SALUDA COUNTY, S.C. — A recent space heater drive in Saluda County is highlighting the tight-knit community while also bringing attention to adequate housing options.
Cold temperatures are causing concerns for many in the Saluda community according to Saluda Mayor Milliken Matthews. He says, what he's calling 'inadequate housing' is making it hard for some residents to stay warm this year.
"Our availability is scarce, and some of the quality is just not up to par," Matthews adds, "We have such an influx of people that came into the community, so when you have such an influx come in, and we're not building the housing to supply that demand, some of the inadequate housing just has to be used."
It's a need seen by the Saluda County Sheriff's Department too. According to Sherrif Josh Price, community concerns were part of the reason they began a space heater drive.
"We knew we had a few people we wanted to help that we had been in their homes with different service calls- people who had ran out of gas, and they were needing some extra heat. We started up just to help a few people and we've been able to give out over a hundred space heaters to people in the county," the Sheriff says.
Price tells us churches, local businesses, and even individual families have been donating dozens of heaters to give out to the community, which are either picked up by or dropped off to those on the department's waitlist.
"We've had people reach out, who've wanted them, reach out through our Facebook messenger page. We've had people calling and asking for them so upfront when they call in, we write their names and numbers down, and their addresses, and when we get sufficient heaters, then we go deliver those to those houses," he adds, "When I came in the office this morning, we had a stack in the secretary's office by the time we talked this afternoon, I went back to look and they were all gone."
He tells us the price of everyday living has some struggling and has been a huge reason people have been reaching out.
"People are hurting to get by. We live in a rural county, and people are hurting and bills are high," says Price.
Mayor Matthews says the town is working to address some of the concerns with housing and working with the community.
"The answer lies somewhere in the middle, we have to try our best to bring in adequate housing, but also have to prepare the people to be able to afford the housing," he adds, "It's not all on the government, it's also on the community."
Both Price and Matthews say those interested in donating or receiving a space heater should reach out to their offices, in person or via the phone.