Metanoia combats Charleston housing crisis with affordable homes in Chicora

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — With hopes to address the housing crisis in North Charleston, the nonprofit organization Metanoia is bringing ten new homes into the Chicora Cherokee neighborhood.

The homes will be rented to families who earn between roughly $40,000 and $80,000 annually, placing the homes at or below the area median income range for Charleston.

Metanoia says nearly 93% of households that earn less than $35,000 a year struggle with being able to live affordably and thinks increasing housing affordability and access in the Charleston area is critical.

“We're seeing those private developers come in and build homes that start at upwards of $300,000, sometimes $400,000. How can you compete with that?” said Craig Logan, vice president of the Chicora Neighborhood Association and a resident himself.

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A predominantly Black neighborhood with families who have lived there for years, Chicora sees people pushed out daily.

To combat this, Metanoia’s brand-new homes will be rented for roughly $700 to $1,500 a month.

“This provides an opportunity for families, for young people, to be able to stay in the communities that raise them, and also be able to be a part of continuing that commitment to create a community of strength,” said Jamilla Harper, Metanoia’s chief operations officer.

Those who live in the area, like Logan and Harper, say it’s changing all the time.

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Rental prices are skyrocketing, forcing people to move further away from their homes and jobs.

“You have community members here again, who have been here, who their families have faced displacement, and Metanoia is working to provide opportunities to combat that displacement and to keep local residents where they want to be,” Logan said.

The homes have two or three bedrooms, are energy efficient with manageable utility bills and some are made wheelchair accessible. Metanoia’s long-term goal is to help neighbors save so they can eventually move into home ownership.

The group says Chicora’s average household income is $30,000, considerably lower than the greater Charleston area.

READ MORE: "City of Charleston to hold groundbreaking for 7 new affordable housing units Thursday."

“It's really critical, important that we're thinking about neighborhoods and communities, families and employees, who live under that $30,000 mark, because these are also folks that support our entire city of North Charleston, cities of Mount Pleasant, cities of Charleston in functioning, living and thriving,” Harper said.

Metanoia hopes people will be able to move into these rentals by June 1.

The group is also about to start building six new houses for homeownership.