Thursday, October 10, 2013

United Housing Transfers Wolf River Bluffs Home to Meritan


United Housing Inc. officially transferred a home in its Wolf River Bluffs development to longtime partner Meritan during a recent ceremony. Located in Memphis, Meritan is a private, not-for-profit agency that provides home health, personal care, and intellectual and developmental disability services. 


“This is the first home completed for Meritan by United Housing,” said Tim Bolding, Executive Director of United Housing, Inc. “It’s rewarding for our team to partner with such a tremendous organization and we’re excited to start building more homes for the individuals served by Meritan.”

During the special event, Deborah Cotney cut the ribbon to signify the completion of the home, which is named Deborah Cotney Cottage. Cotney is the former Executive Director of Meritan and the home was named to honor her thirty years of service to the agency. Afterward, guests were able to tour the home’s interior, which was built to accommodate three individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

United Housing has worked with Meritan for several years on the common goal to increase livability among the most vulnerable populations in Memphis. Both organizations are United Way of the Mid-South agencies and members of the Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence and the Nonprofit Leadership Collaborative.

“Meritan is proud of our partnership with United Housing,” said Melanie Keller Meritan’s Executive Director. “Our combined efforts are resulting in community housing and support for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. We feel our relationship exemplifies how two nonprofits with seemingly different missions can join together to serve our community. We look forward to continuing to work with United Housing on future projects.”

After the event, Bolding announced that United Housing was awarded a three million dollar grant from The Tennessee Department of Economic Development’s 2008 Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Funds. The money will be used to build 16 homes for individuals served by Meritan and SRVS, which provides services to people with disabilities.

About Meritan
Established in 1961, Meritan is a private, not-for-profit agency accredited by the Council on Accreditation and holds licenses in Tennessee to provide home health, personal care, and intellectual and developmental disability services.  The agency also provides senior employment services in Tennessee and holds child placement licenses in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Georgia. For more information, please visit www.meritan.org.