News

Randolph Commons

2010-06-02T14:58:02Z

Randolph Commons, is headed by Allen Temple Community Economic Development Corporation (CEDC), a corporation designed to serve the Greenville community. Randolph Commons is a new project that will develop six houses for families when completed. Mr. Charles Warth, the Executive Director of Allen Temple CEDC described the houses as a pocket community for the neighborhood. The houses will be duplexes arranged around a common yard with driveways that will produce an aesthetically pleasing urban setting. The homes will be affordable to rental families at or below 50% to 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) and range from 916 to 1200 square feet in size and $295 to $590 a month in price.

Allen Temple CEDC received funds from the State Housing Trust Fund, HOME funds, a conventional mortgage, and a Bridge loan of $90,000 from Greenville Housing Fund. Total development costs are expected to be 1.16 million dollars. The development of duplexes will be located on Echols Street. Randolph Commons is a highly anticipated project by members of the community as well as Greenville at large. The project will not only revitalize the community with a new housing development, it also helps alleviate a drainage problem as well.

For more information about Allen Temple CEDC, visit http://www.allentemplecedc.org/.

Gower Place

2010-06-02T14:57:49Z

Gower Place Phase II apartments will add twelve more rental units to their development of eighteen rental units. Gower Place Phase II is an addition to an already successful project: Gower Place Phase I. BGM, Inc. has received funds from HOME funds, state and city grants. Greenville Housing Fund has also given BGM, Inc. a $50,000 Bridge Loan to help Phase II completion.

The rental units will be one bedroom, one bathroom with estimated rental costs of $458 a month. The apartments will cater towards senior residents of the community with an AMI of less than eighty percent. Total development costs for phase 2 are around $963,000. Gower Place Apartments are located in West Greenville.

Genesis Homes

2010-06-02T14:55:23Z

Genesis Homes is a corporation dedicated to helping the community by evaluating the needs of local neighborhoods for public and private resources. The project consists of two phases. Greenville Housing Fund is working with Jim Childress by giving a $100,000 Bridge Loan to help alleviate the costs of acquiring, demolishing, and constructing affordable rental units in Phase One for the Greenville community. Also, Genesis Homes received HOME fund in total of $40,000. Total development costs for both phases are estimated to be $811,974.

Phase One intends to be a small step in the direction of more affordable housing rentals as well as a pioneer project in a neighborhood with a very low homeownership rate. Two units will be 900 square feet with two bedrooms and one bathroom. Two units will be 1,000 to 1,200 square feet with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Phase two of this project will be constructing four rental units off Spartanburg Street. This plan will also help to bring more affordable housing to this neighborhood. The project is in the Greenline-Spartanburg neighborhood in the city of Greenville. The Greenline-Spartanburg neighborhood is also considered a Special Emphasis neighborhood A special emphasis neighborhood, as defined by the Greenville city website includes factors such as high unemployment, low income, substandard housing, and low home ownership. The neighborhood had less than ten percent homeownership and many older homes and apartment buildings that needed some new life. The first project is the Mt. Eustis Project which consists of building four rental units on Mt. Eustis Street and Mt. Zion Avenue. Genesis Homes brought new life and sprite to a neighborhood that was in great need of some.

For more information about Genesis Homes, visit www.genesishomessc.org.

Bradley Place

2010-06-02T14:53:10Z

Bradley Place, formerly Perry Place, was developed by Homes of Hope, a non profit organization started in 1998, designed to provide affordable housing for low income families or homeless families. Homes for Hope worked in conjunction with Greenville Housing Fund for this project. Greenville Housing Fund gave Homes of Hope a loan in total of $100,000: $50,000 Bridge Loan for Portion I and $50,000 for Portion II housing. Homes for Hope also received funds from the Neighborhood Stabilization (NSP) and HOME funds. Total development costs were estimated to be 1.288 million dollars.

Bradley Place consists of twelve new affordable housing units: ten affordable rental units and two affordable for sale units are available for first time home buyers. This provides brand new housing for those first time buyers who have already qualified for a mortgage and are ready to be homeowners. The rental portion of the development features four two-story duplexes side by side. Rent will range from 250 to 495 dollars. The for sale portion of the development features four two-story single family homes all with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The development is located in West Greenville, and is helping to revitalize the Special Emphasis neighborhood of Greenville. A special emphasis neighborhood, as defined by the Greenville city website includes factors such as high unemployment, low income, substandard housing, and low home ownership. Bradley Place Apartments offers housing for families less than 50 percent of Average Median Income, or AMI. The neighborhood is full of close knit people who have worked hard to help build their community and have truly gained from the development in the area. Bradley Place is a gateway into the neighborhood as well as a gateway to even more improvements to the neighborhood. The name was changed form Perry to Bradley Place in honor of an employee’s son who passed away suddenly.

For more information about Homes of Hope, Inc. visit homesofhope.org.

New Affordable Homes by NHC Available in Simpsonville

2009-10-01T13:23:21Z

The Neighborhood Housing Corporation (NHC) was founded in 1989 with a plan to provide quality housing to individuals and families of moderate income levels. Since then, NHC has become one of the most successful affordable housing providers in Greenville County. Using both private and public funding, NHC has the resources to construct eight to ten homes each year in the unincorporated areas of Greenville County.

Currently, NHC is constructing homes in the Westwood Community located in the City of Simpsonville. These 3-4 bedroom/2-2.5 bath homes are approximately 1300 sq. feet and are situated on large lots. NHC has already completed one home on Tebblewood Drive (featured in the photo) and is in the process of constructing four others. Prospective buyers may have the option of making choices regarding appliances, interior colors and some design features.

The NHC has partnered with the Greenville Housing Fund to provide special down payment assistance to teachers, hospital workers and other workforce public. Any interested parties should contact Jean Shafer of ReMax Realty at (864) 270-3103 or jeanshafer21@charter.net.

For more information about NHC, please call (864) 607-5617 or email info@nhcgreenville.org or visit their website at www.nhcgreenville.org.

Greenville Housing Network Brings Community Together for Affordable Housing

2009-07-17T15:07:24Z

The Greenville Housing Network (GHN) is a new collaboration of various organizations, community leaders, business professionals and citizens in the area who are dedicated to providing affordable housing throughout the city of Greenville. The group joined together to partner in a common vision and to unify their individual efforts.

GHN recently held its second meeting, which are scheduled quarterly at the United Ministries Learning Center. Organizations represented at the meetings have included the Greenville Housing Fund, the United Way, the City of Greenville, Greenville County Redevelopment Authority (GCRA) and United Ministries, as well as approximately 25 other organizations and businesses who are concerned about the affordable housing needs in Greenville.

Attendees are given the opportunity to share relevant information, news and events with the group. At the first meeting, Beth Templeton of United Ministries presented an extensive overview of housing-related news stories, highlighting housing issues across the country. Darrin Goss of United Way and Sharon Smathers of Greenville County updated the group on the current efforts of the Foreclosure Task Force, and Ginny Stroud of the City of Greenville and Martin Livingston of GCRA shared information about the Neighborhood Stabilization Program and the economic stimulus for housing.

At the second meeting, Naomi Rustikova from Bon Secours St. Francis spoke about the Sterling Master Plan; Deborah McKetty of the Greenville Housing Fund gave an update on the Foreclosure Task Force & SC Housing Commission; Bruce Forbes from SHARE provided information on the Weatherization Assistance Program; Ginny Stroud and Martin Livingston continued discussions on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program; and Beth Templeton shared highlights of national news in the housing industry.

If you are interested in attending or getting more information, please contact Meghan Meier at Meghan@greenvillehousingfund.org.

Brutontown Revitalization

2009-06-04T13:42:52Z

The Brutontown Community is an ongoing project of the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority (GCRA) in their efforts to provide affordable housing in the Greenville area.

GCRA has spent the past three years revamping the Brutontown Community by providing a $2 million Community Center, constructing 20 houses and renovating several others. All new Brutontown Community homes are either Energy Star or Earthcraft energy efficient homes, ranging from $90,000 to $110,000. GCRA offers down payment assistance and homeownership counseling to assist those who need personal attention and guidance as they face the responsibility of owning a home.

The agency also rebuilt the neighborhood’s infrastructure, adding a brand new water and sewer line, resurfacing and relocating streets and constructing new sidewalks. GCRA plans to build 50 more homes and senior rental units, as well as update more streets.

Partners in revitalizing the Brutontown Community include Parker Fire and Sewer District, Habitat for Humanity, The Greenville Recreation District, the Brutontown Neighborhood Association, the Neighborhood Housing Corporation of Greenville, Inc., Greenville Technical College, the Greenville County Human Relations Commission and the South Carolina Department of History and Archives.

In an effort to highlight this exciting project during National Community Development Week, GCRA proudly hosted an open house and historic marker unveiling at the Brutontown Community. The event provided elected officials and citizens an opportunity to view current projects being financed by Community Development Funds, allowing them to further understand the value of these resources.

GCRA offered public tours of various homes in the Brutontown Community, as well as homeownership classes. They also unveiled a marker displaying a concise history of the community, located at the Community Entrance on Rutherford Road and Old Paris Mountain Road. The South Carolina Department of History designed the marker, with help from GCRA and other Brutontown community members.

The Greenville Housing Fund enthusiastically supports the efforts of GCRA to provide affordable housing for those in the Greenville area. GCRA’s redevelopment of the Brutontown Community has already made a significant impact on the availability of affordable housing in Greenville and will continue serve this collective effort as further projects are completed in the future.

To view photos, click here.

2008 Community Report

2009-03-26T14:32:46Z

GHF releases the 2008 Community Report highlighting its progress from the past year and goals for the future. To view a complete version of the 2008 Community Report, please click here.

A New Home for Vance Street

2009-01-15T12:38:51Z

The Village on Vance is a project that provides six newly constructed single family rental homes at an affordable price. Soteria Community Development Corporation (CDC), the developer of The Village on Vance, built each home using a “green” approach. The three bedroom, two bath homes feature Energy Star appliances and energy efficient windows, doors, lighting, and siding. This new community is located in the Woodside Mill neighborhood in Greenville, SC.

Soteria CDC developed partnerships with both the Upstate Homeless Coalition of South Carolina (UHCSC) and the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority to provide these affordable rental houses. Candidates for these houses fall within 50-60% below the median income of Greenville. Because of Soteria CDC’s dedication to service, as well as the wonderful collaborations formed, $722,000 in grants and funds were provided for the construction of The Village on Vance. These outstanding contributions came from a number of sources, including: the SC Housing Trust Fund for $300,000; the SC Department of Commerce for $100,000; HOME funds (HUD) for $198,000; City of Greenville Housing Development Funds for $7,000; BB&T Bank for a $55,000 loan; and Matching Funds for a $62,000 equity.

The Village on Vance will better the Woodside Mill neighborhood, and ultimately enhance the Greenville community as a whole. These improvements are in the terms of affordability, community sustainability, health quality and safety. Affordability is achieved through the “green” building practices and home upkeep, therefore cutting the cost of maintenance and operation. Sustainability will be promoted by residents enjoying their homes and wanting to stay in the community in which they have lived and can afford. The final and most important improvement is obtaining better health and safety for Greenville residents by providing new and energy efficient homes.

The Greenville Housing Fund is proud to support Soteria CDC in creating affordable and quality housing in the Greenville community. The work of all partners involved has not gone unnoticed, and will continue to improve Greenville for years to come. Click here to view photos of the ribbon cutting.

Ribbon Cutting for Chicora Avenue Housing

2008-11-13T16:17:13Z

Chicora Avenue is a housing project developed by Genesis Homes to provide affordable housing for low-income residents in the Haynie Sirrine neighborhood. Greenville Housing Fund (GHF) recently assisted three residents in the Chicora Avenue Senior Housing program. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held by Genesis Homes and the City of Greenville. Click here to view more photos of this event.

GHF Announces Homes for Teachers Program

2008-10-29T11:32:29Z

GHF and the Community Foundation of Greater Greenville are proud to announce the Homes for Teachers Program. CFGG awarded $250,000 to assist teachers with downpayment and closing costs. GHF is working with Greenville Schools to market the program to teachers who are first time homebuyers. Eligible teachers can receive up to $5,000 in assistance. The program will assist in recruiting and retaining teachers in the Greenville Community. GHF recently participated in the New Teacher Orientation at Mauldin High School.

Greenville Housing Fund Launched Homes for Teachers Initiative at Greenville County School’s New Teacher Orientation

Greenville, S.C. (September 5, 2008) – Greenville Housing Fund (GHF) announced the launch of its new Homes for Teachers initiative at the Greenville County Schools’ (GCS) New Teacher Orientation on September 4. This innovative financing program, made possible by a generous $250,000 grant over two years from the Community Foundation of Greenville, is designed to provide local teachers with the much needed down payment and closing costs which enables them to become first-time homebuyers.

Homes for Teachers targets first-time homebuyers by providing forgivable loans up to $5,000. The loans may be used for all or a portion of closing costs, for all or a portion of a down payment or to reduce the principal amount of a first mortgage. The loan is forgiven if certain conditions are met and the homebuyer remains in their home for more than a five-year period.

In addition to benefiting individual teachers, this program is a key element in an overall effort to promote economic stability and growth in Greenville. GCS, which hires more than 750 teachers each year, partnered with GHF for the event to enable new teachers to become homebuyers. This program, in turn, assists in GCS’s overall recruitment and retention efforts by offering teachers financial assistance for establishing roots in Greenville.

Deborah McKetty, Executive Director of GHF, was available to discuss the program and. "Our goal during the next two years is to assist at least 50 teachers in Greenville County in becoming first-time homebuyers. Many thanks to the Community Foundation of Greenville for making the Homes for Teachers initiative a reality for these deserving members of our community."

The Greenville Housing Fund (GHF) is a non-profit organization established in 2008 to provide for an increase in the availability of affordable housing in Greenville County. GHF offers a variety of assistance programs including: deferred payment loans; low- or no-interest amortizing loans; grants of forgivable loans; down payment and closing costs; owner-occupied rehabilitation loans; and emergency home repair. Major funding support for GHF includes contributions from the United Way of Greenville, the Hollingsworth Fund, Greenville County Redevelopment Authority, and the City of Greenville.