Greenville County Redevelopment Authority Unveils New Logo and Website
Submitted by: Whitney Howell on Apr 09, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Tagged with: affordable housing; Greenville, SC; Brutontown; community development
Source: DNA Creative Communications
To honor National Community Development Week, the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority (GCRA) unveiled its new logo and website at the Brutontown Community Center on April 6, 2010.
Lauded by local leaders for their work in administering more than $3.5 million in annual U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding for Greenville County, GCRA showcased the new brand mark for the organization, which features a homeowner figure with raised arms enclosed by an abstract letter “G” forming a roof line overhead.
“Our mission is to improve the quality of life for our communities’ residents, and we are excited that our new logo and website represent our continued promise to build and revitalize communities through affordable housing,” said Todd Yeomans, GCRA’s Board Chairman. “Just as we assist many of our county’s homes in rehabilitating their appearance and functionality, we wanted to update our own in an effort to gain the attention of potential homeowners and therefore fulfill our mission and long-term goals.”
GCRA aids community revitalization by building new homes, rehabilitating existing homes, strengthening the infrastructures of the communities, as well as providing credit and homeownership education programs. Along with the unincorporated areas of Greenville, neighborhoods in Fountain Inn, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville and Travelers Rest also benefit from grants such as the HOME Partnership funds and Community Development Block Grants.
GCRA works with 20 local small business homebuilders and generates almost $5 million in annual housing and infrastructure construction dollars to the local economy. Since 2002, GCRA has assisted more than 420 seniors or disabled homeowners with emergency repairs. All of GCRA’s new homes are built to Energy Star standards, lowering utility bills by as much as a 30% savings compared with other homes similar in size and location.
“I am passionate about helping make the dream of homeownership a reality for many in our county,” said State Representative Chandra Dillard, District 23. “GCRA is making that happen and helping homeowners maintain their assets with key training and education about the often overwhelming responsibility of owning a home.”
Through GCRA and partner agencies, potential homeowners are required to take more than six hours of homebuyer training and education. Since 2002, GCRA has worked to place 150 families in new homes throughout Greenville County, and despite the high foreclosure rates across the nation, GCRA homeowners remain in their homes.
“National Community Development Week is the perfect time for us to celebrate the revitalization of our communities as well as our own revitalization as an organization by unveiling our new brand and launching our new website,” said Executive Director Martin Livingston. “We are very excited about how the new website will enable us to meet the needs of homeowners and potential homeowners more efficiently, as well as help us interact with partners and contractors to effectively service our communities.”
GCRA hired DNA Creative Communications, a full-service communications firm specializing in advertising, branding, e‐communications, public relations and special event planning, to conduct a needs assessment and develop the new brand.
The annual recognition of National Community Development Week honors the numerous accomplishments of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This year marks the 24th consecutive celebration of local communities supported by the CDBG program.
For more information about GCRA, please call 864-242-9801 or visit www.gcra-sc.org to view the new website and brand.
About GCRA
GCRA’s mission is to improve the quality of life for low- and moderate-income citizens of Greenville County by administering Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds and developing community partnerships. GCRA takes a comprehensive approach to community revitalization by building new homes, rehabilitating existing homes, and strengthening the infrastructures of the communities, as well as providing credit and homeownership education programs. GCRA works throughout Greenville County, including Fountain Inn, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville and Travelers Rest.