Rental Properties Please!
Currently there is a significant need for rental properties in Greenville County. While there has been significant emphasis placed on providing emergency rental and utilities assistance to those in crisis, the challenges low-income families face continue to be affordability and availability. Two years into the pandemic families are dealing with compounding negative reports against their credit and rental history. Sadly, the affordable housing market has little compassion left for those who lost jobs, or their livelihood was severely impacted by business and school closings. Many were forced to remain quarantined for extended periods of time due to COVID-19 spreading through their entire household. These factors are completely out of a person’s control.
It seems society has a bias perception of low-income families, as if every negative circumstance they face is connected to poor choices. This perception is unfair to so many who work hard, make responsible choices, and simply want stable affordable housing. Life repeatedly reminds us that no matter how hard we try to do what is right and be responsible - life can, will, and does happen for us all. Some people have better opportunities, some don’t; some appear to have it all together, others struggle. If you are currently stably employed and housed it may be hard to understand the complexity of these issues. But imagine if you are rent burdened and struggling already, then lose your job, or your employer closes their business, or your children’s schools and daycares close, or anyone in your family becomes ill; your reality is anything but stable. In fact, your crisis just magnified several times over.
Now your rent is delinquent, and your housing is no longer being stabilized by the moratorium on evictions.
Where do you go?
How do you pick yourself back up?
What do you do?
With the Emergency Rental Assistance Program and the Emergency Housing Vouchers, there is funding to provide opportunities for families to recover, but neither can be used if property owners are unwilling to work with the programs. As families in crisis prepare to move and are searching for a new home, they are hitting barrier after barrier. Barriers like low income, poor credit scores, previous evictions, and more. How will they overcome these barriers without assistance if property owners are unwilling to give them a second chance? Thankfully, there are several organizations in our community providing assistance to families who are experiencing these barriers. They work diligently to assist them in finding stable, affordable housing. However, they are also experiencing the ripple effects of properties not being open to families with these barriers.
Consider the current fair market rental amounts for Greenville County established by HUD:
- $783.00 for a studio
- $871.00 for a one bedroom
- $992.00 for a two bedroom
- $1,294 for a three bedroom
- $1,579 for a four bedroom
Finding available units within these fair market rent ranges has become increasingly difficult and at times impossible to find. Everyone deserves a home. Everyone deserves a chance to get their life on track. Many can successfully do so independently, but may need additional support through mentoring, case management or rental subsidy – which our programs provide.
The need for affordable units right NOW is significant.
Can you help? Are you willing? Please contact organizations like United Housing Connections or The Greenville Housing Authority when you have available, affordable housing. Become part of the solution for those in need of a place to call home. Stable, affordable housing is the much-needed foundation for many to continue to improve, progress and excel.
Tonya Crawley
Former Chief Programs Officer (Tonya Crawley is no longer with UHC)
United Housing Connections
www.uhcsc.org
The Greenville Homeless Alliance thanks United Housing Connections for contributing this important information and request for partnership from property owners. As of February 23, 2022 there were 24 families* searching for a place to call home and property owners willing to work with the Emergency Housing Voucher. When families are not able to find a willing property owner, the housing stabilization fund known as the Emergency Housing Voucher expires. The good news is that when a family finds a place to call home and utilize the Emergency Housing Voucher there is no expiration on how long the housing stabilization funds are provided. This partnership becomes a triple win for the family, property owner, and our community.
* Family refers to a household of one person or more. To learn more see GHA’s 2019 Report on Homelessness in Greenville County and navigate to page 14 and 15.