Not enough affordable housing available for active-duty military in SC, base leaders say

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC) – South Carolina is turning into one of the widespread states for People to maneuver to, however leaders on the state’s eight army installations say that is creating issues for service members and their households on the lookout for a spot to reside.

Restricted inexpensive housing close to army bases was one of many issues repeatedly introduced up throughout the annual governor’s commanders briefing in Columbia on Thursday when the leaders of installations in and close to South Carolina up to date Gov. Henry McMaster and state Division of Veterans’ Affairs Secretary Will Grimsley on how they’re doing.

“High quality and inexpensive housing proceed to be a problem for Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort,” MCAS Beaufort Commander Col. Karl Arbogast mentioned, describing it as “probably the most urgent challenge” going through personnel on his set up.

Energetic-duty service members in 28 places throughout the nation lately obtained a bump of their Primary Allowance for Housing, the cash they get from the federal authorities to offset housing prices.

Out of these 28 places, only one is in South Carolina: the Beaufort space, house to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort and Beaufort Naval Hospital.

“Nonetheless, it doesn’t mitigate the challenges we see with distance from the bottom, the commute, and it doesn’t assist the civilian Marines that work on the air station,” Col. Arbogast mentioned.

Final yr, no army housing areas in South Carolina obtained a bump in housing allowance, so Grimsley and set up leaders mentioned even one receiving it this yr is an appreciated step.

However they’d hoped each the Charleston and Sumter areas would additionally obtain this enhance, with service members experiencing housing challenges there, too.

“As the house costs enhance, our members are transferring additional and additional away from house, which is placing them on longer and longer commutes, which is going on throughout that complete area,” Joint Base Charleston Commander Col. Mike Freeman mentioned.

“The supply of housing doesn’t match the necessity and the demand that’s going through our airmen at this time,” Col. Kris Smith, commander of Shaw Air Drive Base in Sumter, added.

The U.S. Division of Protection determines which areas obtain will increase in housing allowances. These are the areas which have skilled a spike of greater than 20% in rental housing prices this yr above this yr’s primary allowance for housing charges, on common, in response to the DoD.

Grimsley mentioned they are going to hold working with South Carolina’s Congressional delegation to advocate for the inclusion of extra areas within the state sooner or later.

“We’ll proceed to push this,” Grimsley informed reporters. “We’ve to have the ability to scale back the inequity. We’re all the time going to pay one thing out of pocket for our housing above and past the housing allowance. However particularly for our young-to-midgrade enlisted power and our younger officers, it is a actual problem.”

Upon the advice of South Carolina Commerce Secretary Harry Lightsey, Grimsley mentioned they can even look into working with the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Improvement Authority, which gives financing for inexpensive housing, to see if that company might provide help in areas round installations.

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