PICKENS – Allen Temple in Greenville and the City of Pickens are joining together to furnish affordable housing in some areas of the Pickens community.

The two groups will work together to build homes that are low maintenance for the residents. Lawn care will be included with the homes. The homes will be 1,200 to 1,300 square feet in size.

The affordable housing effort is funded by government and private grants.

Allen Temple and the City of Pickens will also partner with local banks to make this a community effort, said Greater Pickens Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mike Parrott.

“This is great for the community,” said Vision 2025 Sense of Place member Christine deVlaming. “Sometimes all people need is a little hope and this opportunity gives them that hope.”

The affordable housing is one goal of the Sense of Place team. Their goal is to attract developers to build affordable homes, provide access to financial and work to provide the availability of affordable housing. Sense of Place’s ultimate goal is to give a unique identity to Pickens County and give each community a special identity, as well as enhancing the possibilities of each community.