Strengthening Housing Stability in South Carolina, Two Bills at a Time
Strengthening Housing Stability in South Carolina, Two Bills at a Time
A Guest Blog by Member Organizations Center for Heirs Property and Habitat for Humanity South Carolina
Access to stable housing is vital to healthy families, strong communities, and long-term economic opportunity. In South Carolina, two areas of housing policy are receiving increased attention from lawmakers: eviction reform and heirs’ property protections.
While these issues may seem separate, they are deeply connected. One focuses on preventing the immediate loss of housing, while the other addresses the long-term preservation of family land and generational wealth.
Together, they reflect a growing recognition that housing stability must be addressed across the full spectrum—from renters facing short-term crises to families working to hold onto land passed down over generations.
Eviction Reform
Eviction can happen quickly in South Carolina, often leaving tenants with little time to respond or recover. For many families, a single missed payment—caused by job loss, illness, or unexpected expenses—can trigger big consequences. Even if they’re managing their money well and paying rent on time, tenants can spend years, even decades, facing difficulty finding housing due to a long-ago eviction record.
The SC Housing Justice Coalition is working to raise awareness about how eviction records affect people over time. Even if an eviction case is filed but doesn’t go through, it can still make it much harder to secure housing later.
A bill that began in the South Carolina House of Representatives, H.4270, aims to address how these eviction records are handled, helping to make sure that a single hardship does not create lasting problems for tenants.
The bill in its current form has a diverse group of supporters, including the SC Tenant Union, SC Appleseed, ACLU of SC, SC Apartment Association, and SC Realtors Association. This week, the House adopted the amended language of H.4270 so that all eviction filings, writs of ejectment, and/or settlements would be automatically sealed after five years. H.4270 received second reading in the Senate on April 30 and is expected to be sent back to the House with amendments next week.
At its core, eviction reform is about balance. Property owners need a system that is predictable and enforceable. Tenants need one that is understandable and fair. This legislative effort seeks to move South Carolina toward that middle ground.
Heirs’ Property: Protecting Land, Legacy, + Generational Wealth
Heirs’ property is an important issue in South Carolina that affects land in rural areas, as well as homes in suburban and inner-city areas. It occurs when land or homes are passed down without a will, leaving multiple family members with shared ownership and the property in the name of someone who is deceased. Over time, this can create legal and financial complications that put the property at risk.
Families who inherit land often face challenges keeping up with taxes, especially when ownership is shared among many relatives and/or when clearing of a title triggers reassessment. When faced with forced partition sales, families may lack a fair opportunity to keep owning the property when disputes arise. Without clear documentation, heirs’ property owners often can’t access home repair programs, disaster assistance, or agricultural support.
Legal protections are critical in preventing the involuntary loss of land that has often been held for generations. The Center for Heirs’ Property and Habitat for Humanity South Carolina have worked with other organizations on a bill to address this. In short, the bill would provide a reassessment exemption for family property transfers for those who have a legal claim to heirs’ property and are pursuing court action to clear the title. In such cases, families would receive a one-time exemption to avoid triggering what’s called an Assessable Transfer of Interest, thus allowing owners to clear titles without risking (un)affordability of property taxes.
Even better? The bill is structured so that there is no fiscal impact on the state or counties. It’s a win-win all around, as evidenced by its unanimous support in the House, passing 109-0 on April 23. The bill, H.4477, now resides in the Senate, where housing advocates have already begun working alongside leadership to ensure H.4477 has time for genuine consideration and can hopefully be passed into law before the end of the legislative session on May 14.
Heirs’ property is not just a legal issue—it is a matter of legacy. For many families, this land represents history, identity, and a pathway to economic stability. Protecting it helps preserve both cultural heritage and future opportunity.
Call to Action
Like all things driven by nonprofits, collaboration and engagement will be essential to moving both bills forward. Now, more than ever, we need your help!
Here’s two ways you can engage NOW:
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Eviction Sealing (H.4270)
Contact your State Representative and ask them to support H.4270 when it returns from the Senate, following the leadership of the bill’s primary sponsor and champion, Representative Carla Schuessler.
Notable supporters of H.4270: SC Housing Justice Coalition, SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center, South Carolina Housing Justice Network, SC Tenant Union, ACLU of SC, Greenville Housing Fund, SC Apartment Association, SC Realtors Association, More Justice, More Justice GOAL, Habitat for Humanity
Questions about H.4270? Contact Kenni Cummings @ kenni@sctenantunion.org
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Heirs’ Property Tax Relief Act (H.4477)
Contact your State Senator immediately asking them to:-
Support H.4477 as passed unanimously by the House; and
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Communicate their support of H.4477 as passed by the House to President Thomas Alexander, Chairman Harvey Peeler, and Senator Tom Davis.
Notable supporters of H.4477: Habitat for Humanity South Carolina and affiliates, Center for Heirs’ Property, Lowcountry Gullah Foundation, SC Association of Counties, SC Office of Resilience
Questions about H.4477? Contact Nancy Lee @ nancy@southcarolinahabitat.org
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Moving Forward
Eviction reform and heirs’ property protections address different points along the housing journey, but they share a common goal: keeping people connected to safe, stable places to live.
By strengthening both systems, South Carolina can support families not just in moments of crisis, but across generations.
Real progress will require continued collaboration—between policymakers, community organizations, and residents themselves. The more informed and engaged we are, the stronger and more resilient our communities will become.