The
Hilton Head Sun
PRSRT STD ECRWSS US POSTAGE PAID BLUFFTON, SC PERMIT NO. 135 POSTAL CUSTOMER
April 3, 2024 • Volume 27, Issue 4 • Complimentary • HiltonHeadSun.com
Bluffton, HHI Explore Options to RBC Heritage Resolve Workforce Housing Shortfalls Winners
BY SHANNON COPCUTT AND TERESA FITZGIBBONS On Hilton Head Island, the period between 2020-2023 saw the median single family home price double on the island to over a million dollars, according to Missy Luick, director of planning for the Town of Hilton Head Island. And with an average rent
for a one-bedroom apartment over $2,000 a month, workers of moderate to lower-moderate incomes have essentially been priced out of the market, creating a crisis for affordable housing for our workforce. HUD defines affordable housing as that in which an occupant pays no more than 30% of their gross income for housing-including utilities. Wages and salaries can’t keep pace with the housing market here leaving the island’s essential workers in education, healthcare, hospitality, and emergency response either housing cost burdened, facing long commutes, or relocating out of the area as affordable workforce housing moves farther away. All these factors present an imminent threat to the quality of life on the island and its ability to maintain a sustainable workforce. Local businesses are understaffed, and residents and visitors alike face longer wait times and inconveniences. The hospitality and leisure industry, the island’s lifeblood, has been especially hard hit. “The future sustainability of business on Hilton Head Island depends on the availability of a diverse workforce and long-term affordable housing is the critical component to support that workforce,” said Alan Wolf, President of SERG Restaurant Group. Hilton Head faces some unique challenges when addressing workforce housing. An estimated 7,000 of the town’s 34,000 housing units are short-term rentals, a number that is likely to increase as more and more investors convert existing housing units into short-term rentals or higher end housing. The size of the area’s second home market, seasonal populations flows, the limited amount of land for new development, and daily traffic delays on the bridge, combined with low inventory and economic shutdowns and supply chain issues following COVID continue to drive prices upward. “There’s a shortfall in the range of pricing,” said Luick. “We
WORKFORCE CONT. ON PAGE 18A
Clad in No Ordinary Plaid
14A
All You Need to Know About RBC Heritage 10A
Heritage Classic Foundation Brings Deluge of Charitable Donations 12A
Local Astronauts Club 8A Visits NASA