2024-2025 County Budget Passes Third and Final Reading

On July 19th, Greenville County Council passed the county’s 2024-2025 budget in its third and final reading, while also approving the Augusta Road Corridor strategic plan. This 8-4 passing of the budget includes over $3 million for affordable housing. 

Chairman Dan Tripp was joined by members Liz Seman, Butch Kirven, Joey Russo, Mike Barnes, Chris Harrison, Alan Mitchell and Ennis Fant in voting for the measure. Please reach out to them and share your thank you's and appreciation for their leadership. You can find their contact information here. 

Read the Greenville News Article
Read the Greenville Journal Article
Watch the WYFF story

Shannon Lavrin Named
Greenville City Manager




Former Assistant City Manager and Planning Director Shannon Lavrin will serve as Greenville's new City Manager; Shannon is the first female to be named permanently in the position and is also the city's first urban planner in the role. Shannon has been instrumental in the City's 2040 Plan as well as the new Development Code which includes affordable housing incentives. Congratulations to Shannon in her new role!

City council swore Lavrin to the position vacated by John McDonough. 

Read the Greenville News Article
Watch the WSPA coverage

SC State Housing Report and Policy Recommendations

In June 2022, the SC Legislature passed a budget proviso requiring that the University of South Carolina (USC) Darla Moore School of Business, in partnership with the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority (SC Housing), conduct a statewide housing needs assessment by June 30, 2023.

As a result, the "Palmetto State Housing Study" was created. Some key findings included:

-The number of households in South Carolina increased by 16.4 percent between 2010 and 2021, compared to just 11.3 percent for the U.S.

- 90 percent of the state’s population is located in just 50 percent of the state’s 46 counties. The demand for new housing will likely continue to be concentrated in the coastal regions of South Carolina along with the Upstate, the Midlands, and the outskirts of the Charlotte metropolitan area (e.g., York and Lancaster counties). By contrast, the housing needs of South Carolinians in rural counties will likely center around home remodeling and maintenance, with less demand for new housing.

- The gap between the median age in South Carolina and the median age in the U.S. has risen by 0.4 years. Such demographic changes imply that the housing industry in South Carolina will also have to change to meet the needs of an aging population.

The full timeline for the study can be viewed here; all phases of the study have been completed and can be accessed here, including several policy recommendations.

We're Hiring!

Vice President, Real Estate and Capital Markets

Position Overview

The Vice President of Real Estate Development and Capital Markets will direct GHF’s real estate development projects, acquisitions, land bank, asset management, structured financing, and private placement equity funds, and coordinate all GHF real estate initiatives. This full-time position will report to the CEO and work closely with existing staff, Board members, city and county staff and representatives, for-profit and non-profit partners, contractors and vendors, community leaders and resident groups, and other neighborhood stakeholders.

Meeting Recap



Our 2nd Quarterly meeting included presentations from Racquel Collier of Caliber Real Estate (A Proforma Case Study), Taylor Davis of NHE (Financing Affordable Housing and the LIHTC), and Bucky Tarleton of United Housing Connections (Public-Private Partnerships and Serving Our Most Vulernable Populations). Click here for meeting minutes and video. 

Save the Date

Greenville Affordable Housing Coalition Quarterly Meeting
September 20, 2023 8:30-10 at the JudHub

Registration coming soon.