6 Sevier Street
P. O. Box 8958
Greenville, SC 29604-8958

tel (864) 235-0534
fax (864) 235 0556
info@nehemiahcrc.org

Projects of Nehemiah Community Revitalization Corporation

Gaffney Trace

Location: Type: Targeted Residents: Owner:

Gaffney, South Carolina Attached Townhouses Families and Special Needs Individuals Nehemiah Community Revitalization Corporation

History: Upstate Homeless Coalition, one of Nehemiah’s longtime partners, had purchased a tract of land next to a Section 811 development they completed for persons with mental illness. They asked Nehemiah to purchase the land from them with the intention of creating housing for persons with mental illness, formerly homeless families, and other low income families.

Challenge: Complete the project as quickly as possible given that the community did not have much housing for special needs households.

Solution: Nehemiah attempted to do the entire project as one complete development of 4 one bedroom units, 12 two bedroom units, and two 3 bedroom units. There are two buildings built on two portions of the property each with separate entrances on New Street. The first building with 4 one bedroom units and 6 two bedroom units is complete and rented up. Nehemiah used a combination of HOME, Housing Trust Fund, financing from Carolina First Bank, and the Affordable Housing Program of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLB). The latter source made it possible to complete the entire development. However, FHLB reduced the grant since half of the units were completed before they approved funding for the project. All of the units will be completed by the middle of 2011. Rental assistance from Upstate Homeless Coalition was not forthcoming, so the number of special needs units had to be reduced.