Like many rapidly growing communities across the Upstate and the nation, the city of Greer is grappling with the challenge of housing availability and affordability.
To better understand the scope of those challenges and to begin to identify steps in addressing those challenges, earlier this year the city commissioned Civitas LLC, a Charleston-based community development consulting firm, to conduct a Housing Needs Assessment and Strategy study.
Greer City Council adopted the resulting report as a policy framework in early July and discussed how the findings and recommendations point the way to some potential solutions for housing issues in the coming years.
Learning the landscape
Among the report findings that will inform policy discussions going forward are:
- Greer’s population is expected to exceed 50,000 by 2030.
- That population growth is expected to create demand for more than 2,800 new housing units.
- The median sales price for a single-family home in Greer reached $346,590 in 2025, which effectively prices out many first-time home buyers.
- About 42% of renters are paying more than 30% of their income for housing, which represents a significant burden, particularly for lower-income individuals and families.
Greer Planning and Development Director Alex Cahill discussed these findings at the July 14 City Council meeting and outlined the six recommendations the report suggested the city should explore.
Not all of the recommendations have a direct policy impact but can be undertaken with existing staff and without adding to or amending city ordinances and guidelines. The recommendations include implementing a communications, education and civic engagement process centered on housing and housing affordability and continuing or expanding public support with nonprofit partners already working on housing issues.
Policy recommendations
Other recommendations that would require legislative action from City Council include:
- Updating the city’s Unified Development Ordinance to address a variety of existing and emerging housing types
- Creating a housing trust fund that could be used to bridge funding gaps
- Establishing a rental housing registration and inspection ordinance
During his council briefing, Cahill said a rental housing registration process would likely be the easiest place to start. Such a process would give the city better tools to address issues within the city’s rental market.
A key component to such an ordinance would involve authorizing city staff to have right of entry in situations where rental owners or management are suspected of code violations. Cahill explained that while the majority of landlords are conscientious about maintaining their properties, the city lacks adequate enforcement mechanisms when dealing with landlords who are not.
With the Housing Needs Assessment and Strategy study as a guide, city planning staff will spend the coming months researching and refining proposals for the council to consider.
