City to Hold Ribbon Cutting to Celebrate National Community Development Week
April 7, 2015
GREENVILLE, SC – The City of Greenville will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, April 8 at 1 p.m. at 120 Mt. Eustis Street in the Greenline-Spartanburg community. The ribbon cutting is being held during National Community Development Week (April 6-11), which is designed to celebrate the work done in cities and towns throughout the United States through programs administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Two of the main programs, Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), provide grants to states, counties and cities to design neighborhood-based approaches to improve the physical, economic and social conditions in their communities.
Locally, the City of Greenville has used its CDBG funding to revitalize neighborhoods and address critical needs including housing rehabilitation, property acquisition, infrastructure improvements, economic development and public services. The City has also been able to use CDBG and other HUD funding to leverage additional local and state resources. For every dollar of federal funding received, the City has realized a $4.50 local return on its investment, which amounts to over $30 million in the community. In the last five years, the City has utilized CDBG, HOME and other HUD programs to aid 112 homeowners with rehabilitation assistance; provide after school programming through the City’s Study Buddies Program to 686 children; acquire 73 properties that can be redeveloped for affordable housing and develop 98 affordable rental units and 22 homes for first time home buyers, with assistance from its housing partners.
The City has also received $2.1 million in Neighborhood Initiative Program (NIP) funding from the SC State Housing Finance and Development Authority, which will be used to acquire vacant and blighted properties in the City’s Special Emphasis Neighborhoods. The City has identified 120 properties that meet the program criteria, and is working with seven non-profit organizations to acquire property and demolish the dilapidated structures. The property will then be held for redevelopment.
Next Wednesday’s ribbon cutting ceremony will celebrate Mt. Eustis Corners, a 21-unit residential development that will provide both affordable and workforce rental and homeownership opportunities in the neighborhood. The development is a collaboration between the City, Genesis Homes and the Greenline-Spartanburg Neighborhood Association. Genesis Homes is taking the lead on developing the new homes, and the City has made infrastructure improvements, including replacing the water and sewer lines, constructing new sidewalks and realigning Mt. Eustis Street to increase automobile and pedestrian safety. Eight homes have been completed and additional homes will be constructed in the next few years.
