CHARLOTTE, N.C. — As the cost of living rises, some South Carolina renters are asking "Where's the money?"
A Lancaster mom said her rent has increased by hundreds of dollars. Now, she's worried about what's next for her and her daughter.
Back in 2020, Anita Harris said her rent was $675 at Millers Ridge Apartments. Now, if she renews, it will be $999 in 2024 - a more than $300 increase.
“That's just not understandable," Harris said. "I think that the prices that they're having the rent raised to is close to Charlotte rent.”
A representative for her complex said they began managing the location in April of 2023, and, while they’re working to keep prices affordable, they say inflation has contributed to a rise in costs.
“As I'm sure you are aware, given inflation, the cost of everything has risen over the past three years; but when considering the rent increase, affordability was still taken into account,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “The rents at this community are still well below market and are, in fact, about 26 percent lower than the maximum allowable rents for income-restricted apartments. In assessing the rents, we did look at our families income levels, to avoid as much of a negative impact as possible.”
Across the Palmetto State, the median rent is more than $1,500, according to a September analysis by Rent.com. That’s up nearly 5% from last year.
Sue Berkowitz, an attorney with the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center, said there are few protections for renters in the state concerned about rising rates.
"There's nothing in our laws that limit how much rent can be raised every year and we're hearing this trend happening around the state where folks are finding themselves with higher and higher rents," Berkowitz said. "If you can show that they may be trying to discriminate against you - they're raising your rent higher than they're raising everybody else's rent, - you might have a fair housing claim.”
She said tenants can reach out to their landlords or try to find alternative housing, like what's available through a local housing authority.
The problem is that many of those agencies have few, if any, apartments available and extensive waitlists. They also often have waitlists for housing vouchers that allow for low-cost rent in the private market. Another challenge for tenants is finding landlords that will accept low-cost housing vouchers.
"We're seeing more out-of-state landlords coming in, more management companies, but what we're not seeing is affordable housing stock being built for those folks whose income are not matching," Berkowitz said. "We really are in a crisis here in South Carolina."
Berkowitz said she hopes to see more done by state, local, and federal leaders, as South Carolina continues to grow, leaving some renters wondering where they fit.
"Rent should be affordable," Harris said. "I feel like an apartment complex, they should be affordable until someone is able to afford a home, their dream home. At the rate that it’s going, no one can afford it.”
Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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