Also at Tuesday’s Business Meeting, we hosted a public hearing for the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority 2020 Program Year Annual Action Plan. Later, Council unanimously approved Resolution #2020-03, CDBG/HOME Funds for FY 2020. What I find most exciting about our plan for this year is that HOME and CDBG funds will both go to support housing for the first time I can remember. Previously, we’ve spent money on sidewalks in low to moderate income neighborhoods like Woodside and Boyd/Morton, and we’ve funded the Senior Center. All have been valuable efforts that improved our community. This year, though, the funds will also help support the building of the 13 homes planned for the Habitat for Humanity Woodside Project. This is important because we have an affordable housing problem in Greenville County and in our own city. In fact, Simpsonville was identified as one of seven municipalities statewide with an especially severe shortage of affordable housing.

Notably, we still have GCRA funds to apply to improvements for the Senior Center and for the facade program.

Additionally, please note that GCRA will conduct a Citizen Participation Needs Assessment on March 2, 2020 at 6 PM at the Simpsonville Public Library. Please plan to join!