Tucked away off upper King Street, a newly constructed light-blue quadplex stands out when compared with several dilapidated houses interspersed along residential Romney Street.
However, these combined affordable and market-rate apartment units were built with the community in mind.
“We are trying to change the landscape of this area,” said the Rev. Alphonza Gadsden of New Israel Reformed Episcopal Church.
As affordable housing remains scarce on the peninsula, New Israel REC seeks to address the issue in its community. In Charleston, the median rent for a two-bedroom unit is $1,689, according to this month’s data from Apartment List.
The Rev. Alphonza Gadsden of New Israel Reformed Episcopal Church shares how the new apartments on Romney Street help revitalize the area during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 9, 2024.
While it’s uncommon for a church to step into a housing and community development role, Gadsden said the church is commissioned to care for the less fortunate. This is one of the ways the church seeks to accomplish that task.
“We see that as a part of our calling — that is to help those who are in need — and by doing this, we are providing shelter for families,” Gadsden said.
This project is one of several helmed by the church. Over the last decade, the church has purchased property in the neighborhood to construct new builds or renovate existing properties. Some of the completed projects include veteran housing, market-rate housing and a Montessori school. The next project is to address the community garden at the back of the dead-end street.
To accomplish the four-unit apartment project, the church partnered with the city of Charleston and P.A.S.T.O.R.S. Inc., a faith-based nonprofit that has created low-cost housing options in the region for nearly 25 years. The role of the organization is to gather capital and help engage churches in development projects, since many are not accustomed to that role.
The Rev. Alphonza Gadsden and Hester Gadsden walk through one of the new units on Romney Street on April 9, 2024.
“It takes a lot of education and work to get the congregations comfortable with the idea of borrowing money,” said F.A. Johnson, CEO of P.A.S.T.O.R.S.
For example, the housing project represents a $1 million investment by New Israel REC.
The four-unit building is a mix between market-rate rent and affordable housing. Half of the units are allocated to those making 60 percent of the area median income, which is about $40,860 annually for a single person, or $46,680 for two in Charleston, according to the most recent data from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The affordable housing units are $1,600 per month. The two market-rate units cost $3,500 per month. The affordable housing units are preleased, while the two market-rate units are still available to rent.
All four units are identical. The two-story units include three bedrooms and 2½ baths with stainless steel appliances and in-unit laundry. The second story features a balcony off one of the bedrooms.
Johnson said projects like this show the public that affordable housing does not equal a decrease in quality. This project accomplishes the ultimate goal of providing an affordable place for residents to live near where they work, he added.
As affordable housing continues to be a growing need in the region, Johnson encourages more churches to step into the housing development role to help reduce the demand.
“If the churches and the faith-based organizations can play a small role to help reduce that count, it just helps ease that burden a little bit,” Johnson said.