Residents, elected officials, nonprofit leaders and community organizations are being encouraged to attend an upcoming regional housing listening session in Sumter as state lawmakers and advocates work to identify solutions to South Carolina's growing affordability and availability concerns.
The Midlands Housing Listening Session will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 24 at the James E. Clyburn Intermodal Transportation Center's Ravine Room in Sumter. The event is one of four listening sessions being held across South Carolina this summer by a bipartisan, House and Senate working group and its community partners.
According to organizers, the sessions are intended to gather firsthand accounts from residents, housing professionals, local governments, faith leaders and community organizations before lawmakers begin developing policy proposals for the 2027-28 legislative session.
"We're going to find solutions by working together," said Deborah DePaoli, engagement and policy director for the Institute for Child Success. "The more voices we get in the room, the more effective our solutions are going to be. This is going to have to be a partnership between elected officials, government agencies, nonprofits and for-profit businesses."
The listening sessions grew out of conversations the Institute for Child Success has been having for several years about issues affecting children and families.
DePaoli said stable housing repeatedly emerged as one of the biggest barriers to family well-being and long-term success.
"Starting four years ago, when we were doing community assessments and listening sessions around children's issues, we kept hearing housing as one of the main barriers that were keeping children and families from thriving and meeting their full potential," she said.
Organizers say the sessions will help identify the most pressing barriers facing South Carolinians and inform future policy recommendations.
"We want to get a really robust sample of testimonies from people in the community about the barriers to safe, stable, affordable housing," DePaoli said.
After the sessions conclude, organizers plan to analyze the feedback and work with national partners, including Habitat for Humanity and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to explore policy options that could address the issues residents identify.
Testimony could range from rising rents and home prices to repair costs, workforce shortages and barriers to homeownership.
"Everybody has a housing story," DePaoli said. "Whether you live in a home or an apartment, or you're staying with a friend, or you're in a transitional period, by definition you have expertise."
The Sumter session is intended to serve the broader Midlands region, including Clarendon, Sumter, Orangeburg and Richland counties. Organizers are encouraging residents, elected officials, municipal staff, nonprofit agencies and business leaders to attend.
DePaoli noted that rural communities often face issues that differ from those in larger metropolitan areas.
Among them are limited rental inventory, fewer construction and repair professionals, and fewer development opportunities compared to larger cities.
In communities such as Clarendon County, residents can face a shortage of available rental properties, fewer options for first-time homebuyers and longer waits for repairs or renovation projects. Those realities can make it more difficult for families to remain in their homes or find suitable places to live close to work, school and community resources.
The listening sessions stem from the work of an ad hoc housing committee that has spent the past eight months examining existing policies, researching successful approaches in other states and discussing potential solutions.
During remarks on the South Carolina Senate floor earlier this year, lawmakers emphasized the importance of gathering public input before pursuing additional policy initiatives aimed at improving access to housing.
"Senators, you will see a lot more of us on this issue of housing affordability starting now," Sen. Jeff Zell said in remarks included with the announcement.
Sen. Tameika Isaac Devine said lawmakers hope the listening sessions will help shape future solutions.
"This summer, we will be traveling around the state and holding listening sessions about affordable housing," Devine said. "Hopefully next year, we can all work together to tackle affordable housing in our state."
Residents who wish to share testimony will have an opportunity to speak during the session. Those who are not comfortable speaking publicly may submit written comments instead. Organizers stress that simply attending can make a difference.
"When lawmakers see that there are a large number of people, that in and of itself has an impact," DePaoli said. "Lawmakers realize, 'Oh wow, this is something that really is affecting my constituents.'"
Additional listening sessions are scheduled in North Charleston, Florence and Greenville. Residents may attend, provide public testimony, submit written comments or participate as audience members.
Residents interested in attending, speaking or submitting written testimony can register at SumterHLS.eventbrite.com.
