First ever Spartanburg Housing & Real Estate Summit brings community leaders together to discuss housing, economic development, and more

On Tuesday January 31st, United Way of the Piedmont’s Financial Stability Task Force hosted the first Spartanburg Housing and Real Estate Summit at The Hangar in downtown Spartanburg. The Summit focused on discussing where the Spartanburg community currently stands on housing and housing resources and what is to come as the city continues to grow.

The day began with a presentation of the Spartanburg County Housing Affordability Assessment by Kara Davis with the Metropolitan Studies Institute at USC Upstate. The assessment looked at the demographics, economic indicators, and housing market conditions of the county as a whole, and found that compared to peer cities, Spartanburg housing is generally considered to be affordable based on median income and median cost. However, almost half of Spartanburg County renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing, which is considered unaffordable. The assessment concluded that this data demonstrates a clear affordability gap between homeowners and renters. With housing demand and prices rising, and vacancy rates staying very low, affordable housing could be a growing problem for Spartanburg County residents, especially lower income families.

Keynote speaker Shirley Franklin, the Former Mayor of Atlanta and Founder/CEO of Purpose Built Communities, discussed the issues facing homeowners and those aspiring to be homeowners. Franklin brought up a key theme that was echoed throughout the day that affordable housing is linked to many socioeconomic factors including education, healthcare, job markets, and transportation. Franklin argued that with the economic challenges people face today, owning your own home may no longer be the “American dream,” but rather it is simply to live in a safe, affordable home of your choice.

While housing is technically considered affordable in Spartanburg today, the Financial Stability Task Force and its member organizations are committed to a proactive approach that broadens the accessibility of housing that is affordable. Hannah Jarrett, the Community Impact Associate for United Way of the Piedmont who works directly with the Task Force, expresses the significance of the Housing and Real Estate Summit saying, “Affordable housing can quickly become a challenge for growing cities. We want to get ahead of that by bringing together all entities with a vested interest in the growth of Spartanburg; both government and non-government agencies, businesses, nonprofits and community volunteers. That is why events like today are so important.”

About United Way of the Piedmont

United Way of the Piedmont is a local nonprofit that works to create opportunities for a stronger, healthier community for us all. Our mission is to connect, engage and inspire people to transform our community. Our priority areas are Education, Financial Stability, and Health because we believe these are the building blocks for a good quality of life. We recruit people and organizations from across the community who possess the passion, expertise, and resources to get things done. We believe that every individual should be engaged in their community, and United Way can be the source of that connection. When you GIVE of your financial resources, ADVOCATE for a cause, or VOLUNTEER your time, you become part of the change that creates a better life for all.