United Way of the Midlands Partners with Homeless No More to Create New, Innovative Housing
United Way of the Midlands and Homeless No More announced the development of Grand Village, the city’s newest housing development that’s replacing Grand Motel and Apartments on Two-Notch Road.
Grand Village will provide 40 efficiencies, two- and three-bedroom homes for families with children with affordable rents. Grand Village is an example of Homeless No More’s innovative approach to bringing quality, beautiful design with affordability and a sense of community in mind.
“The range of income eligibility allows this new housing to serve as a launch pad for working families to improve their economic security,” said Lila Anna Sauls, Ed.D., President and CEO of Homeless No More. “The design is based on the history of the motel and the famous sign, as it’s been a fixture in the neighborhood for decades.”
The gated community will use innovative design, serving as a new gateway to the Two-Notch and Beltline corridor. On-site services are provided by Homeless No More and other community partners and will include access to after-school and mentoring programs, plus healthy cooking and employment advancement classes.
The development of Grand Village complements one of United Way of the Midlands’ goals of increasing options for quality housing through one-time seed funding.
“We know the Midlands lacks an estimated 50,000 units of attainable housing, and United Way of the Midlands can’t solve our current housing crisis alone,” said Sara Fawcett, President and CEO of United Way of the Midlands. “So, we’re partnering with organizations like Homeless No More and investing in our community’s capacity to create attainable housing that is new and innovative, targeting people most in need.”
The $6.5 million project is also supported by SC Community Loan Fund, Central Carolina Community Foundation, and Richland County and is expected to house its first residents by 2024.
Funding supporting this partnership came from the generous gift of $10 million to United Way of the Midlands from author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. It is the largest gift from an individual donor in the organization’s history. In 2021, United Way’s Board approved a spending plan for the gift, including significant investments in innovative housing across our six-county region. To learn more about United Way’s strategies for housing and community needs please visit uway.org/impact.
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About United Way of the Midlands
United Way of the Midlands is the most collaborative, efficient and accountable model for investing in the improvement of the Midlands community. With nearly 70 Community Impact Partners, United Way works to identify and respond to the critical human service needs of Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland counties. Funds are raised through workplace campaigns, grant writing and individual donations and are directed to creating generational change by breaking cycles of crisis and empowering people to build their own paths to success. For more information, please visit uway.org.
About Homeless No More
Homeless No More is a nonprofit organization that believes family homelessness is entirely solvable. Our spectrum of care — including emergency services, transitional shelter and the development of attainable housing — keeps each family together and meets their needs at the right time with the right services. By providing support to move each family toward a permanent, self-sufficient solution, we can eradicate family homelessness and help at-risk parents and their children achieve lasting independence. For more information, please visit homelessnomoresc.org.