Home means different things to different people — a safe haven, a place to connect with loved ones, restored self-respect for those who desperately want to provide for their family. Homes of Hope develops diverse communities with homes that fulfill these desires and works to overcome barriers to affordable housing. The nonprofit also operates a workforce development program for men overcoming addiction. Together, the programs can change lives today and in the future.
Don Oglesby, president and CEO, says in the 23 years since its founding, Homes of Hope has built 643 houses across South Carolina and invested $83 million in local communities, becoming the state’s largest nonprofit developer of single-family affordable housing. Demand is so great that applications are only accepted in September. For households earning less than the area median income who need safe, affordable housing, it’s worth the wait.
“The stability it brings to their lives is almost immeasurable,” Oglesby says. “The economic impact is probably much larger than the money invested because that stability is rebuilding families. When they have a place to live, they can get transportation and employment, and they’re paying taxes. They can move forward and achieve economic mobility. That’s where generational change happens. That’s why we do what we do.”
To meet increased demand for affordable housing, Homes of Hope has 222 homes in its queue in 10 different neighborhoods across the state, including Greenville, Charleston, Columbia, Spartanburg, and Anderson counties. Another 200 homes are in early planning stages, Oglesby says. The communities, some of which include homes for sale in addition to affordable rental homes, are designed to welcome residents of varying income levels.
“It’s recognized nationwide as best practices to build diverse communities. We develop neighborhoods with sidewalks, green space and all the the same amenities market developers add except that there’s room for all income ranges, versus having to earn a certain amount to live there. People with different life experiences can enjoy a community with different perspectives,” Oglesby says.
Homes of Hope houses are indistinguishable from those built by for-profit builders, and meet high standards for energy efficiency. In the Greenville area, three per year are built by men in the nonprofit’s one-year, residential workforce development program. In addition to mentoring and on-the-job training, participants receive National Center for Construction Education & Research (NCCER) certification through a partnership with Greenville Technical College. The program, which has served 319 men in 23 years, will soon expand its capacity by 50%.
“Our program is transformational for men overcoming addiction. It offers a career path they can build on, and 94% have been successful after graduation,” Oglesby says. “We’ve known there was a high demand for our program’s services, but we’ve been very focused on quality until we figured out a way to expand and keep the culture of accountability, community, and encouragement intact.”
Homes of Hope’s programs are funded in part by corporate sponsorships, earned income, grants, and community generosity, including its annual end-of-year campaign.
“It’s a great opportunity for donors to support men overcoming addictions and also to help reduce the cost of the housing we provide,” Oglesby says. “The demand is higher here than it’s ever been. Our clients’ incomes haven’t kept up with the market’s housing costs. If we took applications every day, we’d have more than 4,000 in an average year’s time just in Greenville.“
Since 2003, the Community Foundation of Greenville (CFG) has supported Homes of Hope with $19,300 in Community Enrichment and Capacity Building grants, as well as funding from the Pearce Endowment.
“Because of its track record as an affordable housing developer, we made an unrestricted grant of $100,000 to Homes of Hope in 2020,” says Bob Morris, CFG president. “Don Oglesby’s leadership is a testament to his core values of collaboration and innovation.”
For more information visit https://homesofhope.org/.
