Community Development
The Richland County Office of Community Development was created in 2002 to administer the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and the HOME Investment Grant funds. These funds come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and primarily benefit the low- and moderate-income population of the unincorporated areas of Richland County. (Low- and moderate-income is defined as a family household income 80% or below of the median area income). Click here for HUD Income Guidelines information.
Richland County Community Development (RCCD) is committed to improving the quality of life for all citizens. Our mission is to transform lives in partnership with the Richland County Community through housing, education and revitalization to make a difference one household at a time. We assist residents with:
- Homeowner Assistance
- Financial Empowerment
- Neighborhood Revitalization
Click here for a fact sheet highlighting Community Development's recent annual accomplishments.
Programs
In seven years, the RCCD grew to administer up to seven federal grants totaling more than $5 million. With these funds, the office provides affordable housing programs such as housing rehabilitation, emergency housing repair, down payment/closing costs assistance, public improvements and a neighborhood revitalization program.
Richland County’s HOME and CDBG allocation funds projects only in the unincorporated areas of the County. Incorporated towns and cities (Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes, Town of Blythewood, Town of Irmo and Town of Eastover), may be eligible to receive similar funds from the State of South Carolina Community Development Block Grant Program. Residents living in the city of Columbia must contact the City of Columbia’s Community Development Office at (803) 545-3373.
Below are direct links to various programs within the Community Development Department:
CLICK HERE to learn more about our Richland County Homeowner Assistance Program (RCHACP), a down payment assistance program.
CLICK HERE to learn more about our Homeowners Rehabilitation program.
NOTICE (NEW): DUE TO AN INCREASE IN ASSTIANCE FOR HOMEOWNER REHABILATION, WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATION AT THIS TIME. WE WILL RESUME TAKING APPLICATION OCTOBER 31, 2018. Please contact Denise Teasdell at teasdell.denise@richlandcountysc.gov or 803-576-2044 if you have any questions.
CLICK HERE to download a copy of Housing Rehabilitation pre-screening checklist.
Contact
Richland County Community Development
Richland County Administration Building
2020 Hampton Street, Suite 3063
Columbia, SC 29204
Main Number: 803-576-2230
Fax Number: 803-576-2052
Notices and Solicitations
NOFA-CDBG FY 18-19 (New)
To All Interested Agencies, Non-Profit Groups interested in applying for CDBG funds for the new FY 18-19, please click here.
To All Interested Agencies, Groups and Persons interested in the Community Development Block Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for single family housing and small rental rehabilitation (county-wide review), Please click here.
To All Interested Agencies, Groups and Persons interested in the Shakespeare Crossing Project, please click here.
Public Notice (New)
To All Interested Agencies, Groups and Persons interested in the 2017-2022 Five Year Consolidated Plan, please click here.
Effective 12/12/17: Richland County encourages your attendance at the Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) Public Hearing, please click here for the public notice.
2018 Modjeska Monteith Simkins Award Nominations
Richland County Community Development, Lexington County, the City of Columbia, S.C. Human Affairs Commission and other partners are sponsoring the Modjeska Monteith Simkins Award for a second year to celebrate National Fair Housing Month in April and also draw attention to the housing injustices that continue to affect some people today. The award aims to recognize an individual or group committed to social justice and human rights.
Modjeska Monteith Simkins was a Richland County native who became a leading human rights activist in South Carolina from the 1930s until her death in 1992. She co-founded Victory Savings Bank, the first and only black-owned bank in South Carolina to offer loans for real-estate purchases, and co-owned Motel Simbeth, which provided exclusive accommodations for black tourists who often had difficulty finding lodging in the then-segregated South. She belonged to more than a dozen civic organizations, petitioned politicians for social equalities, and she personally helped families facing financial crises to keep their farms and livelihoods.
The deadline for submissions is April 16, 2018. Click here to read more about the award. Click here to download a nomination form and read more about elegibility and how to nominate a person or group for the award. For more information, contact Jocelyn Jennings with Richland County Community Development at 803-576-2055 or jennings.jocelyn@richlandcountysc.gov.