South Carolina lawmakers are taking an unusual step in an effort to address one of the state's fastest-growing challenges: housing affordability.

Rather than drafting legislation behind closed doors, members of the General Assembly are traveling across the state this summer to hear directly from the people most affected by South Carolina's housing shortage. Through a series of regional Housing Listening Sessions, legislators are gathering firsthand input from residents, REALTORS®, homebuilders, developers, nonprofit organizations, lenders, local governments, faith leaders, and housing advocates to help shape housing legislation for the 2027–2028 legislative session.

The initiative is being led by the South Carolina General Assembly's bipartisan Ad Hoc Housing Committee, a working group made up of members from both the House and Senate that was formed earlier this year to study the state's growing housing affordability and availability challenges. Rather than focusing on a single piece of legislation, the committee has been tasked with developing long-term policy recommendations that can address South Carolina's rapidly changing housing market.

A Bipartisan Effort to Address a Statewide Issue

Housing has emerged as one of the few issues receiving broad bipartisan attention in Columbia.

During the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers from both political parties acknowledged that rising home prices, increasing rents, population growth, and limited housing inventory are creating affordability challenges in communities across South Carolina.

Among the legislators helping lead the initiative are Senator Tameika Isaac Devine, Senator Jeff Zell, Representative Carla Schuessler, and other members of the bipartisan committee. Earlier this year, while speaking on the Senate floor, Senator Devine emphasized the importance of gathering input from communities before lawmakers begin drafting new housing legislation. She encouraged colleagues and residents alike to participate in the listening sessions, saying the committee wants solutions that reflect the needs of communities across the state rather than relying solely on data or policy reports.

Taking the Housing Conversation Across South Carolina

Instead of limiting discussions to Columbia, lawmakers are holding meetings in multiple regions to better understand the unique housing challenges facing different parts of the state.

The statewide schedule includes four regional sessions:

• June 18 – North Charleston
• June 24 – Sumter
• June 30 – Florence
• July 28 – Greenville

Each location was selected to represent different housing markets and economic conditions throughout South Carolina.

Coastal communities continue dealing with rapid population growth, rising insurance costs, and escalating home prices, while inland communities often face workforce housing shortages, aging housing stock, infrastructure limitations, and limited residential development.

Lawmakers say hearing directly from local stakeholders will help identify both regional differences and common statewide challenges before new legislation is introduced.

What Lawmakers Want to Learn

The listening sessions are designed to be open community discussions rather than formal legislative hearings.

Participants are being asked to share their experiences with issues including housing affordability, availability, workforce housing, zoning regulations, land availability, infrastructure capacity, permitting delays, development barriers, and homeownership opportunities.

The committee is also seeking feedback on possible policy solutions that could encourage additional housing construction while preserving affordability for existing residents.

Officials say they want to better understand where housing shortages are most severe, what obstacles developers face when building new communities, and how state government can work more effectively with local governments and private industry to expand housing opportunities.

Why the Listening Sessions Matter

South Carolina continues to rank among the nation's fastest-growing states, with thousands of new residents relocating each year from higher-cost markets such as New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, and California.

That migration has strengthened the state's economy and fueled residential development, but it has also intensified pressure on housing supply.

Many communities are now experiencing a widening gap between the number of available homes and the number of people looking to buy or rent them. As inventory remains tight in many areas, home prices and rents have continued climbing, making affordability one of the state's most pressing economic issues.

Housing leaders say these challenges affect not only prospective homeowners but also employers attempting to recruit workers, local governments planning for future growth, and businesses seeking to expand into South Carolina.

REALTORS®, Builders, and Local Leaders Encouraged to Participate

The committee has invited a broad range of stakeholders to participate in the discussions.

In addition to homeowners and renters, organizers are encouraging participation from REALTORS®, homebuilders, developers, lenders, affordable housing organizations, housing counselors, nonprofit agencies, local elected officials, faith-based organizations, and business leaders.

Officials believe bringing together professionals who work in different parts of the housing industry will provide lawmakers with a more complete understanding of both market conditions and policy challenges.

For REALTORS®, the sessions offer an opportunity to share firsthand observations about inventory shortages, buyer affordability, financing challenges, and changing market conditions directly with the legislators who will be crafting future housing policy.

SC Housing Supports the Statewide Initiative

The listening sessions are being coordinated with support from SC Housing, the state's housing finance and development authority.

The agency is encouraging residents and housing professionals from across South Carolina to attend one of the regional meetings and provide feedback that could influence future housing legislation.

SC Housing says the goal is to create an open dialogue about housing needs while identifying practical solutions that improve both housing affordability and housing availability throughout the state.