Affordable housing at the Archer School to be ready by the beginning of next year

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – New affordable housing coming to the former Archer School building is starting to take shape. This development comes after the city of Charleston broke ground on the new apartments over a year ago. Since then, the project has received $2 million in financing from the city.

The president of the Humanities Foundation, Tracy Doran, said this historic building could be ready to provide affordable housing to seniors in the area as soon as the beginning of next year.

Project leaders said some folks who once called the building a classroom could soon be calling it their home.

“Many people who live in this community attended Archer School it was built in 1936, so we’re excited that some of them will get to live in the school in beautiful senior housing where they attended school,” said Doran.

The collaborative renovation of this building is creating 89 different apartment units, while the rooms are still empty the waiting list to live here is seeing a surplus.

“There are 89 units available, and there are already 100 people on the waitlist, what it tells me is the need is great and we are here to supply that need and work with community partners who can bring it to market,” said Charleston County Councilmember, Jenny Honeycutt.

Along with the affordable housing, the building will act as a food distribution center. Doran said this can help take affordable housing to another level.

“Residents can go twice a month and fill their bags with fresh produce, and proteins and household items,” she said. “Providing groceries for them has a huge impact on their monthly budget,” said Doran.

While there is still work to be done, city leaders said the re-use of the historic school has created a brisk construction process as the project broke ground last summer.

“If we decided today that we were going to build a complex, it would be a couple of years before they would come out of the ground, these are here they’re now, they’ll be open, people will be able to live in them next year,” said Chairman of Charleston County Council, Herbert Sass.

Some Charleston County Council members told News 2 on the tour of the building that the progress and structure of each apartment were above their expectations.