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…