GREENVILLE, SC – Two new affordable rental homes were officially opened up during a ribbon cutting ceremony Wednesday, after passing final inspections.
“It’s just really incredible. If you’ve seen this house and you’ve been inside, it’s just really a fantastic rental house,” said Tom Whitted, Executive Director of Genesis Homes, the non-profit behind the affordable housing project. “Affordability is a big problem in the Greenville area.”
Whitted and others from Genesis and the city held a small ceremony at the house, discussing the need for affordable homes.
According to Whitted, the homes cost between $160,000 and $180,000 to build.
Rental prices are based off family income, but start around $610 a month.
“It’s a huge step for the family that gets to move into this house,” explained Austin Goforth, chairman of Genesis Homes. “It’s a small step for the amount of houses versus the need that’s there. But like I said we’re trying to do our part.”
The need, they said, was great.
Both confirmed that the waiting list for Genesis to provide a home was about 3 years out. The time, so long that they had to freeze applications until the wait time goes down.
Still, construction continues.
According to Goforth, about 20 Genesis-funded homes are already standing in the Greeline-Spartanburg community and plans for more are on the horizon.
“If you can start with a clean, safe place to live, that’s a great starting point for education, for keeping families together, for helping kids,” said Goforth. “It’s just a solid base that people in our community need.”
