For twenty years the Greenville‑area nonprofit Rebuild Upstate has focused on keeping affordable housing intact for families and seniors across the Upstate. Founded by Clemson University students in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina, the organization shifted its efforts to South Carolina in 2007, repairing its first home in Clemson and expanding to serve Greenville, Anderson, Oconee and Pickens counties.
Volunteer‑driven repairs meet rising demand
CEO Jake Beaty explained that many low‑income homeowners cannot afford the upkeep and accessibility upgrades needed to stay safely in their homes. “We have the opportunity to come alongside them and help with that because a lot of the folks we serve don’t have anywhere else to go,” Beaty said. The nonprofit’s mission is to let residents live in their communities with dignity for as long as they choose.
In 2025 volunteers completed 718 repair projects on 165 homes – a record for the organization. The group is on track to reach 200 home repairs during its 20th‑anniversary year. Applications are limited to households earning 80 percent or less of the area median income, and most recent recipients earned below 50 percent of that benchmark.
Funding partnerships and recent projects
Rebuild Upstate relies on a mix of public and private funding. Partnerships with local municipalities allow the nonprofit to tap Community Development Block Grant dollars for repairs. Most recently, the organization worked with the city of Greenville and Anderson County to use state disaster assistance funds to replace roofs damaged by Hurricane Helene in 2024, fixing 12 roofs in Greenville and 34 in Anderson County.
Beaty noted that shifting government funding streams present a challenge, but the nonprofit has navigated those changes successfully. “Our biggest challenges right now are the ever‑changing funding landscape,” he said.
Cost comparison underscores importance of repairs
According to Rebuild Upstate, the average cost to repair an affordable home is about $6,000, far less than the roughly $120,000 required to build a new affordable home using volunteer labor. “The truth is, every home that we don’t repair and save is one that eventually we’re going to have to replace,” Beaty said.
Community involvement and volunteer base
The nonprofit’s volunteer force comes largely from local churches and businesses eager to give back. Individuals and groups can learn about volunteer opportunities at the organization’s website.
As demand for affordable housing continues to rise across Upstate South Carolina, Rebuild Upstate’s two‑decade record of preserving existing homes highlights the vital role of community‑based, faith‑inspired service in supporting families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.
Original reporting: Greenville Journal — read the source article.
