Lowcountry
Community Development Corporation, Inc. (LCDC) is a 501(c)3
non-profit organization with a primary focus on affordable housing.
LCDC helps individuals help themselves to improve their quality of
life. Our programs include housing repair grants; homebuyer
education/financial literacy classes; and down payment assistance
grants. We partner with a variety of community agencies to
leverage grant funds and services for the greatest benefit and to
minimize duplication of efforts.
The Lowcountry Community Development Corporation, Inc.,
is the result of a 1997 initiative of the Hilton Head Island
Foundation’s Project and Initiative Committee. The Foundation Board
agreed to fund the program with an initial grant of $100,000, and
the first LCDC project was to provide grants for water hookups for
Ward One households wishing to convert from well water to Public
Service District #1 water service.
Originally chartered as The Community Development Corporation of
Hilton Head Island, Inc., the organization formally changed its name
in 2001 to reflect its service area. LCDC speaks to the underserved
rural areas of the Lowcountry that lack the wealth and resources
found on Hilton Head Island.
From its beginning as a water hookup agency, LCDC now repairs homes;
provides assistance to purchase homes; provides sewer hookup
assistance; educates prospective homebuyers in homeownership and
financial literacy; and collaborates with a wide variety of state
and local agencies to ensure the best use of available resources.
The role of any community development corporation is defined by the
needs of that community. As additional needs are identified, LCDC is
receptive to new ideas, programs and alliances.
What We Do (Home Repairs)
Partnering with a variety of agencies, Lowcountry Community
Development Corporation, Inc. assists households in Beaufort,
Allendale, Jasper, Hampton and Colleton counties to receive
money in the form of grants for necessary home repairs.
Our home repair program allows those who meet income
requirements to maintain their dignity and independence by
living in a safe, structurally sound environment.
Licensed, insured contractors do the rehab work. All repairs are
preceded by a site visit. After the work is complete, a
follow-up visit is made to ensure all repairs were
satisfactorily completed. To date we have successfully secured
over
$715,725
in grant funding that we have used to repair homes in the Lowcountry.
What We Do (Homebuyer Education)
LCDC’s Homeownership program is three-fold in addressing the needs
of low-income families whose goal is to purchase a home:
We offer a Homebuyer’s Education Class monthly. Since February 2000,
we have conducted 68 classes in the Lowcountry and graduated nearly 1600. In this class we teach our students to make wise spending
choices, and we give them the tools to set up their personal budgets
and improve their credit. We educate them to avoid predatory lending
situations and to recognize violations of fair housing law. We
inform them of their eligibility for the Earned Income Tax Credit
and other tax advantages for which they might qualify,
including the mortgage loan interest deduction. We talk about
the health risks posed by flaking lead based paint, and we address
basic home maintenance issues.
LCDC secures down payment assistance to help residents purchase
homes, ranging from condos to villas to single family homes. Since
June 2000, 144 of our Homebuyer Education Class graduates and their
families have made the dream of owning their own home a reality.
More than $1.9 million in “gap funding” has been used to leverage
the purchase of nearly $15 million in homes. By writing requests to
the South Carolina State Housing Trust Fund for forgivable loans,
and by securing Federal Home Loan Bank grants, we have been able to
provide an average of $15,000 in down payment assistance to each
family.
LCDC is frequently contacted by contractors, mortgage lenders, and
real estate professionals to consult with them on affordable housing
projects. In 2004, LCDC served as Lead Agency of the Beaufort County
Affordable Housing Consortium. In this capacity, LCDC
coordinated and facilitated the efforts of a variety of “players” in
identifying impediments to the delivery of affordable housing.
The Consortium successfully secured County Council approval for
developer incentives for affordable housing projects.
