Our Story
We’ve invested more than $1.3B in South Carolina Communities toward community economic development efforts
Since our founding in 2004 as the Lowcountry Housing Trust, SCCLF has evolved into a statewide leader in community economic development.
What began as a grassroots initiative to fund affordable housing has evolved into a strategy that supports entrepreneurs, revitalizes neighborhoods, and strengthens local economies.
Our History
2004
Founded as the Lowcountry Housing Trust to finance affordable housing in Charleston.
2007
Became a Certified Development Financial Institution (CDFI)
2013
Broadened our mission to include lending for small businesses, community facilities, and healthy food access.
2016
Expanded to serve the entire state and rebranded as South Carolina Community Loan Fund.
2019
Awarded our first New Market Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation, increasing investment in South Carolina communities.
2020
Provided necessary capital and support in response to economic challenges created by COVID-19
2024
Celebrated 20 years of impact with over $1.3 billion invested in South Carolina communities.
20 Years
of Investing in Community
Our Mission
We are committed to supporting hardworking South Carolinians, including entrepreneurs, small business owners,
and those in rural communities to ensure they have the resources needed to achieve economic success and long-term stability.
We provide innovative financing for:
Affordable Housing
Developing and maintaining safe, stable housing for families.
Community Facilities
We support schools, healthcare centers, and other essential spaces that unite people.
Healthy Food Access
Investing in local markets, food co-ops, and farms to combat food insecurity.
Small Businesses
Empowering entrepreneurs, especially those from historically economically challenged communities.
We go beyond financing to provide development services that support our mission. We offer:
LEAP (Local Entrepreneur Acceleration Program) :
a 10-week course that equips entrepreneurs in South Carolina with business development skills, mentorship, and access to startup capital.
Development Services:
Our loan officers work one-on-one with loan applicants to help them achieve their goals.
Our Impact
Over the past two decades, SCCLF has:
Financed Thousands of affordable housing units.
Helped launch and grow Hundreds of small businesses.
Secured $85 million in New Market Tax Credits to invest in transformative projects.
Provided Thousands of hours of technical assistance to aspiring entrepreneurs and community developers.
Our Partners
Thanks to our partners, we can impact our communities. We receive funding from multiple sources, including federal grants from the U.S. Treasury’s CDFI Fund, bank investments to meet Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) requirements, and philanthropic contributions from foundations and nonprofits.
We also work with private investors and receive support from state and local government programs. This funding mix enables us to provide affordable financing to drive economic development throughout our state.