It’s impossible to live in Charleston County and not know about our housing crisis. News stories confirm we face an affordability challenge of epic proportions. Even the word “affordable” has different meanings as home values continue to soar. While there is a consensus that we need solutions, unfortunately that’s where the conversation too often stagnates.
As the executive director of Neighbors Together in North Charleston, I see the realities of this crisis. While we provide services to address immediate needs such as food, clothing and hygiene items, we also focus on long-term solutions.
To that end, Neighbors Together is spearheading the launch of a new, innovative housing model known as Gateway to Housing, an approach that focuses on removing barriers that prevent people from exiting homelessness and obtaining permanent housing.
What sets this program apart is that it invites the property owners and landlords into the conversation as an active partner. Through grants and partnerships with the city of Charleston’s Department of Housing and Community Development and Charleston County’s Community Development and Revitalization Department, Neighbors Together has received significant financial support for starting up the initiative.
Low-barrier housing connects housing partners with qualified tenants who have been vetted by local nonprofits. Gateway to Housing seeks to reduce the barriers facing many homeless people by providing support, security and robust fiscal incentives to participating housing partners.
The focus involves the local homeless response system working with property owners and managers to rent to individuals and families who are exiting homelessness or who are on the brink of homelessness. In return, these property owners and managers get a variety of benefits. While Neighbors Together will serve as the administrator, the program is designed for our entire community of social service organizations in Charleston County that seek to find safe, attainable rental units.
Each participating organization will have access to an online database with a real-time listing of current rental inventory. Case managers can use search filters to determine the parameters that fit their client’s needs, such as location, number of bedrooms and more. Agencies can use this online tool at no cost to them.
Furthermore, all member agencies can request payment from the available financial benefits for property owners when they have identified a rental property. Gateway to Housing effectively streamlines the rental process for landlords, clients, tenants and nonprofit organizations. And it offers a central point of contact for property owners.
This model has produced amazing results in communities around the country. One reason for this success is that it works well with large apartment complexes as well as individual homes that are rented for extra income.
We believe the whole community thrives when all our neighbors have somewhere to call home. In the near future, Gateway to Housing will help ensure more residents find a safe, affordable place to live.
Suzanne Young is executive director of Neighbors Together in North Charleston.