South Carolina Office of Resilience Achieves Remarkable Milestone in Housing Recovery Program

The South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR) proudly announces a significant achievement of having repaired, replaced or rebuilt a total of 3,400 homes through its three housing recovery programs. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) programs include the Severe Storms of 2015, Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and Hurricane Florence in 2018.

“Over the past seven years, we’ve had the privilege to repair, replace, or rebuild many disaster-damaged homes for our citizens,” says Disaster Recovery Director Scott Sharpe. “There can be no more beautiful sight than folks receiving the keys and walking into their repaired or reconstructed houses after having lived years with unrepaired storm damage or having vacated their unsafe homes entirely, following the disaster.”

In the 2015 Severe Storm Program, a total of 1,829 homes were completed, concluding construction in September 2021. The 2016 Hurricane Matthew program saw the successful completion of 1,138 homes in December 2022, and in the 2018 Hurricane Florence program SCOR has rehabilitated or rebuilt 433 homes to date.

Chief Resilience Officer Ben Duncan expressed his gratitude to the entire SCOR team Thursday stating, “Your collective dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment have made a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals and families. This achievement not only signifies the restoration of homes but also symbolizes the restoration of hope and stability within our community. Your efforts showcase the true spirit of resilience and community support.”

The South Carolina Office of Resilience, an office of Governor McMaster, remains steadfast in its mission to foster resilient communities with more than 70 active flood mitigation projects across the state. Additionally, SCOR has recently published the state’s Strategic Statewide Resilience and Risk Reduction Plan, which provides guidance on dealing with flooding, and provides strategies for local governments to implement resilience into their communities.