By Jay King and Tiare-Leiana Solis
The term “affordable housing” has become something of a catchall in recent years for a number of topics related to the cost of renting or owning a home. It can be difficult to keep up with who does what in this field.
To simplify matters, the following is a list of the primary organizations in Greenville involved in developing or managing projects and properties where costs are subsidized by government programs or are capped at a percentage of area median income during the development process.
There are organizations that don’t fit neatly into this distinction. Here is an explanation of each organization’s structure and purpose.
Greenville Housing Fund
1615-A Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville
Website: greenvillehousingfund.com
The Greenville Housing Fund is a nonprofit organization created by the city of Greenville in 2018 to spearhead the city’s efforts in increasing affordable housing stocks.
While the GHF does directly fund affordable housing development projects, it has a broader role in fostering collaboration between local government, private developers, community advocates and other stakeholders to expand affordable housing options within the city.
To further this work, the Greenville Affordable Housing Coalition was created to foster advocacy and collaboration and meets quarterly to update stakeholders on progress toward the coalition’s goal of cutting the affordable housing deficit in half during the next 10 years.
GHF projects include:
- Vista West — A 126-unit development off White Horse Road in Berea.
- Renaissance Place — A 57-unit new construction senior housing on Logan Knoll Lane in Greenville. Target residents aged 55 and older with 12 units dedicated to people earning less than 50% AMI and the remainder 51-60% AMI.
- Joshua’s Way — 11 single-family homes in the Sterling community of Greenville between Dunbar and Jenkins streets. The project is a collaboration between Homes of Hope, which built seven two-bedroom rental homes for seniors, and Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County, which built six homes for families earning 30-80% AMI.
The Greenville Housing Authority
122 Edinburgh Court, Greenville
Website: tgha.net
The Greenville Housing Authority is a nonprofit organization established in 1938 that provides support to veterans and low-income families for affordable housing and workforce housing in the city of Greenville. Workforce housing is defined as middle-income workers including teachers, law enforcement officers, or health care workers earning between 60-120% AMI.
The organization administers funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and supplies tenant-based vouchers for more than 5,000 families whereby the tenant pays a portion of the rent, and The Greenville Housing Authority pays the remainder.
In addition, the organization manages about 1,000 units of affordable housing.
Some efforts include the administration of Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers, through HUD, which aid veterans and their families. Emergency housing vouchers provide support to families experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness as a result of fleeing dangerous situations such as domestic abuse, stalking or human trafficking. The Greenville Housing Authority also participates in the Moving to Work program, which focuses on situational improvement by helping residents find employment and become more self-sufficient with the goal of eventually no longer requiring assistance.
TGHA-managed properties include:
- The Preserve at Logan Park — Located in the Haynie-Sirrine neighborhood along Augusta Street, the project totals 193 units of senior living affordable housing and 180 units of workforce housing for families earning 100-150% of AMI.
- Harbor at West Greenville — A 57-unit multifamily development on Perry Avenue in West Greenville featuring one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom units.
- Heritage at Sliding Rock —A 48-unit apartment complex with 12 adjacent two-bedroom cottages located on Ramsey Drive in the Nicholtown neighborhood.
Greenville County Redevelopment Authority
301 University Ridge, Suite S-4300, Greenville
Website: gcra-sc.org
The Greenville County Redevelopment Authority was created in 1974 to foster healthier communities throughout the county by improving and revitalizing homes and neighborhoods.
GCRA also administers HUD funds to expand affordable housing options for county residents. HUD funding comes primarily through Community Development Block Grants, the HOME Investment Partnerships program and Emergency Solutions Grants.
GCRA undertakes a variety of projects in unincorporated parts of the county but is also involved in affordable projects in the cities of Fountain Inn, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville and Travelers Rest.
Some of those projects include:
- Creekside — an affordable home subdivision in Greer off Biblebrook Drive.
- Brutontown — GCRA has built more than 70 affordable homes in this community bounded by Rutherford Road and Poinsett Highway.
- Fairview Townhomes — This project will eventually involve the construction of 33 townhomes in Greer’s Sunnyside community providing homeownership opportunities for families earning 50% to 80% AMI.
Rebuild Upstate
601 Green Ave., Greenville
Website: rebuildupstate.org
Rebuild Upstate is a nonprofit dedicated to repairing and maintaining the homes of low-income residents to make the houses and their surrounding communities safer, healthier and more livable.
It brings together community funding partners and volunteers to repair homes, thus enabling residents to remain in the homes they already own.
The nonprofit prioritizes working with vulnerable populations, including veterans, older adults, people with disabilities and families with children.
Examples of the type of work Rebuild Upstate undertakes include:
- Updating and repairing electrical wiring
- Floor repair and replacement
- Stair repair and replacement
- Mold mitigation and removal
- Ramp installation
Homes of Hope
3 Dunean St., Greenville
Website: homesofhope.org
Homes of Hope was founded in 1988 and develops single-family affordable housing in the Upstate, as well as in Columbia, Charleston and York County. To date, it has built more than 700 rental and for-sale homes, according to President and CEO Don Oglesby, with more than 200 expected to be in development through the end of 2025.
In addition to affordable housing, Homes of Hope also runs a residential men’s development program that provides construction training as well as a focus on Bible-based life skills. At the end of the one-year program, graduates are equipped with training, certification, and connections to resources for transportation and employment opportunities.
According to its 2023 impact statement, it has invested more than $104 million into communities since 1998.
Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County
50 Grand Ave., Greenville
Website: habitatgreenville.org
Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County is the local affiliate of a nationwide nonprofit dedicated to making homeownership affordable for families that might otherwise be locked perpetually into renting.
The organization mobilizes community funding partners, private enterprises, volunteers and prospective homeowners to build and/or rehabilitate affordable homes and revitalize communities.
Habitat Greenville impacts an average of more than a dozen families annually through new construction and rehabilitation projects. It also aids a further 25 to 35 families through repair and weatherization projects in collaboration with Furman University’s Shi Center for Sustainability.
Projects include:
- The 2024 CEO build involving corporate leaders and volunteers for a home on Sturtevant Street in the Bramlett community off White Horse Road.
- Construction of nearly 30 homes in the historic Nicholtown community, primarily along McCullough Drive, which is part of a broader initiative to increase Black homeownership. The Greenville chapter is one of only 22 nationwide chosen to spearhead this initiative.
Affordable Upstate
408 River St., Greenville
Website: affordableupstate.com
Affordable Upstate is a local organization that tackles the issue through a vertically integrated approach for a result that makes an economic and environmental impact. It finds and buys older naturally occurring affordable housing then makes necessary upgrades that revitalize the property and make them more cost-efficient.
Additionally, the organization manages properties and utilizes partnerships with other agencies to provide subsidized service rates for resources like broadband internet. By being part of the process, it is able to be part of tenants’ lives, offer helpful services and save them money each step of the way.
Some projects include:
- Paris Park located at 357 Hillandale Road north of Greenville
- Vista West II located at 100 Burdine Road just off Whitehorse Road in Berea
- Parkins Ridge Townhomes located at 101 Ridge Road just off of Verdae Boulevard and Laurens Road
Good to know: What is AMI?
Area median income — AMI — is a federally determined calculation of an area’s median income. This means half of households earn more than the median while half earn less than the median.
In this context, “affordable” is housing that does not cost more than one-third of the income of households earning less than 80% of the area AMI. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Greenville’s AMI was $67,340 in 2022, the latest year for which data was available. Greenville County’s AMI was slightly less at $65,519 in 2022.
