GOAL

The Problem: Currently, more than 30,000 families in Greenville County struggle to afford their housing costs, and there is a shortage of at least 11,000 homes for low-income families. Without the necessary funding, Greenville’s goal of cutting the housing shortage in half by 2030 will remain out of reach. One in three families in our county cannot afford housing while also covering basic household expenses. According to Princeton’s Eviction Lab, 24 out of every 100 renters in Greenville face eviction—three times the national average of 8%. Yet, unlike Charleston and Richland counties, Greenville County has failed to successfully launch a Housing Court Pilot to reduce the number of residents displaced due to eviction. Without urgent action, the cycle of housing instability will continue to devastate families and our community.

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‍The Solution: Because of our Affordable Housing campaign, Greenville County Council made history by dedicating $5 million to the creation and preservation of affordable housing, marking the first time the County has ever spent local dollars on affordable housing! The city has increased its funding from $2.5 million annually to upwards of $5 million. While this is a significant victory, we will continue advocating for the full $20 million of annual funding ($10 million from the city and $10 million from the county)  we originally requested which is essential to addressing Greenville’s affordable housing crisis.

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‍Our Next Steps: Thanks to the commitment of thousands of community members, GOAL Justice is building momentum to advance statewide efforts for legislation that will provide stronger housing protections for all South Carolina residents. By organizing communities and collaborating with partners across the state, we are working to ensure policies that prevent displacement, promote affordability, and create lasting housing security for those in need.

The Problem: Greenville County ranks 14th deadliest in the nation for pedestrians, with White Horse Road leading in fatalities for over a decade. The Walmart intersection on White Horse Road is the 22nd deadliest in the country. Despite multiple SCDOT studies and proposals, necessary safety improvements have not been implemented.

Pedestrian safety is a transportation issue. Greenlink’s limited service—12 hourly routes—forces many riders to walk or bike long distances to reach a bus stop or their destination.

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What’s Next: SCDOT has identified safety risks but has yet to take action. Addressing this crisis will require both immediate safety improvements and long-term investment in better transportation options.

The Problem: Our community is in a mental health crisis. All across Greenville County, people of every age, income and background struggle to find access to consistent mental healthcare. With wait times for services often exceeding six months, many people only receive care once they are already in crisis.

While there is a long way to go until all have access to the mental healthcare they need, one vital lifeline is the newly launched 988 crisis line. This lifeline provides a crucial alternative to calling 911, and can connect people to vital resources in the community. However, the State of South Carolina was not adequately funding it.

The only 988 call center in the state is right here in Greenville, and is operated by Mental Health America of Greenville County. When we began our research in 2023 we found that, nearly 130 people a day contact 988 and only 50 get an in-state response because of the lack of adequate staffing.

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The Solution: To fully staff the call center it required $3.9 million in the 2023-24 SC Budget, one tenth of one percent of the projected surplus. GOAL called on our state representatives to ensure that everyone who reaches a point of crisis has someone on the other end to answer. Sen. Karl B. Allen, (SC District 7) and Rep. Chandra E. Dillard (SC District 23), attended the Community Problems Assembly in 2023. Both Sen. Allen and Rep. Dillard, said YES and gave their commitment to vote in support of fully funding our statewide 988 Crisis Line in the amount of $3.9 million annually. They also both gave their commitments to vote for the funding to be a recurring line item in the state’s annual budget. We also met with Rep. Bannister who said YES and gave his commitment to do the same.

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‍Our Next Steps: We are proud that in just two year we gained $8 MM in funding for South Carolinas mental health crisis hotline. We will continue to monitor the state budget to make sure officials follow through on their commitments to keep our mental health hotline fully funded so that everyone in crisis gets the care and support they deserve.