FORT MILL, S.C. — Some seniors in York County are speaking out, concerned they may be left without a home. They say there's just not enough affordable senior housing, making it a challenge for them to make ends meet.
For years, Marie Smith said she's been praying for more affordable senior housing in Fort Mill, collecting newspapers, magazines, and pretty much any document she can find to try to figure out why more affordable options haven't come.
She's lived in the town for decades, but as she's aged and moved to a fixed income, she said she's had fewer options for places to live.
"I finally found this apartment, but it made me sick. I was so stressed out because where are you going to go?," Smith said. "They make comprehensive plans -- it says, ‘Partner with the Housing Authority and increase the supply of affordable housing.’ Well, is any of this happening?”
Tricia Hall, who's also a senior, has lived in Fort Mill for more than 20 years and said she's now looking to move to Rock Hill. She is on the waiting list for housing there.
Hall has been working part-time to supplement her fixed income to make her rent payments as the cost of living rises.
“I’ve already discussed with my daughter that eventually, maybe, I'm probably going to be moving in with her," she said.
Feeling unheard and unsure of who to call, they contacted WCNC Charlotte and we began contacting local leaders to learn more about the issue.
Connie Howard, who leads the Fort Mill Housing Authority, said there's limited housing across the board, not just for seniors.
“There hasn't been any affordable housing built. Nothing," Howard said, referencing recent years. "January, we took 1,500 applications. We have 141 units.”
Howard said her office tried to attract developers, but some have turned them down because of the cost to build in Fort Mill.
"There's one in particular that was really working with me and he found land and it was $2.5 million dollars," Howard said. "Well, you've got to have money to do that."
Mayor Guynn Savage said the town has seen an increase in senior housing overall, but she said, it lacks the infrastructure to qualify for much of the funding that would help secure affordable developments.
"We do not have adequate workforce housing and affordable housing in Fort Mill, but we also do not qualify for a lot of the funding that's available to municipalities to build such housing," Savage said. "We don't have mass transit. We don't have areas that are walkable to grocery stores and to the services that people in those types of situations would need. So, I have traveled, as have other members of our staff, and looked at affordable housing in Charlotte and in other areas. We're in constant conversations with Rock Hill and other municipalities about how to go about it."
She added, "Fort Mill's blessed and challenged with very high property values.... It is a complex situation that certainly we look at and I would certainly like to find a reasonable approach to add affordable housing in Fort Mill.”
The seniors said they are just hoping for a solution soon.
"It's like, we're just on the back burner," Hall said.
Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
This story is part of WCNC Charlotte’s efforts to focus on solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Charlotte. WCNC Charlotte is committed to reporting on the issues facing the communities we serve, including affordability. We tell the stories of people working to solve persistent social problems. We examine how problems can be solved or addressed to improve the quality of life and make a positive difference. WCNC Charlotte is seeking solutions for you by providing the following assistance programs in Charlotte:
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