Greenville Drafts Plan for $2M in Federal HUD Funding

Greenville Drafts Plan for $2M in Federal HUD Funding

The city of Greenville annually receives federal funding to assist low- and moderate-income residents and support affordable-housing efforts

The city of Greenville, South Carolina, is preparing its annual action plan to allocate $2 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for low-income residents and affordable housing initiatives. The draft plan for the fiscal year 2024-2025 was reviewed during a public meeting on June 4.

Federal Funding Breakdown

The city of Greenville will receive the following federal funding for the next fiscal year:

• $704,269 from HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program
• $229,732 from HUD’s HOME Investment Partnership program
• $894,370 from HUD’s Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS program

The city’s Community Development division is responsible for creating the annual action plan and administering the federal funding. The award year begins on July 1.

Proposed Uses of Funding

The draft plan outlines various proposed uses for the federal funding. One allocation of $241,000 from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding is designated for Section 108 Loan projects. These projects would focus on infrastructure improvements in the city’s special emphasis neighborhoods, which have a majority of residents with incomes below 80% of the area’s median income.

Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County is also set to receive $50,000 of CDBG funding for the rehabilitation construction of 11 owner-occupied units in the city. Additionally, approximately $105,358 of the HOME program funding is proposed to be allocated to Habitat Greenville for the construction of two new homeownership units in the Nicholtown neighborhood.

Other proposed allocations include:

• $15,000 to Communities in Schools of South Carolina for counseling and services in local high schools for underserved youth and families
• $16,500 to Dream Chasers Basketball Club for financial counseling and economic development efforts for youth
• $40,000 to the Greenville County Human Relations Commission for fair housing counseling and financial counseling programs
• $30,061 for economic workforce development, specifically funding resources and training such as the city’s Community Resource Fair
• $30,000 to acquire and maintain property for future affordable housing projects

The remaining CDBG funding will be used for the operating and payroll expenses of the Community Development division, as well as administering the city’s HUD grants.

For the HOME program funding, Beyond Housing is slated to receive $100,000 to construct a rental unit on Orange Street and another rental unit on Pine Street. Genesis Homes will receive $65,000 to construct one rental unit at 14 Haynie Street. Additionally, $29,373 of the HOME funding will go towards operational and payroll expenses of HOME activities.

The Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) funding will be used to financially assist individuals living with HIV or AIDS with their living expenses and provide support services. AID Upstate and Upper Savannah Care Services will receive the funding to assist people living in Greenville, Anderson, Laurens, and Pickens counties.

Public Comment and Next Steps

The draft plan is currently open for public comment until June 21. The Community Development division encourages residents to provide feedback and suggestions on the proposed allocations of funding. The final plan will be submitted to HUD after the public comment period ends.

For more information on the draft plan and to submit public comment, visit the city of Greenville’s website at https://greenvillesc.gov/265/Community-Development.