Beaufort prepares $250K plan to address home repairs. ‘There’s a lot of need’
A new source of public funding to repair houses in Beaufort will be available soon to qualified residents — but it’s not expected to last long because of high demand.
The city is partnering the Beaufort Jasper Housing Trust (BJHT) in the $250,000 home repair program, which is being launched to address the growing struggle many low-income residents face with property upkeep.
Deputy City Manager JJ Sauve explained the program during as Beaufort City Council work session Tuesday.
The city is hoping to launch its foray into home repair assistance July 1, when it is expected to begin taking applications, he said.
“There’s a lot of need there,” Sauve said.
To begin with, a total of $250,000 will available with the funds divvied up to residents across the city who apply and qualify for grants.
The city is partnering with the BJHT to administer the program because of its housing expertise, Sauve said. The BJHT was created in 2019 to work on creating more workforce and affordable housing near the coast, from Beaufort to Hardeeville. It’s funded by governments in those counties in addition to the municipalities of Hilton Head, Bluffton Town, Port Royal City, Hardeeville, Yemassee and Beaufort.
The application period for the city of Beaufort-BJHT home repair program will be open for 30 to 45 days.
“I suspect we’ll run out of money before we run out of applications,” City Councilman Mitch Mitchell said.
Who can qualify?
In recent years, houses in disrepair has been a growing concern in the city, particularly structures that fall within its historic district where stricter materials and design rules to maintain its integrity can be a financial strain on lower-income residents. That initially got residents, groups and city officials talking about providing assistance to property owners to fix the houses.
But Sauve points out that the new program will be available to all residents in the city, not just those living in historic areas. “We want to make sure this is open to everyone in the city,” Sauve said.
For the purposes of administering the program, the city will be broken into five zones. In the future, funds may be moved from one zone to another once the city assesses the need, Sauve said.
Financial assistance will be available to residents in the city limits for “essential home repairs.” To qualify, residents can’t earn more than 80% of the area median income.
Who’s funding the program?
For the first round of grants, the city is contributing $150,000, which was included in its 2026 budget the City Council approved on Tuesday. BJHT is chipping in $100,000, said Claude Hicks, BJHT’s executive director.
“People don’t have the money to afford home repairs,” Hicks said of the need for assistance.
BJHT is partnering with several organizations and governments to assist residents across the region with home repair and buying houses, Hicks said. For example, $45,000 was spent recently to repair five homes on St. Helena Island.
Many of the people who need assistance are senior citizens living on fixed incomes, Hicks said.
Sauve expects the Beaufort program to grow and become more refined as the city and BJHT learn more about which neighborhoods have the most need. As the program matures, it’s likely that the city will partner with additional not-for-profit organizations and leverage additional grant money, Sauve added.
Residents will be placed on a waiting list if they qualify but funds run out. The city and BJHT are currently working on a plan that will address how the program will be publicly announced, what type of repairs will be funded, where applications will be available and how residents can qualify.
This story was originally published June 12, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
