Page 18 - Florence County, SC Florence County 2032: Connecting Our Past, Defining Our Future

DIVERSE HOUSING NEEDS LIFE-CYCLE HOUSING
POLICIES
Housing needs are not static. Needs change over
time as people move through different stages of their In a world of limited public funding Pottawatomie
lives. The availability of life-cycle housing prevents County is challenged with the need for increasing
polarization of residents in one age or income group. the number of households benefiting from stable,
As one generation of residents moves through its life- affordable housing while managing its economic
cycle, it can move into the housing provided by the impact. In order to identify opportunities that
previous generation, just as the next generation will reduce the cost of providing a range of housing that
move into the housing being vacated. This evolution meets diverse housing needs over the long term,
is facilitated by the provision of diverse housing by Pottawatomie County should ask:
type, value, and stage of life-cycle including:
• How can the affordability of properties be secured
• Affordable rental units for young people just
over residents’ full life-cycles?
beginning to enter the workforce;
• How can housing strategies respond to the changing
• Affordable single-family units for first-time home needs of households over time?
buyers and young families;
• How can housing strategies respond to, and take
• Move-up housing for people with growing
advantage of, the dynamics of change?
families and/or incomes;
By extending the time horizon of interest from a
• Empty-nester housing characterized by small single point in time to a full life-cycle, opportunities
size but high-quality, and lower-maintenance;
for cost-savings arise that, if capitalized upon, could
• Housing for seniors and the disabled that help serve more people more effectively within the
accommodates physical limitations; threshold of current resources. In the coming years,
• Assisted living environments to provide health it will be important for the County to coordinate with
and medical care to the elderly. both private and public sector partners for a shared
focus on anticipating change and establishing a
Based on changing demographics and affordability framework to preemptively address it.
needs, a diversity of housing types are needed within
Pottawatomie County. User groups with diverse
housing needs include seniors, low income, and
college students. Refer to Figure 1, Life-Cycle Housing
and Needs.

14 | Plan Pottawatomie County 2040 Adopted - August 19, 2019