Living in Colleton is not an option for newcomers and that must change

Posted

Colleton County needs more housing options.

Earlier this year, both Colleton County Council and Walterboro City Council met and individually created a plan, or goal list. These separate comprehensive plans each listed the needs and wants of both city council and county council.

While they differed slightly, the both included one main issue: a need for more housing.

In both plans, city and county leaders address a lack of affordable housing throughout our community. This can be addressed by leaders helping to accommodate builders who want to construct low-income housing options for city and county residents.

We agree with this plan.

The bigger picture, however, is that all types of new housing options are needed.

More rental housing options are needed. More apartments are needed. More single-family housing neighborhoods need to be constructed. Yes, we understand that water lines and sewage lines and services would need to be extended to these new developed neighborhoods. Now is the time for this. Our businesses are hungry for dollars. Our infrastructure can be expanded through impact fees charged to new residential builders.

We need places and communities for people to live, and, through the comprehensive plans and ordinances, we can control the impact that growth has on our environment and culture.

We cannot grow without new residents. They provide workforce, tax bases and input on local boards and commissions. Yet, new residents cannot come here because there is nowhere to leave.

Our pool of real estate is dire, which is attested to by many interviews we have done with local realtors. There are more people who want to live in Colleton County than there are places for them to buy.