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Two former outdated apartment complexes off White Horse Road officially started a new chapter Thursday morning as community members welcomed 38 new affordable units at Vista West III.

The ceremony yesterday was about more than bricks and mortar, said Mario Brown, CEO of Affordable Upstate, who owns Vista West III and oversaw the redevelopment of the property with support from Lowe’s.

“This started with a vision to change how people look at affordable housing,” Brown said. “For too long, our community has accepted substandard housing as the norm. That is changing. We are leading that change.”

This was a project that started in July 2024 when Affordable Upstate purchased a two-story building at 100 Lily Street that had 14 units, and an L-shaped, two-story structure that had 24 at 2001 West Parker Road.

The goal was to restore them and combine them into one community instead of demolishing the units and building something new, and much more expensive for residents. This was the company’s third acquisition on Lily Street and gives them a significant competitive advantage, with the entire Vista West portfolio on Lily Street and West Parker Road being 160 units.

“The key thing is stability. This is the front door to Berea,” Brown explained. “Many times, apartments such as these are bulldozed and then something new comes and creates gentrification. We didn’t do that here. We invested in the actual communities to keep them affordable.”

Vista West III underwent a full “gut” renovation by essentially turning a tired 1970s-era complex into a “like-new” community, Brown said.

Everything from the plumbing and electrical systems to the windows and fixtures were replaced or upgraded.

The renovation includes interiors (new appliances, finishes, and energy-efficient systems), improved insulation and windows for lower utility costs, repaired structure and roofing, refreshed exteriors and landscaping, and added amenities for safety and comfort. By upgrading all 38 units at once (rather than a building-half at a time), the project also gained efficiency and presented a fully improved community.

Affordable Upstate partnered with Southeast Affordable Housing Administration (SAHA), a non-profit organization that works and educates third-party for-profit owners on affordable housing incentives, to subsidize the relocation of residents to nearby Affordable Upstate assets while Vista West III was refurbished. SAHA provided moving expenses as well as subsidizing the rents of the existing residents.

Much of this story has been captured in a documentary that will come out in the coming months.

“Vista West III exemplifies how thoughtful apartment renovations can preserve affordable housing units in an appreciating market,” said Delores Brown, Executive Director of SAHA. “Berea is a submarket that has historically been one of Greenville’s affordable areas and this project prevents the loss of 38 affordable homes and sets a standard for rehabilitating aging apartments without losing sight of the existing residents. It’s a win-win for the neighborhood.”

In addition, Affordable Upstate worked with NOAH Property Management, which is an economically mobility-driven property management company, to help place residents’ economic health at heart of the project. The organization does things such as reporting all positive payments by residents to credit bureaus thus increasing their credit score. It also offers a deposit alternative that gives owners more coverage than a traditional deposit and allows residents, often credit challenged, from having to produce first and last month’s rent.

“This is a brand-new complex in almost every way possible,” said Chris Cloud, CEO of NOAH Property Management. “Most typical rehabs only do superficial upgrades, whereas here everything is brand new.”

About Affordable Upstate: 

Affordable Upstate is a real estate investment firm focused on redeveloping and redefining naturally occurring affordable housing in the Upstate of South Carolina. Since 2017 they have placed over $50 million of investor equity into socially responsible, environmentally enhanced workforce housing assets, resulting in a diverse and thriving portfolio with over 1,450 apartment units that satisfy the expectations of residents, investors, and communities. Learn more at Affordable Upstate.