Safe Harbor

Greenville, SC can soon rest at ease thanks to Safe Harbor, Inc, a not-for-profit network of services for victims of domestic violence. With new allocation from The Innovate Fund, Safe Harbor will begin the rehabilitation of the historic Gordon Street Mill facility. This facility, originally developed by the Judson Cotton Mill in 1925, was once used to process cotton in the midst of SC’s booming textile industry. One hundred years later, the outdated facility will now be rehabilitated into an innovative emergency shelter in the midst of Greenville’s growing reports of domestic violence. With Greenville County currently ranking highest in SC for reported domestic violence incidents, this investment could not have come at a greater time.

In a community with a Poverty Rate of 33% and a Median Family Income of 55% ($39,223), many victims lack the financial independence necessary to escape their abusers. In response, Safe Harbor’s new facility will provide victims of domestic violence and their children with emergency shelter in addition to a range of essential services. The facility will provide a safe and secure environment with 50 private beds, behavioral health counseling services, and additional wraparound care. By locating all of Safe Harbor’s services under one roof, this new shelter will not only be more effective than ever but will also be more accessible to those in need.

However, due to federal funding grants recently being slashed by up to 40%, Safe Harbor could not have moved forward at this time without additional capital. Fortunately, The Innovate Fund invested $6.5MM of its CY 2022 NMTC allocation into the project, showing that TIF is attuned to the needs of its home community.

With this new investment, the project will finish construction of the 46,000 SF facility in February 2025. Once completed, it is expected to provide its services to over 375 victims annually. In addition, Safe Harbor is projected to create or retain 60.5 FTE jobs (80% quality, 45% accessible) and 47 construction jobs at the project site.

“Ultimately, NMTCs are what made this project possible. This state-of-the-art facility is the first of its kind in the State of SC; therefore, innovative solutions were needed across the board.” – Danny Varat, CEO of Safe Harbor