History:
In October of 2024, Ten at the Top and the Upstate Continuum of Care partnered to hold the first Upstate Homelessness & Housing Forum at Southern Bank Headquarters in Greenville. Local elected officials, government representatives, and business leaders were provided the opportunity to connect with service providers and discuss current challenges as well as future opportunities. Overall, there were 94 attendees representing 61 different organizations and communities across the Upstate.
2025 Focus:
A second Homelessness & Housing Forum will be held in October 2025.
In preparation for that event, the Upstate Professional Planners Group, which is coordinated through Ten at the Top, is looking specifically at “Regulatory Barriers for Affordable Housing” with the goal of having some recommendations to present at the October meeting.
Between April and September, the Upstate Professional Planners + Upstate Housing Sector Experts will be meeting three times to develop a set of recommendations.
This group is being led by Upstate Professional Planners Group Chair Michael Forman and Appalachian Council of Governments Deputy Director Chip Bentley. Additionally, there is a Steering Committee including the following members:
Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing Steering Committee
Michael Forman – Conduit Planning – co-chair
Chip Bentley – ACOG – co-chair
Ceej Jefferson – Oak & Avenue Property Group
Carol Coleman – Greenwood City/County Planning
Tina Belge – Catalyst Community Consulting
Martin Livingston – City of Spartanburg
Celia Myers – City of Walhalla
Todd Okolichany – Spartanburg County Planner
Amber Stewart – Greenville Housing Fund
Cameron Campbell – City of Greenville
The first meeting of the Planners+Housing Group was held on April 9, 2025. The second meeting is scheduled for June 23, 2025.
