The City of Charleston has introduced an interactive dashboard as part of Mayor William Cogswell’s Project 3500 affordable housing initiative. The new online tool allows residents to follow the city’s progress toward its goal of delivering 3,500 net new affordable housing units by 2032.
Through the dashboard, users can access information on the city’s progress, proposed locations for new housing, design concepts, site selection criteria, and the data supporting the initiative. The project is a partnership between the City of Charleston and public-private organizations. The Charleston Housing Authority is expected to play a significant role in reaching the unit target.
Mayor Cogswell’s plan comes after more than a year of collaboration with Bloomberg Associates, which conducted an assessment of Charleston’s housing market and provided recommendations that helped shape Project 3500. The city will use both new development sites and redevelop existing properties. According to officials, discussions are ongoing with the Housing Authority to align current projects with this strategy.
Project 3500 follows a “build first” approach—new housing will be constructed before older units are redeveloped so that no residents are displaced during construction. Recently approved zoning changes by the Planning Commission require these developments to be mixed-income communities that include both market-rate and workforce housing across different income levels. All affordable units will remain permanently affordable.
The initiative emphasizes architectural designs that reflect Charleston’s historic character and aims for walkable neighborhoods rather than large-scale apartment complexes.
Mayor Cogswell said, “This dashboard reinforces the City of Charleston’s commitment to transparency, data-driven decision-making, and ensures Charleston remains a city where people of all income levels can live and thrive.”
Charleston’s efforts in preserving its historical significance can be seen through sites like the Old Slave Mart Museum, which addresses aspects of American history related to the domestic slave trade (https://www.charleston-sc.gov/160/Old-Slave-Mart-Museum). The city also values quality of life for residents and works with regional government entities toward this goal (https://www.charleston-sc.gov/403/Mission-Values).
Charleston encompasses areas around Charleston Harbor and plays a central role in the broader region (https://www.charleston-sc.gov/2010/History). Its Council Chamber features historic elements such as original chandeliers from 1818 and Thomas Edison light bulbs that functioned until 1983 (https://www.charleston-sc.gov/179/Council-Chamber).
Residents interested in learning more about Project 3500 or tracking its progress can visit the dashboard at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/bdac5c8a0f464b27b560dce954f745b2
