, WE'RE SPENDING MONEY.

UM, AND ARE WE DOING IT AS EFFICIENTLY AS WE COULD? AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR APPLICATION.

YOU GUYS ARE WONDERFUL.

IT'S JUST WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT IN

[00:50:01]

THE FUTURE, I THINK.

AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT THAT THIS PROJECT IS NOT DONE, BUT NO, IT'S NOT DONE.

HUH? IT'S NOT DONE.

THEY CAN NOT DONE.

WELL THEN IT'S GOTTA BE EXAMINED AS, AS BEING COST EFFICIENT TO THE TAXPAYERS, AS THAT'S MY ONLY POINT.

CAN I, CAN I JUST MAKE ONE FINAL COMMENT THEN I PROMISE I'LL STOP TALKING.

UM, LOOKING ACROSS THE MARKET, I DO THIS VIRGINIA TO NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF SUBSIDY FROM, FROM A LOCALITY IS PRETTY STANDARD FOR AN AFFORDABLE UNIT.

UM, THAT'S SOMETHING.

AND I, OBVIOUSLY I WORK IN RENTAL HOUSING, SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY APPLES TO APPLES, BUT I, I DON'T SEE THIS AS A MISMATCH OF RESOURCES FOR UNITS JUST BASED ON OTHER AREAS THAT I WORK WITH, OTHER PRODUCT TYPES AND OTHER LOCALITIES.

IF ANYTHING, I'M SEEING MORE INVESTMENT PER UNIT FOR AN AFFORDABLE UNIT AND OTHER LOCALITIES.

ANA THEN KATIE? WELL, I HAVE ONE.

KATIE, I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION.

I AM NEWER TO THE COMMITTEE, SO WAS NOT HERE DURING THE BUDGETARY PROCESS, BUT I IS THE, UM, IS THE, THE BUDGET THAT WE ARE ABLE TO IMPACT US AS A COMMITTEE, UM, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT ROLLS OVER YEAR TO YEAR OR IS IT WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE BUDGET.

WE CAN, YOU SAID WE CAN VOICE OUR ISSUES ON IT.

I, I MISUNDERSTOOD THEN WHAT YOU SAID BECAUSE YOU SAID WE HAD AN IMPACT ON THE BUDGET.

SO WE, WE ARE ADVISORY OR ON I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE.

YOU SAID WE DIFFERENTLY.

SO IS THAT MONEY BUDGETED YEARLY OR DOES IT ROLL OVER? DOES IT STAY IN A BUCKET? SO THE MONIES THAT HABITAT RECEIVERS THROUGH OUR AFFILIATED AGENCY PROCESS, AND I BELIEVE THAT'S AN ANNUAL PROCESS THAT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH.

SO WAS THERE A BETTER OPTION OR WOULD THAT MONEY GO AWAY? UH, I WOULD SAY THAT WHEN WE WERE RESEARCHING PROPERTIES ON THE ISLAND, THAT WAS THE BEST PROPERTY.

AND JUST TO ADD SOME CONTEXT, SO THE MONEY CREEK NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PLAN INCORPORATES OAK VIEW, UH, BRYANT ROAD AND MUDDY CREEK ROAD.

UM, THE TOWN CURRENTLY OWNS 30 BRYANT ROAD, WHICH YOU ALL KNOW ABOUT, BUT ALSO HABITAT, THIS PROPERTY WILL BE A COMPONENT OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD STABILIZATION PLAN.

SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY TWO PROPERTIES GOING UP AT THE SAME TIME THAT COULD PROVIDE AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING FOR FOLKS HERE ON THE ISLAND.

SO, YOU KNOW, MY ONLY COMMENT WOULD BE WE SHOULD CELEBRATE THE WINS.

CERTAINLY WE USE IT OR LOSE IT.

AND I THINK THIS, THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO USE IT.

THIS IS DEFINITELY A WIN TO CELEBRATE.

AND, AND BRYANT ROAD IS CERTAINLY BEING LOOKED AT, ALTHOUGH THE PLAN IS NOT PUT TOGETHER YET.

MM-HMM.

, BUT CERTAINLY LOOKED AT AS A HIGHER DENSITY OPPORTUNITY.

THAT'S CORRECT.

AND HAP UH, BRYANT ROAD UNIQUE TO NORTH POINT WILL BE A PATHWAY TO HOME OWNERSHIP.

UH, SO, YOU KNOW, THIS COULD POSSIBLY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR HABITAT OR FOR OTHERS, BUT THAT'S OUR EXPECTATION.

OTHER, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.

YOU HAVE A MOTION? YES.

UM, SO IN ORDER TO ADVANCE TIMELY CONSTRUCTION ON THE LAND, UH, THAT HABITAT HAS AND UM, THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS ALREADY RECOMMENDED TO THE TOWN, UM, I'D LIKE TO OFFER THAT STRONG CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO FUNDING FOR HABITAT TO COVER THE GAP BETWEEN THE ACTUAL LAND AND THE COST, THE LAND COST AND FUNDING PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED BY THE TOWN, AS WELL AS AN EXPEDITED APPROVAL FOR THE SUBDIVISION PLAN THAT MAXIMIZES, UM, THE RESPONSIBLE USE OF THE LAND.

THAT THAT'S A MOTION.

YES.

IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? I THINK THAT IT'S A LITTLE CONFUSING.

MAYBE IF YOU CAN ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT WITH THE, WELL HOLD ON.

I JUST, ALL RIGHT.

SO I'LL START FROM THE BOTTOM.

THE, AS FAR AS EXPEDITING THE APPROVAL OF THE SUB SUBDIVISION PLAN SO THAT THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD AND MAXIMIZE THE USE OF THE PROPERTY.

AND THE OTHER PART IS THAT, UM, THAT THEY HAVE A FUNDING COVERAGE FOR THE GAP THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING BETWEEN THE, THE LAND AND THE, THE, UH, PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE PUTTING TOGETHER.

MEANING THAT THE, UH, THE TOWN, UH, DOLLARS GOING TO HABITAT WERE $500,000.

THAT WAS, IT'S LIKE 6 25 OR SOMETHING.

THAT WAS THE COST.

THE LAND WAS 6 25.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

TO COVER THAT GAP OF THE 125, YOUR MOTION WOULD HAVE US RECOMMENDING THE 10, THE TOWN CONSIDERED COVERING RIGHT.

THAT GAP, REST OF THAT.

MEAN, I FULLY AGREE WITH STUART'S POINT THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN WE'RE, WE ARE WAY BEHIND IN THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT WE NEED.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE POWER TO DO THAT.

SAY THAT AGAIN.

I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE POWER TO DO ANYTHING THERE.

I MEAN THAT'S WELL POWER TO, WELL, I'M SAYING TO MAKE IT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS COMMITTEE TO COVER THAT GAP.

WELL, I JUST UNDERSTAND YOU'RE, YOU'RE SAYING YOU WOULD WANT TO HAVE THE TOWN REMOVE THE MAJOR SUBDIVISION REQUIREMENT AT FIVE AND MOVE IT TO SIX TO MAXIMIZE THE DENSITY ON THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY AND HAVE A ONE ONE-OFF VARIANCE.

I MEAN, BASED ON THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE, I, I

[00:55:01]

SO MAXIMIZING THE PROPERTY TO WHATEVER DEGREE IT CAN BE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.

I DON'T, I MEAN, EVERYBODY HAS ALREADY JUST, WE WENT, WHAT, 10 MINUTES ON THAT TOPIC.

I, I'M NOT SURE.

AGAIN, AGAIN, I'M, I'M REALLY NOT TRYING TO BE DIFFICULT HERE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PLOT, I'VE NEVER LOOKED AT THE PLOT PLAN.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAN BE DONE, WHETHER IT CAN BE MORE UNITS OR NOT.

I DON'T KNOW IF, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT THERE'S ANY TOWN RESTRICTIONS ON THERE BEING MORE UNITS AT THIS STAGE.

I BELIEVE THE, THE ZONING FOR THAT AREA IS EIGHT, EIGHT UNITS TO THE ACRE, I BELIEVE.

I CAN'T BE SURE.

UH, BUT REGARDLESS IT CAN BE EXPLORED.

I'M JUST SAYING THAT THEY, THEY NEED TO SPEND VALID POINT.

THEY NEED TO SPEND THE EFFORT TO DESIGN WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH IT.

UH, YEAH, WE'RE IN CRISIS MODE.

SO TO ME, IF, TO YOUR POINT, IF MORE UNITS CAN BE PUT ONTO THAT PROPERTY BASED ON, UM, UH, THE, THE CONFIGURATION, I MEAN, LET'S SEE IF THAT IS EVEN AN OPTION THAT CAN BE EXERCISED SO THAT WE ARE MAXIMIZING THE PROPERTY AND THE MONEY THAT WE'RE PUTTING INTO IT BEFORE

[*A portion of this meeting is without video*]

WE GO FURTHER.

THERE SHOULD BE A ISTIC.

BUT IF WE'RE GONNA DO THIS, I THINK WE NEED TO DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY.

WHAT, WHAT I'M HEARING IN THE MOTION IS NOT THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT THE TOWN OR HABITAT WOULD HAVE TO DO, BUT RATHER EXPEDITED AN EXPEDITED PROCESS TO GET THE APPROVALS AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO GET TO HELP WITH THE LAND PURCHASE.

WHICH, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN I THINK IT ORIGINALLY EXPECTED WITH.

I THINK THE IDEA OF THE 500,000 BEING IN THE BUDGET FOR THE TOWN, UH, WAS THAT IT WOULD COVER A LAND PURCHASE.

THE LAND PURCHASE ENDED UP BEING 6, 6 25.

I GUESS, UH, OTHER COMMENTS? I CAN, SORRY, QUINCY, IT WOULD BE GREAT, I THINK FOR THE COMMITTEE AND FOR EVERYBODY HERE TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE EXPLORE THE LAND, I MEAN WE, OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT, THE HABITAT DECIDED NOT TO DO MULTIFAMILY OR HABITAT.

DIDN'T SAY NO, WE DON'T WANT MM-HMM .

IT WAS JUST, THERE'S RULES AND REGULATIONS WE HAVE TO FOLLOW AND WE, I THINK WE NEED TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION.

AND I THINK, I DON'T KNOW IF BRIAN WOULD BE THE PERSON TO GIVE US THAT, BUT THAT WAY WE ALL UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT AND YOU KNOW, AND WHY WE DECIDED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BEST WAY PATH FORWARD.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE ALL THAT INFO IN HAND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MAKE A MORE EDUCATED COMMENT ON THIS SUBJECT WITHOUT HAVING SO MANY QUESTIONS.

I UNDERSTAND.

UM, I KNOW OUR DIRECTOR OF PLANNING HAS SOME COMMENTS.

HI, UM, MISSY LU, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING, UH, THE PROPERTY IS ZONED RM FOUR, THAT'S FOUR DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.

SO, UM, AND TO GET CLARIFICATION ON THE REQUEST, I THINK THIS INCLUDED, THE REQUEST WAS TO APPLY THE MINOR SUBDIVISION REQUIREMENTS FOR SIX UNITS.

SO A VARIANCE FROM THE LMO WAS WHAT THE REQUEST WAS.

I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MOTION ENTAILED.

UM, PROCEDURALLY THAT, THAT GOES THROUGH A PROCEDURE TO SEEK A VARIANCE.

THERE'S A PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENT THAT TAKES TIME.

MM-HMM.

UM, SO ONE HALF OF THE MOTION WAS TO EXPEDITE THE OTHER HALF IS ADDITIONAL PUBLIC PROCESS.

AND THEN ONCE YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR APPLICATION TYPE IS, HOW MANY UNITS, THEN WE CAN EXPEDITE THAT.

YES.

BUT I THINK, UM, WHAT I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WAS, IS THAT YOUR REQUEST THAT THERE'S A VARIANCE SOUGHT TO APPLY THE MINOR SUBDIVISION PROCEDURE FOR WHAT IS A MAJOR SUBDIVISION? IS THAT WHAT I WAS HEARING? YES.

I I, I DON'T THINK THE MOTION STATES THAT THE MO MOTION ASKS FOR AN EXPEDITED APPROVAL PROCESS TO MAXIMIZE, TO MAXIMIZE THE USE OF THE PROPERTY.

UH, THAT, THAT MAY HIT, HIT THE BRICK WALL, UH, IN TERMS OF THE TIME BEING NEEDED, BEING GREATER, BEING GREATER THAN THE VALUE TO DOING IT.

BUT I, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THE MO YOUR MOTION WAS NOT SPECIFYING EXACTLY WHAT EXPEDITED MEANS IN THIS CASE.

IT MEANS EXPLORING.

ONE OF THE THINGS SHOULD HAVE BEEN IS THE BIGGEST BANG FOR A BUCK.

I, I THINK WE JUST NEED TO HAVE ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS SO THAT WE COULD MAXIMIZE CASE BY CASE.

WHATEVER SITUATIONS, YOU KNOW, COME UP.

I, I GUESS MY, MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS, AND I'M VIEWING NOT THIS PROJECT, I'M VIEW OF FUTURE PROJECTS.

WE'RE GONNA SPEND TOWN DOLLARS ON STUFF.

THIS STUFF SHOULD HAVE BEEN DECIDED BEFORE ONE DIME WENT INTO IT.

[01:00:01]

THE IDEA OF, AGAIN, WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS EIGHT TO 10 HOUSES TO THE ACRE, AND EVEN OWNERSHIP.

AND THAT'S FINE.

AND I, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS TAKEN ABACK.

IT'S ON, THAT'S ONLY THREE.

SO, UH, I, I WOULD'VE, I WOULD'VE SAID NO TO THIS DEAL ON DAY ONE, JUST BECAUSE DENSITY WASN'T THERE.

THAT'S JUST MY POINT.

IT'S STILL A GOOD DEAL.

I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

I'M NOT SAYING IT'S NOT A, A GOOD USE OF OUR FUNDS.

I'M JUST SAYING WE HAVE LIMITED FUNDS TO BEGIN WITH AND WE SHOULD GET AS MOST OUT OF IT.

SO FROM OUR STANDPOINT, AGAIN, WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER THAT, BUT FROM OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT PROJECTS THAT PUT THE MOST NUMBER OF UNITS OUT INTO THE, INTO THE PROCESS, UH, IN THE FUTURE.

AND THAT BEING A STEP BEFORE THOSE TRANSACTIONS ARE COMPLETED, THAT ALL THOSE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN RESOLVED BEFORE WE GET TO SPENDING $1 OF TOWN MONEY AS A SUBSIDY.

UH, THIS, I REMEMBER WHEN WE DID THE BUDGET ALLOCATION, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND IT WAS JUST, LET'S GET SOME MONEY TO HABITAT.

'CAUSE THEY CAN DO SOMETHING REALLY GOOD OF IT MUCH BETTER.

THEY HAVE A BE BETTER MULTIPLIER EFFECT THAN WE WERE DOING ON SPENDING HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.

SO IT WAS A REASONABLE ASSUMPTION, BUT I, I THINK AS WE LOOK ON GOING FORWARD BASIS, UH, I'M GONNA BE THE ONE WHO PUSHES EVERY YEAR TO HAVE MORE TOWN FUNDS ALLOCATED TO WORKFORCE HOUSING.

BUT WE'RE STILL ONLY TO GET A LIMITED NUMBER.

SO WHATEVER IT IS, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE SPENT.

WELL, UH, I'M NOT AS WORRIED ABOUT EXPEDITING THE PROCESS AND THAT BECAUSE THE PLANNING PROCESS IS THE PLANNING PROCESS AND, AND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HAS TO LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE SPENDING TO GET IT DONE, TO GET THE BEST USE OUT OF THIS THING.

SO I'M NOT AS WORRIED ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT.

I'M REALLY JUST WORRIED ABOUT FUTURE ONES.

AND I, I KIND OF VIEW THIS ONE THAT, THAT THE HORSE HAS ALREADY LEFT THE BARN ON THIS ONE.

IT'S DONE LET YOU KNOW THEY'RE GONNA DO WHAT THEY CAN OF IT, THE BEST USE OF IT.

I TRUST HABITAT WILL DO THE BEST USE OF IT.

AGAIN, I WOULD'VE VOTED HAD I HAD A VOTE NOT TO HAVE APPROVED THIS PROJECT.

'CAUSE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DENSITY THAT, THAT'S MY POINT REGARDING THIS SPECIFIC MOTION.

UH, I'M, I'M NOT SURE I'M HEARING CONSENSUS HERE.

UH, I THINK THE OPTION WOULD BE, UH, CALL THE VOTE ON IT, UH, VOTE IT UP OR DOWN, UH, OR TABLE IT UNTIL WE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OPTIONS FOR THE, FOR THE LAND.

AND, AND MAYBE HABITAT DOES NOT, AT THIS POINT IS FAR ENOUGH DOWN THE ROAD.

THEY DON'T, DON'T WANT TO EVEN SEE THOSE OPTIONS.

UH, AND I, I WOULD PROBABLY VOTE TO TABLE THE MOTION AT THIS STAGE.

AND ONLY THE REASON BEING IS HAVE UNTIL HABITAT COMES BACK, HERE'S OUR PLOT DESIGN AND HERE'S WHAT WE THINK WE CAN DO WITH THE LAND.

OR ARE THERE OTHER OPTIONS, WAYS THEY CAN GET MORE UNITS AND IT COSTS X MORE OR THIS MORE.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OPTIONS TO STATE ABOUT THAT.

THEY MAY NOT NEED EXPEDITED SERVICE TO GET WHAT THEY FEEL THEY CAN DO FOR THE REASONABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY THEY HAVE TO PUT INTO THIS.

SO UNTIL THEY COME FORTH TO A PLAN, RIGHT NOW THAT PLAN IS FIVE HOUSES ON THIS.

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE ANY OTHER OPTIONS.

AND OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE, A LAND PLANNER WILL COME BACK TO THEM AND SAY, YEAH, WE MIGHT BE MIKE, BE ABLE GET SIX, MIGHT BE ABLE GET SEVEN.

I DON'T KNOW.

BUT IF, IF THOSE OPTIONS AREN'T REALLY AVAILABLE TO YOU, THERE'S REALLY NO NEED FOR OUR, I THINK MAYBE, I THINK MAYBE WE'VE UNCOVERED SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DISCUSSED AT A LATER MEETING, WHICH IS WHAT LEVEL OF FLEXIBILITY THE TOWN HAS TO INFLUENCE LAND USE FOR PART, FOR PROJECTS THAT THEIR PARTNERS IN.

UM, I THINK THAT'S 'CAUSE I, I DO AGREE.

I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO LET HABITAT'S PROJECT MOVE FORWARD AS IS, BUT I DO THINK THE IDENTIFICATION OF THIS POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY IS IMPORTANT.

SO QUINCY, I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S SOMETHING, EVEN IF IT'S JUST LIKE AN EDUCATIONAL SESSION OF LIKE WALKING US THROUGH WHAT IT TAKES TO GET A VARIANCE AND THEN WHAT SORT OF INFLUENCE TOWN STAFF MIGHT HAVE ON EXPEDITING THAT PROCESS.

BECAUSE TIME IS MONEY WITH THESE PROJECTS.

AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU'VE GOT LIKE AN ANXIOUS SELLER AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TRYING TO CLOSE, BUT YOU DON'T WANNA CLOSE BECAUSE YOU NEED MONEY FROM THE TOWN, BUT THE TOWN WON'T GIVE YOU MONEY BECAUSE THEY WANNA A CERTAIN DENSITY.

YOU KNOW, ALL THAT STUFF GETS REALLY COMPLICATED.

SO I, I THINK, I THINK IT WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR US AS A GROUP TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ABLE AS A TOWN TO INFLUENCE IN TERMS OF THE LAND USE.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF THERE ISN'T ANY INFLUENCE, REAL CLARITY ON WHAT THAT VARIANCE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE FROM A TIMING PERSPECTIVE.

AND IF I CAN JUST ADD ONE COMMENT, I MEAN, WE ARE NOT HERE TO APPROVE.

IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT OUR APPROVAL.

SO I THINK WE JUST NEED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.

WE'RE HERE TO ADVISE, UM, AND OBVIOUSLY SUPPORT.

SO I JUST DON'T WANT CONFUSION AROUND THIS TABLE OR WITH ANY OF OUR, OUR GUESTS HERE OR THOSE THAT MIGHT BE LISTENING IN.

UM, BECAUSE I THINK THIS HAS GOTTEN JUST A LITTLE BIT OFF TRACK, IF YOU WILL.

STUART WAS ON THE EDGE OF MAKING A MOTION TO TABLE HERE.

UH, ARE ARE OTHERS IN FAVOR OF THAT TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHETHER, WHETHER THIS NEEDS TO GO FARTHER AFTER WE LEARN MORE IN OUR, OUR NEXT MEETING AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE, THE TOWN APPROVAL PROCESS AND, AND MAYBE, MAYBE HABITAT DOESN'T WANT IT.

UH, WHERE ARE WE? WOULD YOU LIKE

[01:05:01]

TO MAKE THAT A MOTION TO TABLE STEWART? YES, SURE.

I MOVED, IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT? THAT THAT MEANS WE WOULD TAKE IT, TAKE IT OUT OF THIS MEETING FOR, FOR ANY ACTION.

UH, AND I'D SECOND THAT LET WE GET MORE INFORMATION AND COME BACK.

NOT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S A GOOD POINT, BUT I THINK FOR THE SAKE OF MOVING THE HABITAT PROJECT FORWARD, I'LL SECOND IT AND MOTION MADE.

AND SECOND IT.

SO ARE YOU SPLITTING MY MOTION? PARDON? ARE YOU SPLITTING MY MOTION TO YOUR MOTION? OH YEAH.

WELL, THE SECOND PART, THIS DIDN'T TALK ABOUT THE BALANCE OF HER MOTION.

NEVER A SECOND.

THIS WOULD BE TABLING THE, THE ENTIRE MOTION.

UH, OKAY.

JUST LOOKING FOR CLARIFICATION.

SO WE CAN LEARN MORE AND, AND IT COULD BE THE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS, UH, IS REALLY CONNECTED TO WHAT WE LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT ELSE COULD BE DONE.

PROJECT'S ALREADY MOVING FORWARD.

DISCUSSION ON THAT, JACK.

IS IT, THIS DOES NOT AFFECT THIS, THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD TO ANY GREAT DEGREE.

IF WE TABLED FOR 30 DAYS THAT CORRECT.

WE'VE ALREADY PAID THE, THEY'VE BOUGHT, THEY'VE CLOSED THE LAND, IT'S THEIRS.

THE LAND IS PURCHASED.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON TABLING THOSE IN FAVOR OF TABLING THIS MOTION? AYE.

VERONICA GAVIN, PRINCIPAL PLANNER OF HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.

OPPOSED? NAY.

THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

UH, JACK, CAN I SAY ONE MORE THING? YES.

JUST, UH, BRENDA, WHEN YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CONTAINER HOMES, PERHAPS AT A FUTURE, UH, MEETING, COULD YOU EDUCATE US ON THAT? I'VE READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.

I AM REALLY CURIOUS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THAT MIGHT WORK.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

I ACTUALLY DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.

THROUGH THE DEEP WELL PROJECTS HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, WE ACTUALLY, UH, TOOK A, TOOK A TRIP UP TO ESTELL, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ESTELL, SOUTH CAROLINA HAS THREE OF THESE CONTAINER HOMES THAT THEY ARE PLANNING TO USE, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR DISPLACED PEOPLE, FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE.

UM, AND THEY CAN, THEY, THEY CAN OUTFIT THEM IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW IN JASPER AND HAMPTON COUNTY, THE CONTAINER HOMES THAT MEET ALL OF THE NORMAL HOME CRITERIA ARE APPROVED FOR HABITATION.

I DO NOT THINK THEY ARE CURRENTLY APPROVED IN BEAUFORT COUNTY.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN IF WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT ON HILTON HEAD.

UM, BUT THAT WOULD BE PART OF THAT DISCUSSION BECAUSE IT DOES, THAT TYPE HOUSING UNIT DOES HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF APPROVAL, WHETHER IT'S AT THE MUNICIPAL LEVEL OR THE COUNTY LEVEL.

AND RIGHT NOW THEY ARE NOT APPROVED IN BUFORT COUNTY.

SO, BRENDA, ANYTHING ELSE? NO, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MORE INFORMATION AS WE KNOW.

THANKS SO MUCH.

[5.b. Home Safety and Repair Program Updates - Sharonica Gavin, Principal Planner for Historic Neighborhoods]

WE, WE WILL MOVE ON.

WE HAVE TWO OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.

UH, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, WE'LL COME AFTER THIS.

THIS NEXT, UH, PRESENTATION.

UH, VERONICA GAVIN IS HERE TO, UH, TALK ABOUT THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM.

VERONICA, THE FLOOR.

YOURS.

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.

SO IN JULY OF 2022, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD ISLAND ESTABLISHED THE HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM.

UM, AND THIS WAS ESTABLISHED TO ASSIST LOW INCOME HOMEOWNERS, UM, OF THE ISLAND WITH PROPERTY REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL HELP TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ALL RESIDENTS WHILE CREATING A SAFER, MORE VIBRANT COMMUNITY THAT RETAINS ITS CHARACTER AND PROVIDE QUALITY HOUSING.

UM, THE TOWN OF HILTON HEAD, UM, HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM OFFERS ESSENTIAL REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENT ASSISTANCE TO LOOK TO INCOME QUALIFIED HOMEOWNERS HELPING, KEEPING PROPERTIES SAFE AS WELL AS HABITABLE.

THIS PROGRAM FUNDED, UM, THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 SUPPORTS HOMEOWNERS BY COVERING UP TO $15,000 PER PHYSICAL YEAR FOR VARIOUS REPAIRS.

NOW, THESE REPAIRS CAN INCLUDE ANYTHING FROM ROOF REPAIRS, WINDOWS AND DOOR REPAIRS, UM, DEMOLITION OF UNINHABITABLE STRUCTURES OR HAZARDOUS STRUCTURES ON THE PROPERTY AS WELL AS TREE REMOVALS OR TRIMMING IF TREES POSE A RISK TO DAMAGING THEIR PROPERTY.

TO DATE, WE HAVE RECEIVED 147 APPLICATIONS FOR THIS HOME SAFETY AND REPAIR PROGRAM, 113 OF WHICH HAVE BEEN COMPLETED.

AND WE HAVE, UM, PRETTY MUCH ALLOCATED.

THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FOR THIS PROGRAM IS $1,499,741.

TO DATE.

OUR BIGGEST THING IS ENSURING THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO KEEP THIS PROGRAM SUSTAINABLE.

WE WANT TO KEEP INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR

[01:10:01]

HOMES, KEEPING THEM SAFE AS WELL AS KEEPING THEM DRY.

AND THAT'S ALL ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.

YOU HAVE A REPORT IN YOUR, IN YOUR AGENDA PACKAGE.

YEP.

ON THIS QUESTIONS, COMMENTS FOR VERONICA S IF I'M RIGHT, IT'S WHAT? 60% OF A MI IS THE QUALIFYING NUMBER? IT IS.

SO THIS, THIS REALLY DOES AFFECT THE, THE BOTTOM END OF OUR WORKFORCE HOUSING, UH, REALLY GOOD USE OF FUNDS.

UH, WHETHER OR NOT FEDERAL GIVES US ANY MORE MONEY TO FERRET DOWN HERE IS A BIG QUESTION MARK, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT WILL, YES, IT'S BEEN A GREAT, I MEAN, WE DID THE SAME THING ON THE, UH, THE SEWER CONNECTION LINE.

THERE'S A TOWN GIVES ROUGHLY A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS COORDINATED AND THE RESPONSE HAS BEEN GREAT AND REALLY HELPS MOVE THOSE THINGS ALONG, UH, AS WELL.

SO IT'S THE SAME SORT OF THING AND IT KEEPS THE, THESE HOUSES MUCH MORE HABITABLE AND AND MUCH LONGER TERM.

ABSOLUTELY.

OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I GUESS VERONICA, THE BIG, THE ONLY ISSUE WITH IT REALLY IS WHERE IS FUNDING COMING FROM? ARE THERE ANY OPTIONS THAT ARE ON THE TABLE THAT ARE BEING EXPLORED? SO YES, WE DO HAVE, UM, PRETTY MUCH INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE TOWN WHO ARE LOOKING INTO IDENTIFYING ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

UM, WE HAVE GONE THROUGH PRETTY MUCH LOOKING AT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS, THE SOUTH CAROLINA HOUSING TRUST AND ADDITIONAL OPTIONS.

UM, AND AS YOU KNOW, SANDY, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO SEE HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE DEEP WELL PROJECT IN ORDER TO MAKE A STRONGER IMPACT, UM, WITHIN THESE HOMES.

BECAUSE OFTENTIMES THERE ARE SEVERAL REPAIRS THAT NEED TO BE DONE.

AND UNFORTUNATELY THE AMOUNT OF FUNDING, UM, THAT WE HAVE JUST DOESN'T GO AS FAR AS WE NEED IT TO GO FOR THESE HOMEOWNERS.

UM, ONE RESOURCE THAT DEFINITELY SHOULD BE EXPLORED IS THE BUFORT JASPER HOUSING TRUST, BECAUSE I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS JUST IN THE LAST 30 DAYS, THEY ARE AS AN APPROVED, IT'S NOT VENDOR THAT'S THE WRONG WORD, BUT AN APPROVED ENTITY TO RECEIVE FUNDING FROM THE STATE LEVEL TO COME DOWN TO BEAUFORT, JASPER HOUSING TRUST TO THEN SHARE OUT.

SO THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE, UM, AN EXCELLENT POSSIBILITY NOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN, THEY HAVE THAT APPROVED VENDOR RELATIONSHIP.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND I MISSED THAT ONE.

OH YEAH, YOU HAVE TO DISCOVER THAT ONE.

ANYTHING ELSE FOR VERONICA? THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.

IT'S A GREAT HONOR.

TIME

[6. Public Comment - Non Agenda Items]

FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

THREE MINUTES PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY COMMENTS.

UH, PLEASE STATE YOUR, YOUR NAME AND RESIDENCE.

ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS TODAY? HENDERSON.

HI, KATIE HENDERSON, HHP.

UM, A FEW WEEKS AGO I WENT TO THE, UH, PRE-OP, UH, MEETING AND WAS LISTENING TO THEM TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE DAYS INN BEING REMODELED FOR, UH, AND DEVELOPED.

AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU GUYS HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT REALLY PUSHING TO LOOK INTO ANY OF THE HOTELS THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR DISPLACEMENT.

THAT MIGHT BE A, A GREAT IDEA.

ALSO, WORKING WITH HABITAT, MAYBE PART PARTNERING.

THEY HAVE THESE, UH, THIS PERINO HOMES, UH, PEOPLE THAT ARE GIVING THEM DEALS.

MAYBE THEY'RE DEALS, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU COULD WORK OUT.

SO PUSHING TOWARDS THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE GOOD.

ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS TODAY? HEARING

[Additional Item]

NONE.

IS ANY, ANY OTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE US HERE? SARAH, A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BUFORT HOUSING AUTHORITY.

HAS THERE BEEN ANY INTENTIONAL PARTNERSHIP BUILDING THERE WITH THE NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THAT'S ON BOARD? SURE.

UM, SO I'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH MS. DAVIS.

UM, SO WE'VE CERTAINLY BEEN, UM, WORKING TOGETHER TO COLLABORATE ON, ON CERTAIN OPPORTUNITIES.

BUT YES, I WOULD SAY THAT PARTNERSHIP IS CERTAINLY OPEN.

OKAY, GOOD.

SHE MENTIONED TO ME AT THE, UH, UM, WHATEVER WE WERE AT LAST WEEK, HOUSING SYM HOUSING SYMPOSIUM.

THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT SANDALWOOD FOR REDEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS ON THE ISLAND.

UM, AND IF IT'S A TYPICAL PUBLIC HOUSING REDEVELOPMENT, IT WOULD BE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY WITH THE TOWN AND WOULD LIKELY COME WITH A MIXED INCOME COMPONENT WITH INCREASED DENSITY.

UM, SO I'LL KEEP A TAP ON THAT FROM MY END, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY WATCH AS AN OPPORTUNITY.

OH YEAH, I AGREE.

I, I THINK SAND WOODS IN NEED OF SOME SERIOUS REHAB AND MM-HMM.

, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.

I THINK EVEN IF WE COULD GO BEYOND REHAB TO DO A COMPLETE REDEVELOPMENT WOULD BE EVEN MORE IMPACTFUL.

I JUST HAVE ONE, UH, QUESTION.

COMMENTS.

[01:15:01]

QUINCY, DO YOU ALL KNOW ANYTHING NEW ABOUT THE CHIMNEY COVE PROPERTY? UH, NOTHING NEW TO DATE.

UH, NOTHING NEW TO SHARE.

UM, I CAN PARTIALLY ADDRESS THAT.

I DON'T THINK IT'S ANYTHING NEW, BUT THE CURRENT SITUATION IS EVERYONE LIVING ON THAT PROPERTY HAS A 30 DAY LEASE.

UM, THE PROPERTY CONTINUES TO BE FOR SALE, SO AT SOME POINT IT COULD SELL.

AND AT THAT POINT, UH, THE FOLKS LIVING THERE ONLY HAVE A 30, THEY HAVE 30 DAYS THAT TO SAY THEY'RE LEAVING, OR 30 DAYS FOR THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY TO SAY YOU HAVE TO LEAVE.

AND THAT IS KIND OF THE, THE WORST CASE SCENARIO AS FAR AS IF A DISPLACEMENT WERE TO COME JUST BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S SO MANY FAMILIES.

UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF THE FAMILIES THAT WE WORKED WITH A COUPLE YEARS AGO WITH THE CRISIS THROUGH THE DEEP WELL, UM, HAVE RELOCATED AND ARE IN MORE STABLE SITUATIONS.

BUT AS FAST AS THEY HAVE EXITED, NEW PEOPLE HAVE COME TO THE AREA AND KIND OF LAND THERE AS A LANDING PAD UNTIL THEY CAN FIND SOMETHING ELSE.

RENTS THERE ARE IN THE $2,000 A MONTH RANGE.

UH, AND AGAIN, IT'S A 50-YEAR-OLD TALK ABOUT IN SERIOUS NEED OF REHAB, BUT I'M SURE NOTHING REALLY IS GONNA BE PUT INTO IT IF, IF REALLY WHAT THE OWNER WANTS TO DO IS SELL IT.

SO, THANK YOU.

SANDY.

IF I COULD CLOSE WITH JUST, UH, ONE COMMENT.

UH, SARAH ALLUDED TO THE HOUSING FORUM THAT THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION PUT ON, UH, LAST WEEK.

UH, LOTS OF GOOD INFORMATION.

UH, THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER WAS WITH THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM, UH, AN ECONOMIST.

AND, UH, THE, THE MOST STRIKING INFORMATION TO ME IN, IN THE DAY WAS, UH, WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT, UH, TYPICALLY YOU WANT THE MEDIAN INCOME FAMILY, UH, IN A COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THE MEDIAN PRICED HOME IN THAT COMMUNITY, UH, WITH NO MORE THAN 30% OF THEIR INCOME GOING TOWARD THAT, THAT PURCHASE.

UH, AND SHE WENT THROUGH SEVERAL OTHER EXAMPLES.

OTHER, OTHER AREAS, I THINK BLUFF AND BEAUFORD, OTHERS, UH, THAT ARE ALL ABOVE THAT 30%, BUT SLIGHTLY IN THE, IN SOME CASES, UH, THE NUMBER THAT WOULD TAKE THE MEDIAN INCOME FAMILY TO BUY THE MEDIAN INCOME HOME ON HILTON HEAD RIGHT NOW IS 60% OF THEIR MONTHLY INCOME PRO PROHIBITIVE.

FRANKLY.

UM, THAT'S KIND OF OUR CHALLENGE IN A, IN A .

DECEMBER 9TH IS OUR NEXT MEETING.

IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I'LL SECOND IT.

ANA THOSE IN FAVOR? ADJOURNMENT.