Getting the Big Things Right
The Greenville Homeless Alliance applauds the City of Greenville for its progress since forming the Greenville Housing Fund in 2017, first revising the comprehensive plan and now the development codes, which have not been updated in 20 years. We thank stakeholders for showing up to give public feedback on both over the past four years. This post highlights areas where the Greenville Homeless Alliance sees alignment in the Development Code Draft with the coalition’s top four priorities to address homelessness. We will also share areas of concern for the current Development Code Draft.
Addressing the comprehensive plan and development code were key points made in the City of Greenville’s 2016 affordable housing study. The study identified a shortage of about 2,500 affordable homes at a rent of $500/month or less, a shift from the surplus of some 800 homes in 2006 in this rent range. As housing costs continued to rise, in 2019, the Greenville Homeless Alliance began referring to housing affordable to extremely low income workers (30% or less of Greenville’s area median income) as “exits from homelessness”. Based on data from Greenville’s 450 emergency shelter beds, a rent/mortgage between $200 - $650/month near a Greenlink route is what is needed as an option for housing for individuals, couples, or families who are currently experiencing homelessness. We acknowledge that creating housing to exit homelessness will require additional incentives to reach the identified rent/mortgage range. According to The Greenville News, the city and consultants are also exploring housing voucher incentives that could be included in the code to reach renters who earn 30% or less of Greenville's area median income. Including incentives in the code for 30% and below of the area median income and below works to address inequities in race and homelessness that exist and are documented by the Shi Institute at Furman University.
Here are the three big things that the Greenville Homeless Alliance supports in the proposed Development Code:
1. Accessory Dwelling Units: Zoning alone cannot accomplish the necessary exits from homelessness, but the proposed development code includes accessory dwelling units (ADU’s) as a tool that offers options for integrated housing within diverse neighborhoods near Greenlink routes and near jobs that support the city’s economy as a tourist destination. Learn more about ADU’s as one tool to address housing affordability in this series from Shelterforce. The new Development Code allows for secondary residential dwelling units, like carriage houses and garage apartments, for the first time in areas zoned for single-family residential.
2. Corridors and Nodes: The Development Code includes a blend of building types and uses that help transition downtown Greenville into more residential neighborhoods. The Greenville Homeless Alliance supports building types that allow for a mix of incomes that include housing options near jobs around major intersections. See examples of jobs that are essential for our economy and exits from homelessness. Historically speaking, Greenville’s supply of affordable rental homes has been geographically concentrated, and generally speaking, not near jobs.
3. Housing Height Bonus: The Development Code incentivizes the private market to create affordable homes as part of ongoing development. To receive the height bonus, 15% of all residential units in a project must be affordable for households that earn 80% or less of the city’s median household income. That number is $57,253 for a household of 4 according to the 2021 American Community Survey estimates for the U.S. Census Bureau. The Greenville Homeless Alliance is focused on a household income for four of $26,500 or less. See how this creates stability for families and employers in the report released in 2022.
Here are areas of concern that the Greenville Homeless Alliance has identified in partnership with Impact Greenville.
1. Open Space Fee: The housing height bonus requires developers to pay a one-time fee of $5000 per new residential unit that will be used to purchase land for open space. We believe open space should not be pitted against affordable housing. The city should pursue a different approach that seeks to simultaneously address affordable housing and open space. See page 197 – 198 of the Development Code Draft.
2. Definition of Affordable Housing: We urge the City of Greenville to clarify the language and align with standards followed by all organizations who receive funding through U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Greenville County. We believe it further confuses people seeking a safe, affordable home to adopt a different standard. We urge the city to utilize the housing height bonus to incentivize 60% of the area median income as defined by U.S. Housing and Urban Development for Greenville County. We also urge the city to include income averaging as a tool to incentivize a mix of incomes created by the private market. For example, including the ongoing development of both 30% and 80% could equal the 60% goal.
3. Missing Middle Housing: The Development Code should include more options for house-scale buildings with multiple units in walkable neighborhoods. Missing middle housing addresses housing types such as duplexes, triplexes, bungalow courts, and mansion apartments. For a better understanding of Missing Middle Housing, see this study led by Impact Greenville that was presented to City and County Council. We urge the city to include more transition areas as missing middle zoning as defined in Neighborhood Scale on pages 27 – 37 of the Development Code Draft.
4. MX-5: We encourage the city to zone more areas as MX-5 (see page 52-53 of the Development Code Draft). McAlister Square is one of the few places currently zoned MX-5. GVL2040 recommended directing future growth to compact, walkable activity centers (aka “nodes”), which are defined as residential, employment, retail, and transit, and are located along corridors designed to support mobility choices.
5. Length of Affordability: We urge the city to increase the length of affordability from 15 years to 25 years. See page 197 of the Development Code Draft.
Make sure to submit your comments to the city planning staff by February 24. If you are a resident of the City of Greenville, contact City Council and share what you support and what is concerning to you. We hope you are encouraged that together – a stronger, more connected community is being created. We also ask you to continue working with us to address homelessness as these are long-term challenges that require collective action from multiple stakeholders. Both require the political and community will to match our ability.
Submit your positive and concerning feedback by or before February 24:
Comment on the Code:
Email: devcode@publicinput.com
Call or text: 864-232-CARE (2273)
Susan McLarty – Greenville Homeless Alliance Director
More ways to engage
· Join stakeholders from the Greenville Homeless Alliance and the Upstate Continuum of Care on Wednesday, February 22 from 1 – 2 p.m. at the Kroc Center for an interactive exercise on the proposed City of Greenville Development Code. Register here to attend on Wednesday.
· Want to learn more or ask deeper questions? Greater Good Greenville and Impact Greenville are hosting a session on Thursday, February 23 from 4 - 5 p.m. with city planning staff. Register here to attend the event on Thursday.
After the comment period closes you can still attend two drop-in sessions the following week, on Tuesday, February 28 and Wednesday, March 1, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Prisma Health Welcome Center at Unity Park, 111 Welborn Street.