Beyond the 30% Rule: Redefining Home Affordability in Upstate South Carolina

By Mario Brown, Affordable Upstate

In the Upstate of South Carolina, the term “affordable housing” often circulates in discussions about community and economic development. But what does it really mean for housing to be affordable?

A common benchmark, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is that no more than 30% of household income should go toward rent and utilities. Households exceeding this limit are considered “cost burdened”—meaning their financial flexibility for other essentials like food, healthcare, transportation, and savings is severely constrained.

By that standard, 31.3% of American households were cost burdened in 2023. In cities like Greenville, finding a rental unit within that affordability range is increasingly challenging. For someone earning $50,000 annually, the ideal spending limit on rent is no more than $1,250 per month—yet, many apartments in our region significantly surpass this price point, leaving renters financially strained.

This reality underscores the critical nature of our work at Affordable Upstate. We specialize in modernizing and preserving naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH)—rental homes that remain accessible to working-class families without government subsidies. Since 2017, we’ve invested over $50 million of investor equity into environmentally responsible and socially conscious housing, managing over 1,450 units that meet the diverse needs of renters, investors, and the community.

Affordability isn’t merely about maintaining low rent prices; it’s about enhancing financial manageability. This includes offering flexible payment options that allow tenants to synchronize their rent payments with their pay schedules and reporting positive rental payments to credit bureaus. Just last year, these practices helped increase our tenants’ credit scores by an average of 25 points, empowering them toward greater economic mobility.

As highlighted in our article on The Role of Flexible Payment Options in Affordable Housing and Economic Mobility, such strategies not only alleviate financial stress but also prevent our families from living paycheck to paycheck. This support enhances their capacity to save, invest, and plan for the future—key components of economic stability and mobility.

At Affordable Upstate, we believe that affordable housing should be safe, clean, and attainable—without forcing renters to compromise their financial health. As rental costs continue to climb, we are dedicated to redefining affordability beyond the conventional 30% rule, ensuring that housing serves as a foundation for stability, opportunity, and upward mobility.

The question isn’t just “What is affordable housing?”—it’s “How do we ensure affordability works for real people?” And that’s a conversation worth having.

Mario Brown is the CEO of Affordable Upstate, a real estate investment firm focused on redeveloping and redefining naturally occurring affordable housing in the Upstate of South Carolina. Learn more at www.affordableupstate.com.