CommunityWorks hosted its second annual Upstate Affordable Housing Summit on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the Prisma Health Welcome Center at Unity Park.
CommunityWorks brought together more than 100 housing professionals, community advocates, developers, lenders, policymakers, and other leaders for its second annual Upstate Affordable Housing Summit at the Prisma Health Welcome Center at Unity Park.
The sold-out summit provided an opportunity for leaders from across the Upstate to connect, learn from one another, and explore strategies for addressing the region’s affordable housing challenges.
This year’s program featured discussions on the economic outlook, housing advocacy, grassroots organizing, and locally focused solutions for affordable housing and homeownership. Speakers and panelists included representatives from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center, ACLU of South Carolina, Greenville Housing Fund, A Place to Call Home, the City of Greenville, Parish House Community Development Corporation, Fifth Third Bank, and the South Carolina State House.
One session highlighted the grassroots campaign behind HB 4270, legislation that reduces the time evictions remain on personal records. Panelists discussed how organizations and advocates worked together to build bipartisan support and move the legislation across the finish line, offering lessons for advancing future affordable housing policies.
The summit also highlighted creative solutions taking place in Greenville and Spartanburg, with panelists sharing how they built coalitions, worked with policymakers, and addressed barriers to develop locally focused approaches to affordable housing and homeownership.
Immediately following the summit, CommunityWorks and the South Carolina Association for Community Economic Development (SCACED) hosted the Affordable Housing Practitioner Workshop, sponsored by PNC Bank. The afternoon workshop brought together 50 practitioners for a deeper look at the funding tools and resources available to support affordable housing development in South Carolina. The workshop covered federal, state, and local affordable housing funding sources, including how programs are administered, common funding cycles, eligible activities, and strategies for combining resources to support affordable housing and community development initiatives.
CommunityWorks proudly recognizes the sponsors who made these events possible:
Presenting Sponsor: Fifth Third Bank
Lead Sponsor: JPMorgan Chase
Champion Sponsor: Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta
Workshop Sponsor: PNC Bank
Additional Sponsors: NHE, Wells Fargo
For more information about CommunityWorks, visit communityworkscarolina.org or contact info@cwcarolina.org or 864-235-6331.
