Can You Afford to Live in Hilton Head’s New Worker Housing Project?

After years of planning, Hilton Head’s first dedicated workforce housing project is finally shovel-ready. Site work began Thursday for the new 157-unit Northpoint housing community, according to a town press release. The project is a partnership between the Town of Hilton Head Island and OneStreet Residential, LLC, with the town providing $1 million and a 65-year ground lease for the project.

The community is set to be the first on Hilton Head that will require 100% of its residents to be employed on the island. Officials hope the project will help fill a gap in housing for workers on Hilton Head who don’t qualify for affordable housing but still can’t afford to live there. “Recent housing costs have challenged essential workers on the island from being able to enjoy shorter commutes and a better quality of life,” OneStreet Managing Partner Brendan Bar said in the press release. “Northpoint will open the doors to that opportunity for more than 150 households.” The units will be a mix of one, two and three-bedrooms, and will be built on an 11-acre tract of town-owned property next to the United States Post Office on the north end. Units are expected to cost renters between $1,600 and $3,600 per month, depending on household income and number of bedrooms, according to the press release. Although the units will be income-restricted, only half will be reserved for residents making below 80% of the median income for households of the same size in Beaufort County.

A number of other workforce housing projects are underway on Hilton Head. Novant Health has proposed a workforce housing initiative near Hilton Head Medical Center, while the town is currently seeking a partner for its second workforce housing project proposed at 30 Bryant Road. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 12. The first apartments are expected to be available by early 2027, according to a town website.