Charleston, SC Sees the Pros and Cons of 6,000 New Apartments

A much needed boost to Charleston, South Carolina's housing supply is on its way with 6,251 new apartment units under construction or in the planning stage, reports Abigail Darlington in The Post and Courier. The apartments are planned for areas in the city previously designated for high density growth, however existing residents worry about the potential impacts of so much new development coming into the city.

Tim Muller is the chairman of the Peninsula Neighborhood Consortium, a group comprised of downtown neighborhood associations. He said a common concern with new apartments is how they will impact traffic and parking.

“I think the greater concern is just whether the city can truly accommodate all the number of apartments based on the lack of mass transit, based on our limited infrastructure,” he said. “We’re building before we have the infrastructure, which is a big problem.”

Officials argue that the new housing will support the expansion of mass transit in the future. They also note that many of the new units will be a part of mixed-use projects, which will provide new services and retail for the community.

City officials see the new housing as a benefit, with the potential to reduce housing costs in the city by increasing the supply. However, others see the benefit of the new housing as being short-term given the high cost of land and the ongoing demand for housing in urban areas by millennials and downsizing baby boomers. Housing advocates are seeking greater affordability through the use of inclusionary zoning, something the city's planning department is currently working on in response to a pledge by the mayor to provide more affordable options.