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Leadership Program Impacts Affordable Housing
| Name | Bob Guinn | | Situation | Beaufort County, South Carolina is a fast growing county with a large tourism trade, sizable military population, and a large retirement community. The retirement population is well educated and can bring valuable talent and expertise to help enhance the quality of life as they
become engaged in the community.
| | Response | The Greater Beaufort Senior Leadership Program through Clemson Extension offers an opportunity to retirees to participate in a twelve-week leadership program designed to enhance their understanding of local issues, offer the opportunity to meet the key community leaders, and to become engaged in a project that will benefit the community. Along with leadership training, students are exposed to health, environmental, educational, and political issues. Upon graduation, they are expected to volunteer or become engaged in the community in a meaningful way. | | Impact | The graduating class of 2003 has worked on several projects including the environment, technical education, economic development, and affordable housing. With respect to affordable housing, a tourism and retirement economy creates high housing prices and low tourism related salaries. The affordable housing task force of the leadership program devoted considerable energies to addressing this issue through research, interviews, and a review of public policy influencing the construction industry. With research complete, they presented their results to the chamber, public bodies, and local developers trying to influence policy and raise awareness of the current housing situation. Members of the task force were recruited to work with Habitat for Humanity with one member becoming the director while other members of the task force became board members. This has had a revitalizing effect on the organization and has led to the expectation that Habitat will double the number of houses it will build per year.
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Last update6/2/2008
This website is maintained by Amy West.
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