SC Housing and BHDD partnership expands housing opportunities for vulnerable South Carolinians

COLUMBIA, S.C. —  A collaborative effort between SC Housing and the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) is helping South Carolinians living with serious mental illness find stable, affordable housing while demonstrating how state agencies can make better use of existing resources to address complex community needs.

The initiative, Bridging Housing and Health: A Scalable Supportive Housing Model Through Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) recently received a 2026 Award for Program Excellence from the National Council of State Housing Agencies (NCSHA) in the Special Needs Housing category.

SC Housing chose to share the national recognition with BHDD and its director of Housing and Homeless Programs, Michele Murff, whose leadership and collaboration have been instrumental in advancing this work. The award will be recognized during a ceremony Friday, Nov. 6.

The initiative began with SC Housing's 2021 Qualified Allocation Plan (QAP), which introduced incentives for developers to commit at least 10 percent of units in qualifying affordable housing developments to supportive housing. This approach connected the state's primary affordable housing production program with an important behavioral health need without requiring the creation of new funding streams.

BHDD operates 16 community mental health centers across South Carolina. Staff at these centers identify and refer eligible individuals to participating properties, where residents benefit from affordable housing alongside access to clinical and other supportive services that help promote housing stability and independent living.

To date, the partnership has helped place more than 77 individuals with serious mental illness in housing across 16 LIHTC properties in nine counties.

Without affordable housing and appropriate support, many face homelessness or remain in institutional settings longer than necessary. By bringing housing and behavioral health services together, the initiative offers a pathway toward greater independence, stability and dignity.

"Addressing housing challenges often requires looking beyond the traditional boundaries of our individual agencies," said Robert Macdonald, SC Housing executive director. "This partnership demonstrates how we can use the programs, resources and expertise we already have to address a critical need. By working together, we are achieving better outcomes for South Carolinians while making effective use of public resources."

Murff and BHDD have played a significant role in fostering collaboration between housing and behavioral health organizations. Murff’s involvement extends to the South Carolina Interagency Council on Homelessness, where she has helped bring together government agencies, service providers, advocates and individuals with lived experience to inform housing and behavioral health policy.

The partnership also reflects a broader statewide commitment to reducing homelessness and housing insecurity through collaboration, education and advocacy. By aligning housing policy with established service networks, South Carolina has developed an approach that can be sustained and potentially replicated by other states.

The NCSHA Awards for Program Excellence recognize innovative approaches by state housing finance agencies to address housing challenges. SC Housing received two awards in the 2026 competition, including the Special Needs Housing award for Bridging Housing and Health and a Homeownership award for its Made It Home! Program workforce housing initiative.

The recognition underscores the importance of partnerships in addressing South Carolina's housing needs and demonstrates what can be accomplished when state agencies work together toward a common goal.

Media Contact: Matthew McColl
Marketing and Public Information Director
matthew.mccoll@schousing.com
803-896-9520

SC Housing is a self-sustaining housing finance agency committed to ensuring that South Carolinians have the opportunity to live in safe, decent and affordable housing. Agency operations are supported by a funding base that includes fees and other revenue earned through the administration of agency programs. For more information, visit SCHousing.sc.gov.