Federal Housing Dollars Are Coming to the Golden Strip — Here’s What That Means

It doesn’t make headlines the way a stadium or a hotel does, but the federal housing funding flowing into the Golden Strip’s three cities this year will quietly touch the lives of some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.

Greenville County, through the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority, is in its public comment period for the 2026-2027 Annual Action Plan — the document that determines how HUD Community Development Block Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds get allocated across the county. For Mauldin, Simpsonville, and Fountain Inn, the numbers on the table are meaningful. Mauldin is in line for roughly $160,000 in CDBG funds and $75,000 in HOME funds. Simpsonville is slated for approximately $155,000 in CDBG and $56,000 in HOME. Fountain Inn would receive around $80,000 in CDBG and $30,000 in HOME funding.

CDBG funds can be used for housing rehabilitation, public facilities and infrastructure, economic development, and public services for low- and moderate-income residents. HOME funds specifically support the acquisition, construction, and rehabilitation of affordable housing. Residents of all three cities who own their homes and meet income eligibility requirements can also apply directly to the GCRA’s home repair program — a lesser-known resource that helps lower-income homeowners stay safely in place as the area grows around them.

The public comment period runs through March 27. Residents who want to weigh in can email [email protected] or attend their city’s public hearing in person.