News and Announcements

Horry County is prepared to assist residents struggling to pay their rent due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. Horry County has received $622,221 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program. This federally-funded program will support the temporary expansion of the Homeless Prevention assistance program being offered by the Eastern Carolina Housing Organization (ECHO) to help families and individuals facing eviction to stay in their homes.

On May 15, 2020, South Carolina courts lifted the moratorium on evictions. The rental assistance program will provide a measure of relief for people who are experiencing sudden economic hardship because of COVID-19, including renters and their landlords.  

“This is an unprecedented situation. Our goal is to utilize our federal resources to keep Horry County families safe and in their homes,” said Courtney Frappaolo, Director of Horry County Community Development.

Horry County partners with Eastern Carolina Housing Organization (ECHO) to provide rapid rehousing and homelessness prevention assistance to Horry County individuals and families. “One of the most important things we can do to prevent homelessness is to keep people housed in the first place,” said Joey Smoak, CEO of ECHO. “Our goal is to ensure that individuals are not forced out of their home as a result of lost income due to COVID-19.”   

Applications for assistance will be available via an online application system accessible from ECHO’s website at www.echousing.org. Interested applicants who do not have computer access can call the ECHO Access Point at 843-213-1798 to complete an application over the telephone.

All applicants will be screened for eligibility, must meet targeting threshold requirements, and will be asked to provide documentation including: verification of household income and either a Magistrate’s Court Order of Eviction or a letter from their landlord stating the applicant is behind on rent and will be evicted within 14 days.

The following meetings will take place virtually and will be broadcast on the Horry County Government website as well as the Government Access Channel (Spectrum/Time Warner channel 1301 or Horry Telephone Cooperative Channel 14).

Click to watch the video remotely. 

County Council

Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 6 p.m.

Click here to view and download the agenda or here for the packet.

IMPORTANT NOTICE CONCERNING PUBLIC COMMENT

Members of the public will have an opportunity to provide public comment via telephone on the items having public hearing. You must sign up in advance to speak on public hearing by noon on Tuesday, May 19, 2020. You can sign up by calling Pat Hartley in the Council Office at (843) 915-5120, or by emailing hartleyp@horrycounty.org. You can also provide written comments to be provided to each Council member at the same email, hartleyp@horrycounty.org.

Public Hearings that are scheduled for May 19 include:

• Ordinance 33-2020 to raise revenue, make appropriations and adopt a budget for FY ending June 30, 2021.

The Public Input segment that is held at the beginning of each meeting has been suspended. It will be reactivated when the County can again accommodate the public in Council Chambers.

Welcome Back Committee

Thursday, May 21, 2020, 10:30 a.m.

Board of Fee Appeals

Thursday, May 21, 2020, 3 p.m.

Click here to view or download the agenda.

Members of the public will have an opportunity to provide public comment via telephone on the items having public hearing. You must sign up in advance to speak on public hearing by noon on Thursday, May 21, 2020. You can sign up by calling Vicki Bell at 843-915-7333 or emailing bellvick@horrycounty.org. You can also provide written comments to be provided to each member of the Board at the same email, bellvick@horrycounty.org. 

Beginning Monday, May 18, 2020, Horry County Libraries will be open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for the following services:

Reserve a Computer

Call your library to reserve a public computer. Limit one hour per day, per customer.

Brief Browse

15 to 20 minute browse and check-out time for library materials. The number of people in the library at one time will be limited.

Contactless Curbside Pickup

Call your library and make an appointment to pick up your holds. Place holds on the Library website at hcml.org.

Library guests are required to wear a face covering and limit their visits to the times in the guidelines. The facilities are following the CDC’s recommendations for face covering, social distancing, hand washing and surface disinfecting. There will be no meetings or programs during this initial reopening phase. In addition, the library cannot accept book donations at this time.

Following the Welcome Back Committee meeting on Thursday, May 14, Horry County Government is launching two survey tools to better understand the unmet needs of our residents and businesses in the COVID-19 environment. 

Horry County is requesting input on the greatest community needs related to COVID-19 to direct investment initiatives of federal and state resources awarded to the County including U.S. Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG-CV) supplemental funding to assist in the response and recovery of the effects of COVID-19. We are requesting that community members take the survey(s) below and help share these tools throughout our community.

Residential Unmet Needs Survey: https://conta.cc/2Lug2QK

Business Unmet Needs Survey: https://conta.cc/3fRfyCe

The deadline to participate is Tuesday, May 26, 2020. The results of these surveys are planned to be presented to the Horry County Welcome Back Committee Meeting scheduled for May 28, 2020. 

Horry County Government will reopen its administrative, public safety, and library facilities to the public beginning Monday, May 18, 2020. Horry County recreation centers, the Horry County Museum and the L.W. Paul Living History Farm will remain closed to the public.

Following the guidance from Governor McMaster and state agencies, Horry County will allow public access to its buildings with best safety practices being implemented. Safety measures will include:

• Everyone in high-traffic public areas will be required to wear masks while inside facilities. This includes lobbies, waiting areas, customer service counters, etc. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own mask and wear it prior to entering the facilities.
• Occupancy limits will be set in public areas of offices and lobbies.
• Physical distancing guidelines will be in place.
• Services made available online will continue and the public is encouraged to use online services when possible.
• Additional hand sanitizing stations will be stationed in public areas.
• Enhanced cleaning operations will continue.

To help alleviate crowding in public areas, Horry County encourages individuals to continue to do business online and over the phone with county departments where possible. Horry County will continue to phase into operations as conditions permit, and ask for patience if wait times exist.

County officials remind everyone to continue to follow CDC and S.C. DHEC safety guidelines as well as Governor McMaster’s executive orders that remain in effect.