Programs
Explore Our Programs
Helping Individuals and Families Get Back on Their Feet.
Few things are more crucial to a person’s well being than safe, consistent shelter. We are committed to providing affordable transitional housing for qualified individuals and families.
“It’s a chance not just to create housing for people, but to offer them the one thing many of them have lived without—true community.”
– Jerry Blassingame, Unlocked
With a passion for reaching individuals whose lives have been impacted by crime, Soteria CDC provides individuals with the necessary essentials they need to have a smooth transition into being law abiding productive citizens—including housing. Currently, two transitional houses are available for men, with an 8-bed capacity.
Participants can stay up to one year in the Soteria Transitional Program. Upon graduation from the program, they receive assistance in finding permanent housing. In addition, there are three rental houses available for families once they leave the program. We also provide channels for those who would like to continue their education or pursue technical training.
Soteria CDC is committed to providing:
- Transitional Housing
- Transportation
- Clothing and Food
- Full Time Employment
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling
- Education and Technical Training
- Mentoring
- Devotion and Bible Study
- Financial Literacy Classes
Criteria for Prison Re-Entry Housing through Soteria CDC
To be considered for Prison Re-Entry Housing, the application process must be started by a referral from a Chaplain, Caseworker or a Probation/Parole agent that is to be submitted at least six (6) months prior to release.
Soteria CDC has entered into a partnership with the South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority to offer affordable rental housing to low-to-moderate income families within the Greenville communities and neighborhoods. This joint venture includes the Vance Street Project and the Miller Street Project.
Vance Street Project
This construction project provides six newly constructed homes for low-to-moderate income families. Each home features three bedrooms and two bathrooms. These homes were constructed with the concept and design of building “green” for a healthier community and a vibrant neighborhood. These homes are more energy efficient than conventional homes, thereby, cutting the cost of operating and maintaining. Soteria CDC has received an additional lot with a house on North Vance Street. Plans for future development of this property are being formulated.
Miller Street Project
This rehabilitation project entailed remodeling six apartments for low-to-moderate income individuals in the Nicholtown Community. These two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments were rehabilitated with the concept and application of building “green”. “Greening” rental housing is environmentally sound, healthy, and resourceful, which provides for a better place to live. Homeownership counseling and financial literacy courses are provided to families and individuals participating in these projects.
Criteria for Affordable Housing through Soteria CDC
To qualify for affordable rental housing, your total annual household income must fall within but not to exceed 50% of median income for Greenville County’s annual income limits. Along with your income, Soteria CDC will asses your household composition according to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards.
Our Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation and Emergency Repairs program is a Block Grant program administered by Soteria CDC to assist very low-income homeowners in making repairs to their homes. It provides financial assistance in the development and preservation of safe, decent, sanitary and affordable housing for low-income households. Improvements are to an existing structure or to a single-family unit in which the principle residence is the owner of the unit.
Moving Families toward Financial Freedom.
We understand the challenges many families face when it comes to finances; saving money can be hard! Whatever your financial goals may be, our programs are designed to help you reach them.
A major focus of Soteria CDC is to assist individuals with emergency food, clothing, rent, and utilities. However, it is our desire to not only give financial assistance to those who are in need, but also to teach families how to budget, thus enabling them to meet their financial obligations. We offer free training for financial budgeting and credit repair through our CreditSmart Workshops. Six-week classes are offered Monday evenings from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Individuals and families can receive training in the following areas:
- Goal Setting
- Budget and Cash Flow
- Analyzing Current Spending Habits
- Budget Development Process
- Goal Setting with Budgets
- Actualizing a Budget
- Net Worth Classes
- Credit Restoration
- Debt Reduction and Elimination
Another major focus of Soteria CDC is to educate and counsel first time home-buyers in financial management so that they will be able to live out the “American dream” of homeownership through affordable housing. This program is in partnership with Greenville County Rehabilitation Authority (GCRA) and South Carolina State Housing Finance and Development Authority.
Education and Counseling:
- Educate individuals on how to obtain and keep a good credit standing
- Provide credit counseling sessions to focus on “why” credit matters and “how” to have outstanding credit status
- Provide financial literacy courses to assist with budgeting and saving
- Provide budgeting courses to assist in structuring a household budget and prioritizing in regards to spending needs
- Counseling in homeownership
Homeownership through Affordable Housing:
- Create affordable housing options
- Partner with local banking institutions to create affordable lending through long-standing relationships cultivated over time
- Assist with the education process of homeownership and provide post-homeownership counseling
Whether you wish to own your own home, go back to school, or start your own business, our IDA program is a matched-savings account to help eligible participants meet their goal faster. The program’s match rate is $3 for every $1 saved. The minimum amount participants can save is $25 per month and the maximum savings matched is $1000. The total IDA matching dollars per account is $3000, for a total matched savings account of $4000. Participants are required to attend all training classes and can begin using their IDA savings account after six months and after having met all required criteria.
Turning Dream Jobs into Reality.
The key to financial independence is a consistent income stream, and high job satisfaction can only encourage this. By networking with the local Job Connection Services, Soteria CDC helps connect our job seekers with local employers, occasionally landing jobs at some of the nation’s top corporations located here in Greenville.
SEG is a Small Business Training and Economic Development Initiative. The SEG mission is to provide practical, hands-on business development courses that equip entrepreneurs with biblical-based principles of the NxLevel curriculum and the knowledge to start, manage and grow their business. These include:
- Assistance with business start-up and growth costs
- Partnerships with local businesses providing training efforts designed to mentor new business owners
- Educational classes in conjunction with businesses to train individuals in their respective fields
GreenStart is a Soteria CDC social enterprise that provides jobs for individuals who have been recently released from incarceration and who are residing in transitional housing. Visit our GreenStart page to learn more about our recycling and deconstruction programs.
Assistance in Other Areas
Soteria CDC offers many other services within our community – from a food pantry to a spiritual home. If you have a need that you don’t see listed here, please still give us a call to see how we can help.
An important aspect of Soteria’s mission is to utilize more local, state and federal resources to better serve the community through economic development.
We are committed to:
- Educational classes in collaboration with businesses and community leaders to inform the community of various projects pertaining to economic growth
- Education on the fundamental foundation for the building up of a community through economic development
- Partnerships with other agencies and organizations to obtain funding to help meet the growing needs of the community
- Researching and writing state and federal grant proposals necessary to acquire funding for community and economic development
It’s almost impossible to make long-term plans when your short-term needs remain unmet. This is the need our Ministry Storehouse aims to fulfill, as it assists individuals with their practical needs. Through this, we aim to also open the door to minister to their spiritual needs. The Ministry Storehouse primarily serves Soteria Christian Fellowship members, attendees, and community residents in need of assistance.
Beneficiaries are interviewed and assessed to determine their qualification and needs. There are no fees involved. The Ministry Storehouse includes the following programs:
- Food Pantry
- Clothing Closet (TBA)
- Low-Income Housing Rentals
- Donations
Office Information
- Open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Located at 210 Shaw Street, Greenville, SC 29609
As our partner ministry, Soteria Christian Fellowship focuses on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It offers worship, Christian community, and a prayer room, with the following core values:
- Prayer (Acts 6:4)
- Worship (John 4:23-24)
- Discipleship (Matthew 28:18-20)
- Christian Community (Acts 2:42)
- Outreach (Matthew 25:35-36)
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