South Carolina pairs 102-acre nature preserve with 50 affordable homes

A new partnership on Johns Island, South Carolina, is bringing two pressing community needs together: protecting undeveloped land and creating affordable opportunities for homeownership. According to the Lowcountry Land Trust, the 102-acre Humbert Woods property will become a 97-acre nature preserve, while another five acres will be designated for affordable homes beside Sea Island Habitat for Humanity’s Sweetgrass Preserve neighbourhood. The housing effort is planned as a 50-home community for local families earning up to 80% of the area median income. The wider Charleston County conservation programme is also protecting hundreds of additional acres beyond Humbert Woods.A former development site will become protected landHumbert Woods is one of the largest remaining undeveloped parcels on northern Johns Island. Before the conservation project, the 102-acre property was zoned for more than 30 homes, meaning residential development was already a possible future for the land.