Smart workforce housing solutions are important to our future | Op-Ed
The Hilton Head Island Town Council workshop is a good opportunity to get to know each other better and participate in forward-looking discussions. In January at the workshop we focused on implementation of “Our Plan,” Hilton Head’s road map to guide decisions for decades to come, ensuring a great quality of life for all of our citizens. In my view, one of the critical next steps will be the creation of a future land use map for the entire island – otherwise, we will continue to view development plans in a piecemeal, reactive manner as they are submitted.
Workforce housing is a prime example of how we often ignore good long-range planning for short-term expediency. In his opening remarks at the Workshop — which were also printed in the Island Packet as an opinion piece — our Mayor indicated that he was suddenly not in favor of the development of workforce housing on Hilton Head Island. With all due respect, his surprising declaration during the workshop and to the community was contrary to all the positive work that has taken place on this important issue recently. That work has included:
Community engagement over three years to complete “Our Plan,” which clearly identifies housing as an important part of our island’s vibrant future
Votes by Town Council, including the Mayor, to place emphasis on workforce housing
Town Council support for the Historic Neighborhood Preservation Overlay District, assisting in the development of affordable housing for employees
Considerable work by Town staff, consultants and committees
The Mayor’s remarks indicated the significant employee concerns on Hilton Head Island should be solved by transportation improvements rather than by workforce housing. I submit that this is not an either/or issue — it’s a both/and issue. Yes, we need road improvements to make employees commutes safer; yes, we need transportation to get employees to their jobs, which service all islanders; and, yes, workforce housing must also be a serious part of the solution.
Housing for employees is a significant issue for the future vitality of the island. Many essential businesses are in survival mode and are leaving the island because employees are choosing housing off-island, where business is booming. Also, it’s essential to accommodate the next generation of islanders and their families, who make our community’s life so much richer, for they will be building our next best version. There’s no doubt that we must address traffic and public transportation issues, but our workforce problems cannot be fixed by paving paradise. We are at a tipping point that presents some great opportunities to keep our workforce. We can:
Work with urgency on all three workforce issues — housing, roads, and public transportation
Evaluate the Island-wide inventory of our housing stock, needs, and opportunities
Work with developers to re-purpose commercial areas to residential
Plan unique and niche workforce housing development in quality, creative ways we can all be proud of
Do the Town’s part in turning these opportunities into realities — if private businesses could do this without Town participation, it would already be happening.
This is a problem that must be solved, but we can’t make it happen with our heads in the sand. I’m committed to making workforce housing work for the benefit of everyone who lives here, and the votes from my fellow Council members show they too are committed. Housing for all is a unifying win for our businesses, for the many employees that staff and manage those businesses, and, therefore, for our community vibrancy.
Alex Brown Jr. represents Ward 1 on the Hilton Head Island Town Council. The native islander and business owner was elected in November 2020.