Returning Citizens Housing Initiative Now Underway

Soteria Community Development Corporation (CDC) is pleased to announce the new Returning Citizens Housing Initiative, a comprehensive re-entry Housing Initiative facilitated by the Soteria CDC and TGHA – the Housing Authority of the City of Greenville, SC. TGHA and Soteria CDC know thousands of families in the Greenville community have been and are impacted by incarceration, poor financial management and a lack of education. Our goal is to provide Returning Citizens a second chance at becoming productive citizens in the Greenville community

Participation in the Returning Citizens Housing Initiative, at this time, is limited to men who are enrolled in Soteria’s Ex-Offenders Program. Returning Citizen Housing Initiative participants must be referred by a Case Worker, Chaplain or a Probation/ Parole Officer with the potential participant’s application submitted at least six(6) months prior to release.

To facilitate funding the Returning Citizens Housing, TGHA will utilize the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program that will serve up to 15 Returning Citizens.

Through this program, Returning Citizens will participate in three housing phases (Transitional, Temporary, Permanent) in housing owned by Soteria Community Development Corporation. Transitional Housing is available to participants for up to one(1) year of residency. Transitional and Temporary Housing allows participants a home while they start the reunification process and become stably employed. Each housing participant must demonstrate their ability to succeed independent of the Returning Citizens Housing Initiative and must continue to meet HCV and Soteria program requirements. Graduates of the Returning Citizens Initiative may receive permanent housing as long as they meet the HCV program requirements.

Returning Citizens Housing Initiatives participation parameters are:

• Participants must be male and be at least 28 years old

• Participant must have been released from incarceration within the past three(3) years

• Participants must have completed their minimum sentence and have one(1) year, or less, of correctional supervision remaining

• Each man must have a history of homelessness or have no housing available upon release.

• Men who are parents with a reasonable chance of reuniting with their children are encouraged to apply

• HUD statutes and regulations prohibit program participation from these two types of criminal convictions: Conviction of Producing Methamphetamine in Federally-assisted Housing and/or
  Conviction and Registration as a life time sex offender

A partial list of additional agencies that are participating in the Returning Citizens Housing Initiative include:

• Greenville County Reentry Coalition

• Pardon, Parole & Probations

• Correctional Institutions

• Homeless Service Providers

• USA Attorney’s Office – Department of Justice (Greenville Office)