The Post and Courier had a great story this week looking at Greenville County’s discussion about setting aside more money for affordable housing in Greenville.
Here is a key part of the story:
“Over the past five years, Greenville County dedicated $1 million each year to affordable housing. The agreement’s timeline has expired and affordable housing advocates within the county are pushing for far greater funding.
Some County Council members say they recognize more urgency now to provide lower-cost housing options for residents who earn less than an average income.
Now, as the county’s administrative team prepares its budget for the next two years, officials are grappling with just how much the county can afford to dedicate from tax revenue to ensure more affordable housing units can be built in the years ahead.”
For comparison’s sake, the City of Greenville puts in about $2.5 million each year for affordable housing, and a few weeks ago, voted for a $30 million bond to help the Greenville Housing Fund (that’s us) to speed up the pace of affordable projects in the city.
So who exactly is pushing the County for more support? A religious-based coalition called Greenville Organized for Accountable Leadership gathered in March with more than 1,500 residents in attendance to make its request. GOAL asked for $10 million per year each from the city and county for affordable housing, said the Rev. Stacey Mills, GOAL’s president. It is seeking one-third of that funding to pay for housing options for residents earning below 30 percent of the area median income, roughly $27,000 per year.
