COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Hundreds of attainable housing units are slated for downtown Columbia within the next year.
Columbia Housing officials, representatives with Ward Mungo Construction, Urban Matters Development Partners and other agencies broke ground Thursday afternoon on a new attainable housing complex in Columbia that will be named the ‘Oaks at St. Anna’s Park’, in likeness of St. Anna’s Park nearby.
“We’re really excited to have neighbors who are interested in staying in the community, who are excited to invest in the community, and who are wanting to contribute their time and energy into making Lyon Street better,” said long time Columbia homeowner and president of the Lyon Street Neighborhood Association Chase Toler.
The new housing will have 190 townhomes for families and 95-units dedicated to senior living. According to Columbia Housing representatives, the first set of units will be available in summer 2023, and the project is expected to be fully complete in January 2024.
“Being able to offer them project-based rental assistance allows them an opportunity to live in a place that they can be proud of,” said Yvonda Bean who serves as the interim CEO and executive director for the Columbia Housing Authority.
Overseers for the project say it fits in with a Vision 2030 plan to expand access to quality attainable housing in the Midlands.
For Oveta Glover, president of the Columbia Chapter of the NAACP it’s a big boost for minority residents who she says has seen the highest eviction rates of any other demographic.
“They have been devastated by losing their homes, for whatever reason that they lost their home, but Columbia Housing Authority has been able to assist those because we have a connection with them,” said Glover.
Columbia Housing representatives say they collaborated with the Lyon Street Neighborhood Association to help bring the project to fruition. Also according to Columbia Housing, ‘this neighborhood park has a long history of serving the Lyon Street community as a hub of cultural and community resources and activities.’
For Oveta Glover, president of the Columbia Chapter of the NAACP it’s a big boost for minority residents who she says has seen the highest eviction rates of any other demographic.
“They have been devastated by losing their homes, for whatever reason that they lost their home, but Columbia Housing Authority has been able to assist those because we have a connection with them,” said Glover.
Columbia mayor Daniel Rickenmann say the biggest component to the nearly 72-million-dollar project – is addressing the shortage of housing for renters and homeowners in Columbia.
“We need about 6700 units right now really just to get us at a ground level, and so it is important that we continue to revitalize,” Rickenmann told WACH FOX News. “We only have 46 percent home ownership in Columbia, we really need to build that up.”
“We imagine that folks in this area are going to come together and be good neighbors,” Toler also said. “We don’t anticipate any problems.”
If you’re interested in living here, the Columbia Housing Authority has a range of rental assistance and payment plans, based on what you can afford. The only request is that you pay thirty percent of your income.