National Homeownership Month marked approval of the first USDA Rural Development Mutual Self-Help homes ever in the state of South Carolina. The Hollywood development will be called the Hollywood Manor Subdivision, and the "Hollywood stars" in this production on Raven Road will be six low-income single women and their children.

The families could not afford to buy homes in this high-cost area of the state, but the self-help housing program and successful partnership between all of the agencies made their dreams a reality. The mothers have a strong desire to provide a safe, clean home for their children, and they are playing a major role in the homes' construction.

William Dudley Gregorie, HUD Columbia Field Director, Charlie Sparks, State Director, Rural Development USDA, and Rural Development staff volunteers.

USDA Rural Development awarded a $250,000 self-help housing technical assistance grant to the Mt. Pleasant-based United Methodist Relief Center to operate the program. Volunteers from the Center also supervise and assist in the construction. The participants provide a substantial portion of the labor involved in building their own homes; the "sweat equity" reduces the total cost of the home. USDA Rural Development also provided additional housing loans, and other funding came from HUD, the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority, and Charleston County Grants Administration, who worked together to make this project possible.

 Back to Top  

The Governor's Proclamation helped HUD's South Carolina office, state and local housing agencies, and faith-based and other nonprofit groups to discuss opportunities for homeownership in large and small communities across the state. Throughout the month, government and private groups promoted homeownership as an essential element of well planned economic development and community revitalization, and put renewed emphasis on reducing or eliminating barriers to homeownership. The month-long efforts will spur additional activities for the remainder of the year and give South Carolina residents increased access to affordable mortgage credit, housing-related banking services and information on how to become a homeowner.

The ceremony took place at the State Rotunda on June 14th, and the attendees included William Gregorie, HUD's Columbia Field Office Director (receiving the signed proclamation from the Governor, left); Angelo Scioscia, HUD Operations Specialist; Roy Norman, Senior CPD Representative; Sandra Robinson, Operations Analyst; Lanita Jones, Field Office Secretary; and HUD partners including representatives from the Carolina Mortgage Industry, Realtors, Association of Homebuilders, SC State Housing Finance and Development Authority, and Fannie Mae.