Charleston Mayor William Cogswell presented a housing plan on December 4, 2025, targeting 3,500 new units citywide by around 2030-2032, with 2,500 allocated to the Eastside neighborhood to combat gentrification and displacement.​​
Plan Details
The initiative emphasizes mixed-income developments blending low-income, market-rate, and workforce housing on the peninsula, including city-owned sites near Meeting Street and Mount Pleasant Street, West Edge, and Housing Authority properties. Prototypes range from single-family homes to four-plexes, with a firm commitment to zero displacement by relocating residents nearby if needed. Collaboration involves the county, West Edge Foundation, and community input, especially from Eastside residents.​
Community Response
Eastside resident Demond Delaney highlighted concerns over working-class exodus due to rising median incomes—nearly doubled in a decade—and welcomed the inclusive growth approach. Cogswell described it as a generational chance to retain longtime families amid population influx.​
Broader Context
Tidal flooding threatens Eastside infrastructure, prompting calls for transportation sales tax renewal. Earlier efforts, like a $20 million Morrison Drive proposal for 500 units, build toward this 3,500-unit goal estimated at $800 million through 2031.
