Our Programs

Our Programs

Our Programs
The Community and Economic Development Department provides resources to help local governments and their agencies to boost the local economy. The COG administers and/or provides technical assistance for federal grant programs for the Economic Development Administration, Community Development Block Grants, and others. It also administers the Lowcountry Regional HOME Consortium (LRHC) program to promote and increase affordable housing in the region. LCOG has joined the South Carolina Revolving Loan Fund (SCRFL) to assist start-up and existing small businesses. Lowcountry Regional Development Corporation (LRDC) is a 501 (c)(6) organization used to support economic development and community development activities in the region. 

Our staff provides technical assistance to local governments with carrying out activities that address community, economic, and housing development needs that benefit low to moderate income (LMI) persons, aid in the prevention or elimination of slum and blighted conditions, or meet other urgent community needs that pose a serious and immediate threat to the public health and welfare. The C&ED staff works as a liaison between the unit of local government, funding sources, citizens, and other community based organizations to bring together resources to improve communities.

Our staff assistance includes project planning, development, grant writing, and grant administration. The C&ED staff also assists with meeting regulatory compliance such as Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA), the Fair Housing Act, environmental review, ADA/Section 504 Rehabilitation Act, and other requirements.

Local  Governments
  • Grant Funding is available to local governments to assist in adding or upgrading infrastructure, public facilities, public services, housing, neighborhood and downtown revitalization, and other special projects. Application deadlines are dependent upon programs being pursued. For more information, contact a member of the C&ED staff.
Needs Assessments
  • We meet at least annually with staff and the community in a formal public hearing process to facilitate a prioritization of community and economic development needs for our each of our member governments which results in a prioritized list of projects that a community wants to pursue. We will then match the needs of the community to the grant funding available to maximize the opportunities.
Project Development and Potential Funding 
  • We meet with our localities to discuss short and long term goals for the community. We consider the needs assessment priorities, comprehensive plans, sales tax initiatives, and other information to see where we can identify project opportunities and partner with other funding agencies to maximize the use of local funds. 
Grant Writing and Management
  • Once we make decisions on where to pursue funding, we will help you do just that by writing grant applications on the localities behalf with assistance from key staff at the locality. If the project is awarded we will manage the grant on their behalf.  Most of the time this is at no direct cost to the locality.  There are funds budgeted in the grant to cover the cost of writing the application and managing the grant.  We currently have about $15.7M in grant funds that are used in grant projects in this region.
Banner Photo: Colleton County Courthouse by Kimberly Mullinax