The Church of South Carolina rents out affordable homes News
GREENVILLE, SC – Grace Church has purchased a dormitory building at Greenville Technical College to convert to affordable housing as part of a special program to address the local housing crisis.
The church will serve the owners of the property, and the rent will correspond to the income of the families. The cost of rent will range from $ 450 for a one-bedroom apartment to $ 1,000 for a three-bedroom.
The goal, according to Grace Church Director of Care and Recovery Lee Ann Kevin, is for the average family to pay in the $ 900 range per unit.
“We have a housing crisis,” Cavin said. “Our whole community is really starting to want cooperation.”
The premises are expected to be rented out in the first week of June, and the church already has nearly 40 families ready to move in.
The program will accept emergency housing vouchers through Greenville Housing Administration, but not Section 8 vouchers or additional grants from the federal government that go directly to rent.
To sign a lease agreement, families agree to be part of the Grace Church Housing Program, which offers health insurance, dental care, savings program, mental health support, car maintenance, financial education, cooking classes, self-study classes. , preparation for work and conversation.
Residents are expected to remain in the program for two to three years, and Grace is specifically committed to serving people who have arrived from transitional housing and rehabilitation programs, as well as those who have survived human trafficking, domestic violence, and abuse.
The church will work with other housing organizations to find applicants, Cavin said.
The property is a former Pointe Campus at Greenville Tech apartments and is on the public bus line.
Requirements for the program include:
• Rent and utilities
• Weekly communication with Grace Church through group or information programs of tenant choice
• Attend a weekly church service of tenant choice
• Drug tests and apartment checks
• Participate in classes or groups such as financial education or cooking.
The apartments will work to fill the much-needed housing shortage in Greenville.
A 2020 study by the Greenville Housing Foundation found that nearly half of Greenville County tenants are burdened with spending, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing and utilities. If you pay more than 30 percent of your annual income on housing, you pay more than you can afford, while retaining the opportunity to afford other needs, according to experts from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Grace Church has 10 locations throughout the northern part of the state and averaged more than 6,000 visitors each Sunday in 2021.
Cavin said Grace Church is excited to expand its housing ministry and work with local housing organizations to do so.
“We are incredibly grateful to be a part of what Greenville is doing,” Cavin said.
Copyright information can be found from the distributor of this article, The Greenville News.
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