News Release

Town Manager Proposes Public-Private Partnership as a Solution for Workforce Housing

February 25, 2022

Hilton Head Island Town Manager Marc Orlando has proposed a public-private partnership strategy to develop workforce housing on more than 12 acres of Town-owned property. The proposal would help address the Island's need for more housing for its workforce and at the same time, create a vibrant, well-constructed and livable neighborhood.

Orlando's proposal was presented Tuesday during a Town Council workshop that focused primarily on workforce housing. In the session, Orlando asked Town Council for permission to proceed with preliminary work to develop a housing public-private partnership on Town-owned property. Orlando also advised Town Council that staff is now prepared to bring the Lateral Sanitary Sewer Connection Program and the Home Safety and Repair Program forward to the Finance and Administrative Committee for consideration at its March 15th meeting.

"Town staff spent considerable time evaluating and cataloging allowable uses for each parcel of Town-owned land, and reviewing recommendations included within our comprehensive plan and our strategic plan. We've also studied demographic and housing data and support a public-private partnership to advance Town Council housing goals. We are looking for a partner who shares our vision and can help increase the affordable housing supply on the Island," Orlando said. He plans to prepare a request for qualifications for a private partner by March 31.

"Let's make sure we are creating the right neighborhood and not just maxing out the number of units that could be added. We want to make sure we create a resilient neighborhood and add value to Hilton Head Island," Orlando said while sharing a vision for a sustainable community design for housing.

The vision includes efficient use of land, energy and water resources, environmentally responsible building materials, and edible landscapes. The site is within close proximity to the Hilton Head Island Recreation Center and Hilton Head Island public school campus.

"Workforce housing is an issue we have been attempting to tackle for quite some time and I'm glad to see we are taking more concrete steps to address this in our community. We have a lot of frontline workers, hospitality and retail staff, and others who want to live where they work. They have invested in our community, and we must invest in them by creating opportunities for affordable and workforce housing," said Mayor John McCann.

The public can access a copy of the workshop presentation on the Towns website at hiltonheadislandsc.gov/workforcehousing.