Greenville County leaders push new housing policy to create more affordable options

GREENVILLE, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Greenville County leaders have a new plan for how to address the housing crisis. It’s something they’ve never tried before, but one councilman says it might be what the county needs to bridge the gap in affordability.

Any growth comes with growing pains.

“A lot of people are being priced out of having somewhere to live. So, it was important to come up with a solution” said councilman Ennis Fant who represents county District 25.

For months, county leaders have recognized the problems with new development in Greenville. New things are coming in and prices are going up.

“70% of people living in Greenville County cannot afford to buy a house in Greenville County ---70%,” said Councilman Fant.

Councilman Fant and Chris Harrison recently led the charge for a new policy addressing the affordability crisis.

“I tell council all the time, we cannot live with a foot in the past and a toe in the future” said Fant.

Right now, the market-rate rent cost in Greenville is around $2,000 a month. Under the policy, the county will give tax incentives to developers who offer affordable units, versus the market rate prices.

The policy is aimed to help those in the middle. Like teachers, nurses, firemen, people who can’t afford the high costs of recent developments.

“Builders and developers will set aside 20% of their units for people looking for workforce housing and make between 30% and 80% of AMI” said Fant.

In the affordable units no renter will spend more than 30% of their income on rent. There is a minimum unit requirement of 20% of units affordable, but the more affordable units developers offer, the more tax breaks they get.

“We believe that this actually can be a model, not just for the rest of the state. We believe what we’re doing can be a model for the rest of the country because everybody is wrestling with the high cost of rent” he said.

Fant says policy like this is desperately needed.

“We have to do something to help people have somewhere to live,“ he said.

During Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting, council voted 11 to 1 in favor of moving this forward. It’ll come back in two weeks where they’ll have to vote on it again. if it passes that time, it’ll become policy.

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