After years of planning, Hilton Head’s first dedicated workforce housing project is finally ready.
On-site construction on the new 157-unit Northpoint residential community began Thursday, according to a town news 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 land lease for the project.
The community will be the first in Hilton Head to require 100 percent of residents to be employed on the island. Officials hope the project will help fill a housing gap for Hilton Head workers who don’t qualify for affordable housing but still can’t afford to live there.
“Recent housing costs have been a challenge for the island’s essential workers, who are unable to enjoy shorter commute times and a better quality of life,” OneStreet Managing Partner Brendan Bar said in the release. “Northpoint will open the door to this opportunity for more than 150 families.”
The units will be a mix of one-, two- and three-bedrooms and will be built on 11 acres of town-owned land in the north end next to the U.S. Post Office.
The cost to rent a unit is expected to range from $1,600 to $3,600 per month, depending on household income and number of bedrooms, according to the release.
Although the units will be income-restricted, only half will be reserved for residents earning less than 80 percent of the Beaufort County median income for a household of similar size.
Many other workforce housing projects are underway in Hilton Head. Novant Health is proposing a workforce housing program near Hilton Head Medical Center, and the town is currently seeking partners for its second proposed workforce housing project at 30 Bryant Road.
The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for February 12. The first apartments are expected to be available in early 2027, according to the town’s website.
Residents must be Hilton Head workers
Architectural renderings of the North Point community show what it will look like when completed.
Only those working in Hilton Head can live in North Point for the first three years.
After three years, an exception can be made for Beaufort County workers, but only if management cannot find a Hilton Head worker to fill the vacancy within 45 days.
If someone who works outside of Hilton Head lives in North Point, they may have to give up their location at the end of the lease and look for Hilton Head employees instead. North Point management must make “commercially reasonable efforts” to replace them with people who work in Hilton Head, according to the release.
How income limits will work
At least half of all units (79 of 157 units) will be reserved for households earning between 60 and 80 percent of the area median income.
For a family of four, this means an annual income of between $66,120 and $88,100. For an individual, that means between $46,320 and $61,700, or about $22 to $30 per hour for someone working 40 hours a week.
To the right, construction mobilization and field crews can be seen hiding in the woods at Northpoint on Jarvis Creek, as westbound traffic travels along US 278 near Cross Island Parkway. The Town of Hilton Head Island and One Street Residential have reached a 65-year land lease agreement for a 157-unit workforce housing development on 11 acres owned by the town.
The remaining units can be rented to households earning 60 to 150 percent of the area median income.
How many Hilton Head workers live off the island?
About 14,800 people work on the island but live off it, according to the town’s fall 2023 assessment.
It is estimated that the proportion of people commuting to the island has increased by 26% since 2002.
