Public news and announcements are brought to you by the Horry County Public Information Office.
On May 26, 2022 in County News
Horry County officials announced today that the first homes in the Socastee Buyout Program have completed the closing process.
As of today, three homes have completed the closing process and another ten properties are scheduled to close in the coming weeks. Additional properties are still a part of the program and moving forward toward closing, and another round of buyouts for properties in the area will be held later this year.
After the properties have closed, the County will demolish the structures and the land will be returned to open green space. Any consideration of the spaces for future parks, etc. will be finalized after this program and any subsequent programs and phases have been completed.
Director of Community Development Beth Tranter said, “This is a tremendous moment for the program, and while we know there is still much more work to be done, we are pleased to see progress. I am grateful to the members of the Socastee community for their continued patience and perseverance through this process.”
Please note, out of respect for the privacy of these residents, Horry County will not provide any personally identifying information about participants in the buyout program.
The Socastee Buyout Program is funded primarily through Community Development Block Grant Mitigation funding and administered in partnership with the South Carolina Office of Resilience.
On January 31, 2022 in County News
After receiving a grant from SCDHEC in 2019, Horry County initiated a Socastee Creek Watershed Flood Risk and Mitigation Strategies Study with the goal of performing an updated assessment of flood hazards and risk and evaluating potential improvements and actions to mitigate flood risks.
One of the projects recommended by that study was flood benching on Socastee Creek. The proposed floodplain benching involves lowering the channel banks and adjacent overbanks to create a “bench” to provide additional area for flood waters to flow. Floodplain benching increases the flood carrying capacity of a channel corridor while still largely retaining the existing channel to carry base and smaller event flows. Based on the data gathered from the mitigation study, we anticipate this project will help mitigate future flooding in the Socastee and Forestbrook areas of Horry County.
Working together with our state partners, like Representative Heather Crawford, the County was able to secure funding from the state to move forward with the Socastee Creek flood benching project. County Councilmember Cam Crawford and Representative Heather Crawford stopped by today to present staff with the check.
Now that the project is fully funded, we anticipate work will begin in the near future. As more details are available, we will share them with you here.
On August 23, 2021 in County News
The enrollment period for the Horry County CDBG-MIT Buyout Program in the Socastee area that began in July has been extended to Wednesday, September 1, 2021.
Enrollment is the first step in the application process for homeowners in the Socastee target area (see the map below) that are interested in the buyout program. So far, approximately 40 homeowners in the target area have started the process.
The application can be downloaded at the link below.
Due to the grant requirements of the federally-funded program, and depending on individual circumstances, eligible homeowners should expect the buyout process to take 6 to 12 months. The County is working closely with the South Carolina Office of Resilience to move applicants through the process as quickly as possible.
More information is available online at horrycounty.org/resiliencyproject. If you are interested in enrolling in the CDBG-MIT buyout program in Socastee and have questions, please contact the Horry County Office of Community Development at (843) 915-7033 or email resiliencyproject@horrycounty.org.
Download the CDBG-MIT Buyout Program Enrollment Form
Who can enroll? Anyone in the Socastee target area (see the map above) that has experienced repetitive property loss from flooding.
What do you need to enroll? The first step is to complete an enrollment form*. Upon receiving a completed enrollment form, County staff will contact individuals to set up appointments to begin the intake process. Please, do not send copies of your personal information or documents via email. You will bring those documents with you for the scheduled intake appointment.
*The enrollment form is not the same as the buyout interest form that interested residents previously submitted.
What is the deadline for enrollment? Extended to September 1, 2021
How can I submit my enrollment form? Enrollment forms can be emailed to resiliencyproject@horrycounty.org or mailed to the Horry County Community Development Office located at 100 Elm Street, Conway, South Carolina 29526 attn: Buyout Program. In addition, the Community Development Office will be scheduling appointments at the Socastee Library every Tuesday from noon to 7 p.m. through September 1, 2021. Appointments may also be scheduled at the Community Development office, located at 100 Elm Street, Conway. Appointments are strongly recommended.
On July 12, 2021 in County News
The enrollment period for the Horry County CDBG-MIT Buyout Program in the Socastee area begins today.
People in the Socastee target area that have experienced repetitive property loss from flooding are eligible to enroll in this program. The County is now accepting applications and scheduling intake appointments for collection of required documentation. The application can be downloaded at the link below.
Once you complete the enrollment form, staff from the Community Development office will contact you to set up an intake appointment. Please note, if you arrive without an appointment, you may experience a significant wait time.
Those appointments will take place every Tuesday from noon to 7 p.m. beginning tomorrow, July 13, 2021 and ending August 24, 2021. Appointments may also be scheduled at the Community Development office, located at 100 Elm Street, Conway.
Enrollment is the first step in the application process for homeowners in the Socastee target area (see the map below) that are interested in the buyout program. Due to the grant requirements of the federally-funded program, and depending on individual circumstances, eligible homeowners should expect the buyout process to take 6 to 12 months. The County is working closely with the South Carolina Office of Resilience to move applicants through the process as quickly as possible.
Whenever a new governmental assistance program is rolled out, there is always a potential for fraud, so please be aware that other groups or individuals may be providing information that is not accurate and may seek to compromise your personal information.
What is the deadline for enrollment? Wednesday, August 25, 2021
How can I submit my enrollment form? Enrollment forms can be emailed to resiliencyproject@horrycounty.org or mailed to the Horry County Community Development Office located at 100 Elm Street, Conway, South Carolina 29526 attn: Buyout Program. In addition, the Community Development Office will be scheduling appointments at the Socastee Library every Tuesday from noon to 7 p.m. beginning July 13, 2021 and ending August 24, 2021. Appointments may also be scheduled at the Community Development office, located at 100 Elm Street, Conway. Appointments are strongly recommended. Without an appointment, you may experience a significant wait time.
On March 9, 2021 in County News
Today, the South Carolina Disaster Recover Office SCDRO announced the approval of CDBG-mitigation funding for Horry County that will help buyout properties from flood victims in the Socastee area of Horry County. SCDRO approved $13 million in buyout funding to purchase approximately 60 homes.
In addition, this funding will cover two major mitigation projects in the Bucksport area. This community expressed interest in solutions that would allow them to stay in their homes, and we determined there were some viable projects as a part of the County’s resiliency planning process. Those projects were submitted in this application for funding, and approved.
County Councilmember Cam Crawford said, “I am very encouraged by today’s announcement. I believe this will help provide significant relief to vulnerable members of our community, including the residents of Socastee.”
“We are very thankful that the state is providing Horry County with the funds to complete this critical piece of flood protection for our community,” said Horry County Council Chairman Johnny Gardner. “I also want to thank our local delegation, the Governor, and my fellow county council members for their hard work and advocacy that helped bring us to this moment.”
Horry County submitted an application for the buyout program in December 2020 and has recently learned that a portion of that proposal has been approved through the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Mitigation Program. Horry County has been waiting for this program along with our residents for a number of years and we are prepared to expedite the program as quickly as possible in coordination with the state.
This is a voluntary program that will pay for the cost of purchasing, demolishing, and stabilizing lots for over 60 flood-prone homes along the Intracoastal Waterway in Socastee. Homes outside of the targeted area will apply directly to SCDRO—more information is available on their website at https://florence.scstormrecovery.com/.
Horry County will be hosting a virtual seminar on March 23, 2021 at 3 p.m. to provide an update to affected residents to be followed by several intake meetings in the designated areas. Anyone who filled out the interest form last year will be contacted by the County with their next steps. Even those who did not fill out the interest form last year are eligible to begin the intake process, assuming they meet the criteria.
Director of Community Development Courtney Frappaolo said, “The Community Development Office is working closely with the state to develop a smooth intake process so that we can help residents get through this program as efficiently as possible. We know that these residents have been tremendously patient and we ask that everyone continue to work together with us as we get this underway.”
Visit horrycounty.org/resiliencyproject to stay informed about these projects.
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