Housing: Affordable vs. Available

Sunday Solutions — June 9, 2024

Good morning! The heat is here, and the 90s means something other than a decade full of bell bottoms, fanny packs and hair scrunchies. Oh wait, those are back…nevermind. So it’s just summer heat. Good thing we’re inside today to talk about housing and rent prices, summer programs and the Supreme Court.

---

EXPLAINER: COMMUNITY

The numbers on housing

The term “affordable” is marketed by many housing developers, but the only definition that matters is how it adds up for you. The benchmark generally applied to affordability is 30% of your household income, and then a new word comes into play: availability. The Current’s data reporter Maggie Lee takes a dive into the numbers for the area and counties that are experiencing rapid growth due to the Hyundai Metaplant development and adjacent industries. Her research gives us an idea of how hard it can be to find the sweet spot where affordability and availability meet.

---

NEWS: ELECTIONS

Glynn runoffs spread across the county

Early voting for the June 18 runoff elections in Glynn and Chatham counties is underway through June 14. While there aren’t many races, if you live in a district where there’s a vote, it’s your chance to have a voice in who makes decisions on your behalf.

The Current’s Jabari Gibbs reports that Glynn County has the most runoff races, but your ballot contents will depend on where you live: the nonpartisan office of Brunswick-Glynn County Joint Water and Sewer-At Large Post 1, the partisan Republican races for County Commissioner District 2 and Georgia House District 180. The state House race will include all of Camden County and southern Glynn. All voters are eligible to vote in the nonpartisan race, but only those who voted on the Republican ballot or did not yet cast a primary ballot will be eligible to vote in the partisan races, according to the Glynn County Board of Elections. All three early voting locations, which include the Board of Elections and Registration office, Ballard Community Building, and the St. Simons Fire Station #2, will be open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can apply for absentee ballots during that time but they must be turned in by 7 p.m. June 18.

The only other runoff vote is Chatham County Commission District 8, which includes portions of Pooler, Garden City, Port Wentworth and parts north to the state line.

---

NEWS: FAMILIES

Summer lunch breaks

In more than 30 states, families who are enrolled to receive SNAP benefits or with children eligible for the National School Lunch Program, will get $40 a month per child this summer for meals. But not in Georgia. The governor’s office has opted out of the supplemental federal program, that would affect 1.2 million children. The state would have to pay $4.5 million — or half — the cost, but officials say the program isn’t necessary and duplicates other efforts. In general, the program would’ve been most effective in rural areas where children couldn’t get to meal sites, which are generally clustered in more populated areas.

Where to find lunch for kids: Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia operates Summer Feeding sites at YMCAs, libraries and community centers in Chatham County, Statesboro, Springfield, Richmond Hill, Midway, Hinesville, Jesup and Brunswick. See the list of specific locations and times here. In Liberty County, The Current’s Robin Kemp reports that the county commission there is also sponsoring free lunches weekdays through July 26 for students at 18 sites across the county. Here’s a link to the locations.

---

Let’s play

Welcome to all our new players this week!

Each week we test your news knowledge with a few short questions related to stories we published in recent weeks. Here are the pacesetters from the week and since January.

We’ll close out the first round of the year July 1, and we’ll crown a winner for the the first half of the year. It’s not too late to get in on it now to make your mark and to join us for the second half showdown.

We track your average scores over time, so make sure to include your name or nickname with each weekly News Quiz. We will be resetting the scores on the overall leaderboard in July. Click here for this week’s quiz.

---

NEWS: GOVERNING

Liberty delays tax assessments

It’s tax assessment time, and Liberty County residents will have to wait a little longer to see what that means. The county commissioners have delayed a decision on next year’s budget in order to decide how much to raise the tax, or millage, rates — or cut spending. The Current’s Robin Kemp monitored the commission meeting on taxes and budgets last week to see what the sticking points are. She’s written about the discussion and listed the spending areas and amounts for you. The next budget might be as much as 6.7% higher than the last one. No citizens attended the meeting in person; a few watched the livestream. You can be there next time – we’ll list the meetings in Monday’s Coastal Navigator newsletters.

---

NEWS: NOTES

Start the conversation

We’ve collected several stories to fuel your dinner gatherings this week.

• Ship at full throttle in harbor causes major South Carolina bridge to close until it passes safely: As we continue to hear about efforts to raise the Savannah River bridge at the Port of Savannah, here’s a story to get your attention if the recent accident in Baltimore didn’t. The ship’s next stop was, indeed, Savannah. As those around Brunswick know, ships happen. The Sidney Lanier Bridge was hit in 1972, killing 10, and more recently, the auto carrier Golden Ray capsized just off St. Simons.
• $30 too much a month keeps a cancer patient in Georgia from cheaper care: This NPR story looks at the health challenges for 1.5 million whose income is slightly above the limit for Medicaid.
• States beg insurers not to drop climate-threatened homes: Stateline reports that costs continue to rise for homeowners and insurance rates in hurricane-prone states (our neighbors). Will Georgia be next as climate change feeds stronger, meaner storms?

---

NEWS: COURTS

☕ Your second cup: What’s a gift worth?

We bring an update to earlier stories featured in this newsletter. Last week, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas filed an amended 2019 financial disclosure form to reflect travel worth millions paid for by billionaire Harlan Crow. In stories first reported by ProPublica, Thomas had not disclosed large gifts that also include help for a relative’s private school and a Savannah real estate transaction. Legal ethics experts called the acceptance of the gifts and nondisclosures likely against the law. Thomas reported no free trips in 2023. In the forms released Friday, only one other justice reported gifts. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson reported $12,000 in artwork for her court chambers and a gift from Beyonce of four concert tickets valued at just under $4,000. Are we all just now paying attention to these things or has it been this way forever? Researchers say the courts are getting more notice now and outline five reasons in this story from The Conversation.

---

We want to meet your friends! If you like this newsletter be sure to share it.

---

---

Support independent, solutions-based investigative journalism without bias, fear or favor on issues affecting Savannah and Coastal Georgia.