Military families are getting more cash for housing aid – but not in SC. Here’s why
South Carolina’s military families who compete for places to live in communities around their base did not get extra financial aid for housing from the Department of Defense.
The Department of Defense has temporarily increased basic housing allowances by 10-20% in 56 housing markets for the last three months of the year. None of the increases — based, in part, on rental rates, utility costs, family members — went to South Carolina.
State Secretary of Veterans Affairs William Grimsley said last week that several communities in the state need the housing assistance increase, and the extra assistance is an immediate concern. Because of the economic and population growth in the state — more than 5 million as of the 2020 census — housing prices have shot up as people compete for places to live.
“We have rising housing costs,” Grimsley said at a Thursday meeting of military commanders and Gov. Henry McMaster. “Although pay increases happen, they only happen once a year.”
However, according to a news release, the Department of Defense based its decision on housing data from March through August showing the COVID-19 pandemic “has had a significant impact on rental housing costs” in the 56 affected markets.
“Notably low availability and turnover of rental housing stock during the spring and summer months led to rental cost increases in many locations,” the release said.
Areas with large increases in rental costs qualified them for the higher assistance on a temporary basis, said Maj. Charlie Dietz, spokesman for the Department of Defense.
“Other areas may have experienced overall rental cost increases as well, but not to the same degree as the 56 affected (markets), and there were even some areas that showed no change or decreases in costs,” Dietz said.
Additional changes to the housing allowance rates are planned on Jan. 1, and may include South Carolina, Dietz said.
Personnel based in Savannah, Georgia; Asheville and Wilmington, North Carolina; Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point in North Carolina; and Camp Lejeune, among other areas received housing allowance increases.
In South Carolina, housing costs have risen. Costs have particularly increased in the Charleston area, which has a Coast Guard unit and Joint Base Charleston.
“The economic growth in Charleston is well documented not just as a vacation spot ... but also for business,” said Col. Marc Greene, the commander at Joint Base Charleston. “We have a large influx of new workers into the area and we’re located in the middle of North Charleston. There’s just not available housing around the installation. So it’s a bit of a drive.”
Grimsley said while there’s cheap housing and some at the high end, “there weren’t a bunch in the middle,” which could force personnel to drive long distances for work.
“We got a challenge here. We have people living far away from their bases and (they) have to drive 45 minutes to an hour because they can’t find affordable housing,” Grimsley said.
And with military childcare costs, Capt. John Cole of the Coast Guard’s Charleston Sector said, “affordable living for families can quickly still become challenging.”
The housing issue isn’t only in the Charleston area.
The growth of the work and activities based at Shaw Air Force Base near Sumter has consumed the local housing supply, Col. Lawrence Sullivan said. The base has contracted out to apartment complexes for personnel who rotate in and stay temporarily in the area.
“What that’s done is driven up the housing prices for our airmen, specifically NCOs (noncommissioned officers) with families and junior officers (who) really can’t afford to live in a house that they should be able to have access to,” Sullivan said.
“It’s a challenge for us,” Sullivan added. “There is no cheaper place for them to go that’s within commuting range and so they just accept a lower quality of living as a result.”
This story was originally published October 12, 2021 at 12:13 PM.
