Upstate organizations ask property owners to consider Emergency Housing Vouchers
Two dozen recipients in need of housing in Greenville
Updated: 10:38 AM EST Mar 2, 2022
Taggart Houck
WITH MORE. TAG? TAGGART: YEAH, THEY TELL ME RIGHT NOW TWO DOZEN RECIENPI IN GREENVILLE ARE NOT HAVING MUCH LUCK, SOME SEEING A PATTERN OF WAITI WNGHEN TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE. A REQUEST TONIGHT FOR GREENVILLE PROPERTY OWNERS TO CONSIDER ACCEPTING EMERGENCY HOUSING VOUCHERS. >> WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS TTHA LANDLORDS OR PROPERTY OWNERS ARE RELUCTANT TO PARTNER WH ISIT SPECIAL, AMAZING RESOURCWEE HAVE RIGHT NOW. TAGGART: RELUCTANT, SUSAN MCLARTY SAYS, BECAUSE THE VOUCHERS, USING FEDERAL FUNDING, PAY FAIR MARKET VAE. UNDER THAT CRITERIA, A STUO APARTMENT IN GREENVILLE IS78 $3, FOR A ONE BEDROOM $992, FOAR TWO BEDROOM AND A FOUR BEDROOM IS $1579. BUT SHE SAYS IN THE CURRENT RENTAL MARKET OFTEN PROPERTY OWNERS ARE ABLE TO RENT FOR HIGHER RAT.ES >> IF WE CAN'T FIND THAT AVAILABLE HOME AND A PROPERTY OWNER TO WORK WITH THE VOUCHERS, THEN ULTIMATELY FAMILIES OR INDIVIDUALS ARE LEFT IN A MUCH WORSE SITUATION AND MAY LEAD TO POSSIBLE CHRONIC HOMELESESSN RAEL MASSEN, A SOCIAL WORKER. >> PART OF MY ROLE IS TO HELP THEM FIND PLACES THAT LLWI ACCEPT THAT VOUCHER, WORKS WITH RECIPIENTS WHO SOMETIMES AREN O A WAIT LIST FOR YE.A WE FIND THAT A LOT OF PLACES THAT ARE EVEN CONSIDERED AFFORDABLE OUR PEOPLE AREN'' MAKING THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF RENT SO THEY'RE NOT BEING ACCEPTED AT THESE PLACES TTHA ARE MAYBE $500 WHICH SOUNDS VERY AFFORDABLE TO MANY BUT FOR AN INDIVIDUAL I'M WORKING WITH NOW WHO ONLY GETS $840 A MTHON THERE'S NO WAY HE'S GOING TO MEET THAT CRITER.IA TAGGART: MCLARTY SAYS RENT HAS INCREASED 15% IN THE LASYET IN GREENVI
Some Upstate organizations are asking for Greenville property owners and landlords to consider accepting Emergency Housing Vouchers. The vouchers -- established back in the summer of 2021 -- use federal funds to help supplement income for recipients who are unable to otherwise pay rent. They work to ensure recipients wouldn't have to pay more than 30% of their income each month on housing expenses."What we're seeing is that landlords or property owners are reluctant to partner with this special, amazing resource we have right now," said Susan McLarty, coordinator for the Greenville Homeless Alliance. The vouchers pay the fair market value in accordance with rental rates in Greenville County, per the United States Department of Housing and Development. Under that criteria, a studio rental in Greenville is valued at $783, $992 for a two-bedroom and a four-bedroom is valued at $1,579 per month. McLarty said there is likely reluctance for property owners to accept the vouchers, in part, because in the current rental market, they are able to charge more for rent."If we can't find that available home and a property owner to work with the vouchers, then ultimately families or individuals are left in a much worse situation and may lead to possible chronic homelessness," McLarty said. Rachael Mason is a social worker at Triune Mercy Center in Greenville, where she helps people in need of housing. "Part of my role is to help them find places that will accept that voucher," she said. Mason said that often the people she works to find housing for may wait extended periods of time, even as much as a year, she said. "We find that a lot of places that are even considered affordable, our people aren't making three times the amount of rent so they're not being accepted at these places that are maybe $500, which sounds very affordable to many. But for an individual I'm working with now who only gets $840 a month, there's no way he's going to meet that criteria," she said. McLarty said as of Tuesday that 24 recipients of the vouchers were looking for housing. For more information on the vouchers, click here.
GREENVILLE, S.C. —
Some Upstate organizations are asking for Greenville property owners and landlords to consider accepting Emergency Housing Vouchers.
The vouchers -- established back in the summer of 2021 -- use federal funds to help supplement income for recipients who are unable to otherwise pay rent. They work to ensure recipients wouldn't have to pay more than 30% of their income each month on housing expenses.
"What we're seeing is that landlords or property owners are reluctant to partner with this special, amazing resource we have right now," said Susan McLarty, coordinator for the Greenville Homeless Alliance.
The vouchers pay the fair market value in accordance with rental rates in Greenville County, per the United States Department of Housing and Development.
Under that criteria, a studio rental in Greenville is valued at $783, $992 for a two-bedroom and a four-bedroom is valued at $1,579 per month.
McLarty said there is likely reluctance for property owners to accept the vouchers, in part, because in the current rental market, they are able to charge more for rent.
"If we can't find that available home and a property owner to work with the vouchers, then ultimately families or individuals are left in a much worse situation and may lead to possible chronic homelessness," McLarty said.
Rachael Mason is a social worker at Triune Mercy Center in Greenville, where she helps people in need of housing.
"Part of my role is to help them find places that will accept that voucher," she said.
Mason said that often the people she works to find housing for may wait extended periods of time, even as much as a year, she said.
"We find that a lot of places that are even considered affordable, our people aren't making three times the amount of rent so they're not being accepted at these places that are maybe $500, which sounds very affordable to many. But for an individual I'm working with now who only gets $840 a month, there's no way he's going to meet that criteria," she said.
McLarty said as of Tuesday that 24 recipients of the vouchers were looking for housing.
For more information on the vouchers, click here.