From staff reports
Chatter about mortgages, loans, amenities and floorplans echoed along the Beaufort River on Thursday as Beaufort Memorial Hospital hosted its first-ever employee Housing Expo at the Kate Gleason Park.
The expo, coordinated by the Beaufort Memorial Foundation and sponsored by SouthState Bank, brought together lending institutions, real estate companies, rental experts and insurance professionals. Over 20 vendors all offered housing information and resources to staff members at one of the county’s largest employers, in an area where housing options – particularly affordable options – seem to be limited.
“Access to affordable housing is critical for the healthcare industry and workforce in the Lowcountry and beyond. It’s one of the biggest challenges that Beaufort Memorial employees face living and working here,” said Kim Yawn, Beaufort Memorial associate vice president and chief development officer. “We wanted to bring together resources for Beaufort Memorial staff and let them see what sorts of options are out there for them, helping them overcome that barrier.”
Beaufort Memorial is working to continuously address workforce obstacles such as affordable housing and childcare. In November, the nonprofit hospital system cut the ribbon on the new, on-campus location of the Beaufort Memorial Learning Center, an affordable childcare option for hospital employees.
While the expo on Thursday gathered resources and information for employees, Beaufort Memorial also has a housing development in partnership with Woda Cooper Companies underway in Bluffton. The groundbreaking for this development, LiveWell Terrace by BMH (located less than a mile from the Bluffton Community Hospital under construction now), is scheduled for later this year.
