page number introduction housing market analysis …

INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................

HOUSING MARKET ANALYSIS......................................................................................HOUSING STOCK DEVELOPMENT TRENDSHOUSING MARKET FINDINGS

COST AND AFFORDABILITY..........................................................................................HOUSING COST COST BURDENFAIR HOUSINGCOST AND AFFORDABILITY FINDINGS

SHORT TERM ASSISTANCE............................................................................................ HOMELESSNESS

EMERGENCY HOUSING SOLUTIONSRAPID REHOUSINGPUBLIC HOUSINGHOMELESSNESS PREVENTION - HOUSING REHABILITATION PROGRAMSHORT-TERM HOUSING FINDINGS

REVITALIZATION EFFORTS.............................................................................................NEIGHBORHOOD PLANSNUISANCE ABATEMENT PROGRAMCOMMUNITY REVITALIZATION FINDINGS

GOALS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES..............................................................

REFERENCES.................................................................................................................

PAGE NUMBER1

1-61-45-66

7-977-999

10-11101010101111

11-1211-121212

13-15

16

DRAFT

INTRODUCTIONHorry County has seen considerable housing growth over the past few decades. Not surprisingly, the housing industry represents the second largest industry in the County. As Horry County continues to grow, the housing stock must accom-modate projected population growth and the needs of our changing community. The purpose of the Housing Element is to identify changes in the market and anticipate areas for future residential growth. The Element establishes goals and strategies aimed at guiding both the public and private ef-forts to deliver housing. It also addresses the availability of safe and affordable housing, along with barriers to fair hous-ing, and mechanisms to address these challenges.

HOUSING MARKET ANALYSISThis market analysis looks at trends in housing stock, including housing type, age, condition, occupancy, and vacancy. It also details development trends over time, along with antic-ipated housing growth into the future.

HOUSING STOCKHousing UnitsHorry County has experienced a gradual increase in the number of housing units since the 1970s. Until the Great Re-cession, Horry County experienced growth rates ranging from 35-89%. From 2000 to 2010, the housing stock grew by 52.3%, resulting in 185,992 housing units or approximately one house for every 1.45 people. The recession had a definite impact on construction in Horry County. Between 2010 and 2015, the total number of housing units in Horry County only increased by 5,110 units, growing a mere 2.8% to 191,102 to-tal housing units. Despite the recession and lack of new con-struction, Horry County’s population continued to increase during this same timeframe.

Source: U. S. Census, American Community Survey 2011-2015 (#B25001)

The graphic to the right indicates the number of housing units by County Census Division (CCD) in Horry Coun-ty. As of 2015, Myrtle Beach, Little River, and Conway East are the regions with the highest number of units, respectively. Unincorporated Horry County accounts for 125,457 (65.6%) of the total 191,112 housing units in the County.



Housing Element1

DRAFT

Insert Building Permit Chart

Age of Housing StockThe majority of housing in Horry County is relatively new, with 57% of the current inventory of housing built in the last 20 years. Only 25% of the housing stock was constructed prior to 1980.



Housing Element2

DRAFT

Housing TypeTraditional, single-family homes are the most prominent type of housing, with more than 64% of the County’s population living within this housing type. The graphic below conveys the mix of housing types in which people reside, including sin-gle-family dwelling (1 unit detached or attached), multi-fam-ily residential dwelling (2 or more units), mobile homes, and other shelter.

Horry County Housing Types

Data in the graphs below explore the housing mix further by looking at the breakdown of housing types by geography of the County. The CCDs of Conway East, Little River, and Myr-tle Beach have the highest shares of single-family units in the County, while Floyds Crossroads and Longs CCDs have the lowest percentage of residents living in single-family dwell-ings. 17.9% of the population lives in multi-family dwellings, while similarly, another 17.9% reside in mobile homes. In ru-ral areas of the County, 37.3-45.4% of the population lives in


mobile homes. This is a clear indicator that the rural residents rely on mobile homes as the main affordable housing option, while urban areas rely heavily on multi-family units for afford-able options. The housing composition in rural communities places higher emphasis on the need for mobile home repair and replacement programs to ensure that residents have safe, durable, and affordable shelter.

Condit ion of UnitsThe US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) identifies four housing problems:

1. A home which lacks complete or adequate kitchen facilities.2. A home which lacks complete or adequate plumbing facilities.3. A home which is overcrowded (having more than one person per room).4. A household that is cost burdened (paying 30% or more of their income towards housing costs).

Of the total occupied housing units in Horry County (118,738), 380 (0.3%) lack a means of heat, 304 (0.3%) lack complete plumbing facilities, and 688 (0.6%) lack kitchen facilities. 0.6 percent of occupied housing units experience overcrowd-ing; more than one person per room. Generally speaking, there are relatively few households living in poor housing conditions as tracked by the Census. However, it is import-ant to note that the Census does not assess building code

violations, fire and flood damage, or the conditions of unoc-cupied housing, such as foreclosed and abandoned homes.

Because Horry County is located in the coastal zone and has an abundance of wetlands and riverfront, nearly 24% of the land area is located within the floodzone. There are over 200 repetitive flood loss properties in unincorporated Horry County alone, meaning those properties have flooded mul-tiple times over the course of 5 years. These homes were of-ten constructed prior to the aoption of the initial flood maps in 1987 and would not meet today’s foodzone regulations. In addition, many single family homes, especially along the beachfront, have split their homes into duplexes or enclosed the downstairs of their properties to make additional rooms or apartments for vacation rentals. It is unknown how many of these non-conforming uses exist and if they meet building code regulations, including fire and flood standards.

Beyond stick-built structures, there are many people living in mobile homes and even in campers. Mobile homes built prior to June of 1994 are not designed to withstand hurricane force winds, and campers and other recreational vehicles do not provide wind protection either. While they may be tied down, that does not prevent the structure from tearing apart due to wind loading. While new model mobile homes have to meet wind zone standards, used mobile homes (old-er than 1994) can be sited and relocated anywhere in the County, regardless of wind zone. Horry County has been for-tunate to not have been impacted by a major hurricane, as there are many dwelling units at risk if such an event were to occur. While these issues do not meet the Census’s defi-nitions for poor housing conditions, they have the ability to result in disaster in the event of a fire, flood, or hurricane.


Insert Accessory Living Quarters and Units Section

Housing Element3

DRAFT

Occupancy Among those housing units classified as occupied, the US Census identifies two types of tenure status—owner and rent-er. As of 2015, 81,966 or 69% of occupied units were own-er-occupied, while the remaining 36,772 (31%) were rental units. The owner-occupied units in Horry County increased by 37% from 2000 to 2015, while rental occupancy has re-mained relatively constant (ACS, 2011-2015).



Vacancy Vacancy rates in Horry County are largely skewed due to seasonal population. This explains why Horry County’s va-cancy rate approached 38% in 2015. Only 1.1% of the over-all housing stock and 2.85% of the overall vacancies were estimated to be for sale, indicating that there is a high de-mand for sale units throughout the County. During this same timeframe, approximately 21,501 units or 35% of all vacan-cies were rental units. 9,698 vacant rental units were located in the Myrtle Beach CCD, while another 8,715 vacant rent-al units where in the Little River CCD. Rental vacancy rates are skewed towards the high end for Horry County due to the role that tourism plays in the economy. Areas with high proportions of vacation and second homes invariably show high rental vacancy rates.

Beyond rental vacancies, another 42,063 units are docu-mented as seasonal, recreational, or occasional use dwell-ing units, Seasonal units represent 22% of all housing units in the County and 58% of all vacancies (ACS, 2011-2015).

The graph and table below describes the different vacancy classifications in Horry County.



Vacancies as Percentage of Housing Stock by CCD

Housing Element4

DRAFT

DEVELOPMENT TRENDSCompleted major subdivisions in unincorporated Horry County only account for 2% of Horry County’s total land mass; however, an additional 8% of the land area consists of developments under construction or lands that have been approved for major subdi-visions through the rezoning process, but have not begun construction. The following details housing trends in unincorporated Horry County. This data does not represent the growth occurring in areas municipalities.

Recent GrowthWhile residential growth declined during the Great Recession, development has started to rebound in recent years. The following map represents all residential building per-mits that were issued from FY2012 – FY2016. Over this timeframe, single-family residential growth occurred heavily in Carolina Forest, Forestbrook, and Burgess, largely geared by construction in major subdivisions, like The Farm, Tuscany, Amberfield, and Prince Creek. These areas can be clearly seen as red ‘hot spots’ on the map to the right. Within these high development areas, there was limited construction of new multi-family units, largely due to the abundance of multi-family units prior to the economic downtown.

Source: Horry County Code Enforcement and Horry County GIS


Areas in blue typically represent areas of the County where development and home improvements are being made on individu-al homes, outside of major subdivisions. This type of development is more prominenet west of the Waccamaw River. While smaller in nature than a major subdivision, growth outside of the urban area can result in sprawl and increased impact of infrastruc-ture and services.

Housing Element5

DRAFT

Potential GrowthA large portion of the County has already been approved for residential development that has yet to be constructed. As of 2017, over 53,000 hous-ing units have been preliminarily approved through the rezoning process or as master planned communities. Developments under construction and those that have preliminary approval in unincorporated Horry Coun-ty can accommodate approximately 80% of the projected population growth for the entire County through 2040. While the vested rights of some of these major subdivisions will expire in the years to come, their underlying zoning will still allow them to develop with similar unit numbers.

HOUSING MARKET ANALYSIS FINDINGSHorry County is rapidly recovering from the economic downturn, as the availability of homes for sale is lower than 2% of the entire housing stock. The demand is driving up home values and also spurring new construction of single-family homes. Major subdivisions that were put on hold are now being built out, and there has been a recent increase in rezoning requests for new major subdivisions. Because the majority of the future population growth can be accommodated within already approved residential ar-eas, additional rezonings for major subdivisions should be evaluated to en-sure that an adequate balance of housing types and densities are avail-able for permanent residents and vacationers. Beyond the availability of housing, the County should also more heavily monitor housing conditions, including, but not limited to repetitive flood loss areas and enclosure of breakaway walls, conversion of single-family homes into duplexes and va-cation rentals, mobile home age and durability, and dilapidated housing.



Units in Developments in Construction and with Preliminary Approval

Housing Element6

DRAFT

COST AND AFFORDABILITYHome values and average rent has increased drastically in recent years. While there was a slight decline during the eco-nomic downturn, values have rebounded quickly. Unfortu-nately, wages have not increased at the same rate, resulting in an increased cost burden on many households. This trend will likely continue and further increase the need for afford-able housing within close proximity to job centers, schools, retail, and services.

HOUSING COSTSMedian home values in Horry County have increased by 45.81% from 2001 to 2018. The table below exhibits the in-crease in the median home value over time. While the medi-an home value in Horry County is $160,100, the median listing price is $204,900 (Zillow Home Index, 2018). New single-family home prices exceed the cost of a resale, but the gap is be-ginning to close as fewer units are available for sale. Despite a recovering housing market, there remain nearly 3,000 con-do units for sale in the Grand Strand (CCAR, 2017).

While renting often seems like a more affordable option than purchasing a home, rental costs are also increasing rapidly. The 2015 American Community Survey estimated that ap-proximately 60% of all renters paid between $500 and $999/month. Current estimates suggest that average rent has increased to approximately $1,295/month, nearly a $300/month increase since 2011.

Rising housing costs can lead to displacement of low-income residents due to economic pressures. Renters are particularly impacted, as increases in the value of a home can lead to higher rents (Horry HOME Consortium, 2017).

COST BURDENThe Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines affordable housing as when the occupant or family spends no more than 30% of their gross household income towards their total gross housing costs whether renting or owning. Housing costs include rent or mortgage costs, wa-ter, sewer, gas, and electric services. Approximately 39% of homeowners and 56% of renters in Horry County were con-sidered cost-burdened in 2015 (ACS, 2011-2015).

Source: Zillow Horry County Home Prices and Values Index, http://www.usa.com/briarcliffe-acres-sc.htm

Zillow Rent Index

Source: Zillow Horry County Home Prices and Values Index

Source: American Community Survey, 2011-2015

Horry County Percent Cost Burdended

Source: 2012-2016 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Housing Element7

DRAFT

IncomeCost burden heavily correlates with median household in-come. According to The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Area Median Income (AMI) for Hor-ry County in 2017 was $52,100, 13% lower than South Caro-lina’s annual AMI of $58,894. Those families whose income is 30% of the area median income are considered low-in-come by HUD. From 2001 to 2018 Horry County’s median home value increased 45.81%. Over the same period, the median household income only went up 18.7 percent from $36,470 to $43,299 (ACS, 2011-2015). This could afford a one or two-bedroom home in Horry County, as shown in the ta-bles to the right.

Source: HUD, FY 2017 Fair market Rents

Median Household Income

Fair Market RentIn 2017, 31% or 36,772 households were renters in Horry Coun-ty were renters (NLIHC, 2017). In order to assess renter afford-ability, fair market rents (FMR) primarily used to determine payment standard amounts for housing programs. Accord-ing to HUD, FMRs are gross rent estimates that include the cost of all tenant-paid utilities, except telephones, cable, or satellite television service, and internet service. Note that FMR does not include homeowners’ association dues, which are commonplace for most developments in Horry County. They are especially high within condo regimes.

The first table indicates the FMR by the number of bedrooms, while the following tables indicate the annual household in-come or hourly wage needed to afford those rents. In all housing size categories, a higher income is necessary in Horry County than the State. While the median income in Horry County is $52,100, a three bedroom home is the larg-est home a family could afford with this income. For those households that qualify as low income, they could only af-

ford a two-bedroom home. And households that qualify as very low and extremely low income cannot afford housing in the County.

Source: NLIHC, 2017Sources: Horry County Fair Housing Plan (2017), Trulia Heat Map: Horry County, SC. (2018), DataUSA: Horry County, SC. (2015), and Zillow Mort-gage Calculator. (2018).

In Horry County, a citizen would have to work 80 hours per week at minimum wage to afford a one bedroom home at FMR. While the estimated mean renter wage in Horry Coun-ty is $10.05/hour, this will only afford an individual $523 to-wards housing, not even enough for a one-bedroom unit. This stresses the importance of providing affordable housing and direct rental assistance for those in need, in addition to attracting higher paying industry.

Housing Element8

DRAFT

ForeclosuresForeclosures are another way to measure cost burden. Ac-cording to Zillow Home Value Index, foreclosures will be a factor impacting home values in the next several years. In Horry County 2.9 homes are foreclosed per 10,000. This is greater than the national value of 1.6. The percent of de-linquent mortgages in Horry County is 1.7%, which is slightly higher than the national value of 1.6%. With US home values declining more than 20% during the economic downturn, many homeowners remain underwater in their mortgag-es, meaning they owe more than their home is worth. The percent of Horry County homeowners underwater on their mortgage is estimated to be 11.6%. These homeowners may be cost burdened and unable to move to a more afford-able location because they cannot sell their homes for what they owe. As the housing market continues to recover, few-er people will be underwater in their mortgages, but these same individuals may not be able to find more affordable housing options.

FAIR HOUSINGFair housing has long been an important issue in American ur-ban policy – a problem born in discrimination and fueled by growing civil unrest that reached a boiling point in the Civil Rights Movement. The passing of the Fair Housing Act in 1968 was a critical step towards addressing this complex problem, but was far from the solution. The Fair Housing Act mandates that the Department of Housing and Urban Development ‘affirmatively further fair housing’ through its programs. To-wards this end, HUD requires funding recipients to undertake fair housing planning (FHP) to proactively take steps that will lead to less discriminatory housing markets and better living conditions for minority groups and vulnerable populations.

While affordable housing is a significant fair housing issue, addressing fair housing needs is much more complex. The following impediments were identified in Horry County’s 2017 Assessment of Fair Housing:

• Location and type of affordable housing.• Community opposition to public housing, the

not in my Backyard (NIMBY) sentiments. • Displacement of residents due to economic

pressure. • Heir’s property issues.• Lack of access to financial services.• Lending discrimination. • The availability of affordable units in a range of

sizes.• Admissions and occupancy policies and proce

dures, including preferences in public housing.• Lack of access to high performing schools.• Quality of affordable housing information pro

grams.• Lack of public fair housing enforcement.• Lack of assistance for housing accessibility

modifications. • Lack of affordable, integrated housing for individuals who need supportive services.• Lack of public investments in specific neighborhoods.• Lack of resources for fair housing agencies and

organizations.• Lack of local fair housing laws.

The highest priority of all the contributing factors to barriers to fair housing is the location and type of affordable housing. Community opposition and displacement of residents due to economic pressure also contribute to multiple fair hous-ing issues. Equally important, the lack of public investments

and lack of local fair housing enforcement also contribute to multiple fair housing issues.

COST AND AFFORDABILITY FINDINGSFrom a pure quantitative standpoint, there are ample units in the region to house the population; however, high home values and rents in comparison to wages, result in much of the housing stock being out of the affordable range for large portions of the population. 39% of owner-occupied house-holds and 56% of renter households contribute more than 30% of their wages to housing expenses. This indicates that many households are vulnerable to becoming homeless, as there is no ability to establish a ‘rainy day fund.’ While tourism and service sector jobs in Horry County reduces un-employment rates during part of the year, but impedes the economic viability necessary for many to participate in the housing market. In addition, the lack of a variety of afford-able housing options with convenient access to job centers, schools, public transportation, and services also creates a barrier to affordable, fair housing. Public housing complexes are no longer an effective way to provide affordable hous-ing in one’s community as they often perpetuate the cycle of poverty and are stigmatized. Addressing fair housing will require creative solutions with area housing partners, devel-opers, and lending agencies, including but not limited to, the development of market-based incentives for affordable housing, down payment assistance, and first time homebuy-er education.

Housing Element9

DRAFT

SHORT-TERM HOUSING ASSISTANCEShelter is the basic necessity for all individuals. Addressing housing needs requires a multi-faceted approach, from pro-viding short-term housing solutions for those most direly in need to providing long-term solutions to provide safe, quality housing for all.

HOMELESSNESSHomelessness is fundamentally about a lack of housing that is affordable to households at different income levels. On a single night in January 2015, 564,708 people were experi-encing homelessness nationwide. In 2016, the South Caroli-na Coalition for the Homeless Point in Time Count estimated 5,050 persons experiencing homelessness statewide. Horry County had the highest number of unsheltered homeless in-dividuals (236), and the third highest total homeless individu-als (492) counted in South Carolina (South Carolina Coalition for the Homeless Point-Time-Report, 2016). Nearly 60% of the homeless in Horry County are unsheltered, some of which live in nomadic homeless camps. These camps are located on private property and do not have running water, restrooms, or proper trash disposal, resulting in unsanitary conditions for those living in them.

Horry County and the City of Myrtle Beach maintain much of the homeless population for the region. Regional data clear-ly conveys that 55.5% of the homeless population is black or African-Americans, which is considerably higher than the percent of the overall population, 36%. 19.4% of the home-less population are children under the age of 18, but 32% of the total population. And 60% of the homeless population are male and 40% female.

Eastern Carolina Homeless Organization (ECHO) is the lead entity coordinating the region’s Continuum of Care (CoC)

Program. The CoC brings together over 80 members repre-senting more than 40 agencies that provide a wide range of services to the homeless. These services include homeless/emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent support-ive housing, supportive services, emergency food, meals, clothing, medical services, mental health services, rental and utility assistance, and many other appropriate services.

EMERGENCY HOUSING SOLUTIONSEveryone is ready for housing - “Housing First” is a low barrier approach which ensures that no preconditions, behavioral contingencies, or other limiting factors to enter into housing are placed on the individual. This approach prioritizes client choice in both housing selection and in service participation.

Homelessness is unacceptable and expensive. A response that focuses solely on shelters is ineffective and expensive. The County has prioritized funding of homelessness preven-tion (HP) and rapid rehousing (RRH) programs with HUD Emer-gency Solutions Grant (ESG) dollars.

Horry County, through a subrecipeint agreement with ECHO, assisted 139 households through rapid rehousing and 70 households through homelessness prevention assistance

Homeless camp in an unicorporated area of Myrtle BeachSource: GIS

during the 2016-2017 program year. The time between in-take and housing a family is approximately 26 days, indicat-ing that a lack of availability of affordable rental units in the County impedes solutions for the homeless.

RAPID REHOUSINGThe National Alliance on Homelessness has reported that 75% of rapid re-housing participants exit to permanent housing, much higher than from emergency shelter (16%) or transi-tional housing (42%). The average cost per exit to permanent housing was significantly lower for rapid re-housing (about $4,100) than it was for either shelter (about $10,000) or transi-tional housing (about $22,200). Therefore, five families can be housed utilizing the rapid rehousing approach for the same cost of housing one family at a transitional housing shelter.

PUBLIC HOUSINGPublicly supported housing includes public housing, proj-ect-based Section 8, other Multifamily Assisted develop-ments, and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV). According to HUD, public housing was established to provide decent and safe rental housing for eligible low-income families, the el-derly, and persons with disabilities. Legally protected groups in Horry County (the elderly, individuals with a disability, cer-tain race groups, and families) have higher proportions of their members in several public housing programs than the general public. There are two Public Housing Authorities serv-ing low-income households throughout the County:

• The Housing Authority of Myrtle Beach provides Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.

• The Housing Authority of Conway provides Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and public

housing units.

Housing Element10

DRAFT

HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION - HOUSING REHABILITA-TION PROGRAMHorry County Community Development Department man-ages several home repair programs funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Essen-tial Home Repair Program is designed for low-income home-owners only, whose income is not more than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Examples of essential home repairs that may be covered under this program include leaking roofs, flooring issues, accessibility modifications for disabled residents, deficient plumbing, etc.

Some of the eligibility requirements for the program include: owning the home and living in it, documentation of owner-ship, current property taxes, and executing a forgivable loan for the cost of the repairs, etc.

SHORT-TERM HOUSING ASSISTANCE FINDINGSFundamentally, homelessness is the result of a lack of afford-able housing. Emergency shelter options are limited in Horry County and do not provide a long-term, safe housing solu-tion for those in need. In addition, transitional housing is only allowed within the ME 2 zoning district, which also allows drug treatment and counseling services. To attempt to rezone for such a use will spark opposition from the public. There are a couple of older zoning districts in the County in which transi-tional housing is allowed; however, there are a limited num-ber of properties available. While it is more affordable and effective to place someone in a permanent home, there is a lack of affordable rental inventory throughout the Coun-ty and many affordable areas are not close to job centers, public transportation, schools and services. One of the best means to address homelessness remains in proactive mea-sures to prevent homelessness. Horry County continues to provide homeowner repair and assistance to prevent the deterioration of safe and affordable housing stock.

REVITALIZATION EFFORTSThe Horry County Community Development Department leads revitalization efforts throughout the County, in partner-ship with other County departments, numerous municipal-ities and non-profit organizations. Because the Community Development department is responsible for administering Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds for housing and infrastructure improvements in the County and region, the US Department of Housing and Urban Develop-ment (HUD) requires that the County develop a Consolidat-ed Plan to outline funding priorities for a five year time frame. HUD also requires that the County develop an Annual Action Plan to detail the activities to be completed and the funding sources for them. The activities are planned to help achieve HUD’s CDBG national objectives as well as Horry County’s

Housing Rehabilitation Example; before (left), after (right)

The Horry County Emergency Repair Program provides finan-cial assistance to low and moderate income owners who have needs for replacement of heating and air conditioning systems in their homes. The program also provides assistance to disabled homeowners who need accessibility improve-ments, such as wheelchair ramps or hand rails.

long-term goals as identified in the Consolidated Plan. Each year, citizen input and participation in helping to identify the types of future CDBG projects to be funded. The Consoli-dated Plan, Annual CDBG Action Plans, and Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Reports are available through the Community Development Office and online at: https://www.horrycounty.org/Departments/CDBG.

Grant money can go towards any of the following: • Acquisition of real property; • Relocation and demolition;• Rehabilitation of residential and non-residential

structures;• Construction of public facilities and improvements such as water and sewer facilities, streets, neighborhood centers and the

conversion of school buildings for eligible pur poses;

• Public services, within certain limits;• Activities relating to energy conservation and

renewable energy resources.• Provision of assistance to profit-motivated business to carry out economic development

and job creation/retention activities (http://www.hud.gov/).

NEIGHBORHOOD PLANSIn an effort to address housing conditions, infrastructure, and public service needs in deteriorating communities, Horry County has developed neighborhood plans. The intent of these plans are to help stabilize a community from further deterioration and to help improve the condition and qual-ity of life for its residents. These areas are often defined as low-to-moderate income areas and are often strained by deteriorating or dilapidated housing, deteriorating road and

Housing Element11

DRAFT

drainage conditions, lack of adequate water and waste wa-ter systems, accumulation of trash and debris, over growth of brush, high crime rates, and a lack of access to services. In addition, many housing solutions are impeded by zoning be-cause of non-conforming structures and uses, as most of the communities in need of rehabilitation were developed prior to the establishment of zoning in Horry County.

Neighborhood plans can provide solutions to some of these challenges and identify short and long-term options to stabi-lize a community. These plans are adopted as amendments to the Horry County Comprehensive Plan and can provide inform capital improvement needs that can be incorporat-ed into the County’s Capital Improvements Plan. To date, the County has developed two revitalization plans, includ-ing the Racepath Neighborhood Revitalization Plan and the Bennett Loop Neighborhood Plan. Bucksport, Cedar Branch, and Freemont are additional communities in need of neigh-borhood plans.

NUISANCE ABATEMENT PROGRAMThe Nuisance Abatement Program was approved by County Council in 2017 to address unfit dwellings and related struc-tures within the unincorporated areas of Horry County. This addresses the need for any building or structure which are unfit for human habitation due to:

• Dilapidation;• Disrepair; • Defects increasing the hazards of fire, acci-

dents or other calamities; • Lack of adequate ventilation, light or sanitary

facilities; • Extensive damage or structural deterioration so

as to render the dwelling unsafe;

• Or other conditions rendering such dwellings unsafe or unsanitary, dangerous, or detrimental to the health, safety or morals or otherwise inimical to the welfare of the residents of the County.

After a dwelling has been indicated unfit for human habi-tation due to any of the stipulations listed above, the Coun-ty has the authority to exercise its police powers to repair, close, or demolish such dwellings. The Nuisance Abatement Program formalized the procedure for the County to address dwellings that create hazards to the health, safety, and wel-fare of the residents of Horry County. The implementation of this program requires an integrated partnership between Community Development, Code Enforcement, Police De-partment, Procurement Department, and Attorney’s Office. It has also resulted in more consistent, streamlined proce-dures for identifying and addressing dilapidated housing throughout the County.

COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION FINDINGSRevitalization requires an integrated approach among vari-ous partners and County departments to effectively result in change. Horry County’s Community Development Depart-ment facilitates most revitalization efforts occurring both in the County and in area municipalities, as they allocate fund-ing for housing assistance, new construction, and infrastruc-ture improvements. There are many challenges that success-fully revitalize a community. Zoning and non-conforming uses can impede the ability to provide transitional housing, public housing, or even repair or rehabilitate one’s home. Luckily, the State of South Carolina has granted local governments the authority to establish priority investment zones for the es-tablishment of market-based incentives and alleviation of zoning regulations that hinder revitalization.

While repairs and new residential construction can help sta-bilize a community, Horry County is limited in its authority to provide services to donuthole areas within the City of Myr-tle Beach and Conway. Without annexing into the adjoining municipality, revitalization efforts can be stymied. State law also inhibits revitalization efforts in unincorporated areas, as the State has not granted counties the authority to remove dilapidated commercial buildings. This is often a critical component to trigger revitalization and redevelopment. The State also has not granted local governments the authority to place liens on properties for cleaning up overgrown brush or junk, only allowing liens to be placed on a property for the removal of a structure. These are just a few challenges to overcome blight.

Horry County is continuing to pursue the development of neighborhood plans; however, there is also a need to de-velop community plans that can prevent areas of the Coun-ty from becoming blighted and to spur reinvestment. Horry County residents have identified a number of areas that they would like to see revitalized or stabilized, including [ADD Pub-lic Input on areas to prioritize for revitalization/stabilization].

Housing Element12

DRAFT

GOALS AND IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIESIt is recommended that Horry County implements the fol-lowing strategies within either a short term (1-2 years), inter-mediate term (2-5 years) or long term (5 and more years) time frame in order to fulfill the previously identified Needs and Goals.

HOUSING DIVERSITY AND CONDITIONEnsure housing is safe.

Need: Continue to promote a mix of housing types and en-sure that all housing units, subdivisions and site plans are de-veloped to promote community health, public safety, aes-thetics and functionality.

Goals: • Encourage a variety of housing types to accommodate a full variety of income, age and cultural groups.• Encourage quality design and construction of subdivisions, site plans and housing units to promote community health, public safety, aesthetic appeal and function ability.

Implementation Strategies:• Continue to monitor building permit data annually and assess trends in the market (continuously).• Recommend zoning and land use policies that encour-age a diverse mix of housing types and price levels (short).• Utilize public land to create affordable and mixed-income housing (intermediate).• Provide tax and other financial incentives to the private market for affordable housing projects (intermediate).• Investigate incentives for historic preservation, aesthetic improvement to rural affordable housing, and assist devel-opers to utilize available resources (intermediate).

• Continue to seek federal, state and foundation funding opportunities to create more affordable housing (continu-ous).• Continue to work with interested parties to acquire vacant sites or un-occupied buildings for low-income housing proj-ects (continuous).• Develop affordable housing opportunities near to job cen-ters, community facilities and commercial services (continu-ous).• Continue to coordinate with municipalities and adjacent counties to provide low and moderate-income households throughout the region (continuous).• Continue to review the zoning ordinance and land devel-opment regulations for instances where the cost associated with the regulation make providing affordable housing un-feasible (continuous).• Commission a survey of dilapidated housing in the County as a basis for a Plan to ensure housing durability for all citizens (short).• Develop land development and zoning standards that promote energy-efficient design and alternative energy technology in housing (intermediate).• Continue to implement policies that expand the County’s diversity in housing types (continuous).• Continue to support the rehabilitation and rehabitation of structures not meeting minimum housing standards via direct funding through the Community Development Block Grant program (continuous).• Ensure that all new housing is constructed to standards that promote health and safety (continuous).• Continue to update building codes to reflect improve-ments in construction (continuous).• Continue to update zoning codes to reflect improvements in site and building design (continuous).

• In site design, be sensitive to aesthetics, open space and natural resources (continuous).• Continue to incorporate architectural and design-related criteria into area plans (continuous).• Promote innovative and environmentally sound housing development through via coordination among county de-partments and various development interests (continuous).• Encourage subdivision design that includes housing with innovative design techniques that seek to minimize environ-mental impacts and land disturbance (continuous).

SPECIAL NEEDS HOUSING

Need: Support measures that identify community services, shelter and income assistance and promote access to re-sources for all people with special needs.

Goals: • Encourage development of housing to serve households with special needs such as the disabled, elderly, and home-less.• Encourage the development and modification of housing units to accommodate households with special needs.• Continue to search for regional, multi-faceted approach-es to providing housing and services to the growing home-less population with emphasis on homeless families.

Implementation Strategies:• Take the lead or participate in the drafting of individual plans that address housing the special needs population in-cluding the elderly, those with HIV/AIDS, those who are al-cohol and/or drug dependent, and those that are disabled (short).

Housing Element13

DRAFT

• Continue to participate in regional initiatives regarding special needs housing (continuous).• Give technical support to agencies that provide services and housing for special needs categories and help promote their services (continuous).• Help agencies seek federal, state and foundation funding for the development of housing serving households with spe-cial needs (continuous).• Work with the state legislature to adequately fund housing and services for special needs populations (long).• Continue to monitor housing development for the Ameri-cans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through the County’s devel-opment review process (continuous).• Continue to fund, support and assist with adaptations and modifications (intermediate).• Encourage new housing developments to adapt their plan options to allow accessibility (continuous).• Continue to support regional initiatives and collaboration with interested parties that offer services that keep families and individuals in their homes (continuous).• Work with others in the region to improve access for home-less families and individuals seeking emergency shelters, transitional housing, and permanent housing (continuous).• Encourage agencies that develop homeless shelters and other supportive housing developments serving homeless families and individuals (continuous).• Support agencies that provide preventative measures, such as rental or mortgage assistance, to prevent the home-lessness of families and qualified individuals (continuous).• Designate the County as a Priority Investment Zone, or de-termine specific areas within the County where the designa-tion is applied (short).• Adopt an Inclusionary Housing Ordinance wherein market based incentives are provided, and a framework is devel-oped, to produce affordable housing (short).

• Explore the feasibility of a local affordable housing trust fund (intermediate).• Develop and implement outreach strategies to raise awareness concerning affordable housing to increase its ac-ceptability to residents (short).

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Need: Promote affordable housing opportunities to meet the household needs of all socio-economic groups.

Goals:• Raise the awareness of the need for affordable housing and build community consensus on the importance of af-fordable housing.• Increase affordable housing opportunities in Horry County for low and moderate-income households.• Preserve long-term housing affordability.• Promote mixed income development with mixed residen-tial uses.• Provide incentives to the development community to cre-ate and maintain affordable housing within Horry County.

FAIR HOUSING

Need: Support all efforts to prevent and fight housing dis-crimination.

Goals:• Examine fair housing policies to ensure residents are pro-tected from discrimination.• Educate residents about their rights and responsibilities to fair housing.

Implementation Strategies:• Continue to support federal, state and regional initiatives to develop local Fair Housing Ordinances (continuous).• Keep abreast of changes to federal and state Fair Housing Laws (continuous).• Continue to educate individuals of their rights, and hous-ing providers of their obligations, under the Fair Housing Law (continuous).• Continue to place fair housing information in key locations within the government center, libraries and other County buildings (continuous).• Continue to partner with local Fair Housing agencies to maximize resources and effectiveness (continuous).

Housing Element14

DRAFT

CREATING RESOURCES

Need: As the population grows and eligibility for federal and state funding increases, allocate resources to respond to the expanding need to provide affordable and safe housing.

Goals:• Continue to develop a County housing program to co-ordinate the creation of affordable housing, promote the need to provide special housing within the County and work to educate community on fair housing issues.• Seek outside resource opportunities to meet the County’s housing goals.

Implementation Strategies:• Establish an annual housing conference for citizens who are seeking to buy a house, avoid foreclosure, age in place and build equity while maintaining their investment (short).• Assist in the development of “Villages” in Horry County that coordinate access to affordable services for Senior Citizens (intermediate). • Continue to seek federal and state funding to institute a countywide housing program (continuous).• Use Community Development Block Grant funding to per-form a needs assessment study for workforce housing (short).• Educate the development community on how to use fed-eral and state programs to provide affordable housing (con-tinuous).• Educate the public on the different types and availability of affordable housing programs within the County (continu-ous).• Continue to pursue funding from federal and state pro-grams (continuous).

• Explore public/private partnerships to ensure that any public dollar spent on housing spurs additional investment of private capital (short).

Housing Element15

DRAFT

RESOURCES

American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates, 2011-2015

American Community Survey 5 Year Estimates, 2012-2016

Zillow Home Value Index

Horry County Community Development 2016 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report

Horry HOME Consortium 2017 Assessment of Fair Housing

National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2017

The Department of Housing and Urban Development

Horry County Planning and Zoning

Horry County Code Enforcement

GIS

US Census 1980 – 2015

Horry County Community Development 2016-2020 Consoli-dated Plan

Trulia Heat Map: Horry County, SC. (2018). https://www.trulia.com/home_prices/South_Carolina/Horry_Coun-ty-heat_map/

DataUSA: Horry County, SC. (2015). https://datausa.io/pro-file/geo/horry-county-sc/#economy

Zillow Mortgage Calculator. (2018). https://www.zillow.com/mortgage-calculator/

Housing Element16

DRAFT

page number introduction housing market analysis …

Documents