You’ve probably said it or heard it at least once in the past month:
“Rent is out of control.”
“Buying a house? Not a chance.”
“Even if I got a raise, I still couldn’t afford to move.”

If you’ve felt stuck, priced out or like the only one still living with roommates, you’re not alone. The attainable housing crisis in the Charleston region is one of the biggest barriers facing young professionals today. It’s not just about rent and mortgages. It’s about opportunity. It’s about growth. And it’s about the long-term health of our region.

In a recent study by Tallo, 33% of young adults said, “Needing to meet current living costs makes it harder to think about moving ahead in my career.” That stat is powerful but it only scratches the surface. When the cost of living becomes unmanageable, the impact shows up in every area of life.

This article isn’t a how-to guide for finding affordable housing. It’s about understanding what’s driving the crisis, how it’s impacting your life and community and how getting informed can help you become part of the solution.

The Big Picture: Why Is Housing So Expensive?

Charleston is growing…fast. An estimated 33 new residents move here every day. That’s a lot of new people needing homes in a region where supply hasn’t kept up.

The result? Prices climb.
In 2021, home prices in the Charleston metro area rose by 12.5%. Rents increased by 14%. At the same time, wages haven’t kept pace. The typical resident in our region now spends 57% of their income on housing and transportation alone. For many lower-income residents, that number climbs to 71%.

Housing costs are no longer just a budgeting inconvenience, they’re a career obstacle, a life delay and a community-wide challenge.

The Reality Behind the Rent: How It’s Hitting Families

When housing becomes unaffordable, the stress doesn’t stop at your bank account, it spills into every part of life. For many families, the biggest concern isn’t just where they’ll live next year but whether they’ll be able to stay in their community at all.

Michelle Brandt, an environmental scientist, wife and mother, knows this anxiety all too well. After moving to Charleston with hopes of planting roots and raising her family, she found herself navigating a series of rent hikes, unstable leases and difficult choices.

Her family moved three times in a few short years, driven out each time by rising costs. Despite a strong household income, they faced the very real possibility that they could no longer afford to live in the place they loved.

“The forgotten middle is a real thing,” Michelle said. “The limited availability of townhomes in our region makes it difficult for families to find something if they aren’t able to be homeowners just yet.”

Michelle’s story is just one example of how the attainable housing crisis is impacting families across the region. Families who are working hard, contributing to their communities and still finding it harder and harder to stay.

Read Michelle’s full story to learn more about her journey and her advocacy for meaningful solutions.

What Is “Attainable” Housing, Anyway?

Let’s break it down. You’ve heard terms like affordable housing, workforce housing, attainable housing but what do they really mean?

Here’s a quick guide:

• Affordable housing: Usually income-restricted, government-subsidized housing.
• Workforce housing: Housing that’s affordable to middle-income workers—think teachers, nurses, police officers.
• Attainable housing: Housing that costs no more than 30% of your income, regardless of whether it’s subsidized or not.

Attainable housing affects everyone, not just low-income families. Right now, many in the “missing middle” (those who earn too much to qualify for government programs but too little to afford market rates) are struggling the most. That includes many of the region’s young professionals.

This Isn’t Just a Personal Problem, It’s a Business Community One

When young professionals and growing families can’t afford to live in the region, the ripple effects are huge:

• Longer commutes = more congestion and less productivity
• Fewer housing choices = slower career growth and talent drain
• Rent spikes = less financial flexibility to invest in your future

Attainable housing is about more than shelter. It’s about access to jobs, to opportunity, to stability.

For years, the Chamber has been working to help drive solutions that will help our businesses by focusing on the issues that challenge a thriving workforce. This challenge does not have a single solution. It takes aligned and collaborative efforts between the business community, community organizations and elected officials, to ensure our region’s most valuable assets, our people, can still call the lowcountry home.

So, What’s Being Done?

Here’s the good news: There’s serious work underway to address this challenge, and the Charleston Metro Chamber is proud to be part of the effort.

The Chamber’s People First Strategy

Our Attainable Housing strategy focuses on real, region-wide impact. We’re working to:

• Support policies that increase the housing supply and lower development costs
• Advocate for walkable, transit-friendly development near job centers
• Push for incentives that encourage more housing types at more price points

We’re also educating young professionals, policymakers, business leaders and community members on why housing attainability matters, because understanding the issue is the first step toward solving it.

The Regional Housing Coalition

In partnership with local governments, nonprofits and businesses, the Regional Housing Coalition is working to:

• Convene stakeholders across sectors
• Advocate for thoughtful housing policies
• Educate the public on how housing connects to economic mobility, growth and equity

The mission is clear: To provide attainable housing for all people, regardless of neighborhood or income level.

Want to Get Involved? Start by Getting Informed.

No one expects young professionals to fix the housing crisis on their own but the more you understand how housing impacts your career, community and future, the more empowered you are to support the right conversations and solutions.

Start Here

• Check out the People First Attainable Housing Scorecard to view data driving the Chamber’s work
• Read the Attainable Housing Resource Guide
• Explore our social media toolkit for real stories and shareable content

This challenge won’t be solved overnight but getting informed is a meaningful place to begin.

Final Thought

The attainable housing crisis isn’t just about market trends or real estate prices. It’s about people. Families. Futures.

Michelle Brandt’s story is just one, but it’s a powerful reminder that behind every housing statistic is a real person trying to build a life. If we want Charleston to remain a place where young professionals thrive, we need to understand the issues and work together on solutions.