The town of Bluffton will host a lottery to determine potential homebuyers for its affordable-housing project at 3 p.m. Thursday at 51 Wharf St.
The lottery, to be overseen by the Beaufort Housing Authority, is the next milestone for the Wharf Street Redevelopment, a six-home complex in an area that had fallen into disrepair.
"The project has helped stabilize an important part of the Old Town Bluffton historic district by replacing vacant, blighted structures with new homes that blend into the old town," said Marc Orlando, town director of growth management. "We are excited to welcome six new families to our Old Town."
Twelve applicants will vie for the homes. All of them specified in advance whether they would prefer a one-, two- or three-bedroom home.
The town initially had 58 applicants, most of whom withdrew over the summer from the mandatory approval process.
To qualify, a single person cannot make more than $39,100 a year, and income for a family of six cannot exceed $64,800. Applicants must also complete a first-time homebuyer course and secure letters of mortgage preapproval.
At an Affordable Housing Committee meeting this month, town planner Danny Wilson said few of those who withdrew offered explanations.
Committee members, including chairman Fred Hamilton, said they were concerned the homes' price ranges were too high.
Town manager Anthony Barrett would not say if applicants complained about those prices, but he expects the first move-ins to take place "very soon," if the town receives letters of qualification from applicants' banks soon.
The project was funded by a grant from the S.C. Housing Finance and Development Authority, a grant from the Lowcountry Council of Governments, town funding and private donations.
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