Homebuyer Education Coordinator Kendra Love Chosen for THDA Homebuyer Education Advisory Board!

A HUD-certified Homebuyer Education (HBE) counselor, Kendra Love has been working at UHI for seven years. Being the Homebuyer Education Coordinator entails one-on-one counseling and teaching dozens of students each month in two eight-hour HBE workshops. UHI is the leading housing counseling agency in Memphis and fourth in the state of Tennessee for production, according to Tennessee Housing Development Agency’s (THDA) Homebuyer Education Initiative Peer Session.  With UHI and Kendra having so much good experience teaching and working with HBE customers, it is no wonder that Kendra has recently been named to the THDA Homebuyer Education Advisory Board. The THDA  Homebuyer Education Advisory Board was formed as a committee to give housing and financial educators a channel from which to consult THDA in their efforts to support sustainable housing choices, and strong communities and neighborhoods in Tennessee.

In the past, Kendra has been involved with THDA through trainings and her attendance at Homebuyer Education Initiative Peer Review Sessions. Based on her knowledge of the housing education industry, combined with her dedication and commitment to the profession, Kendra was selected to represent UHI and West Tennessee. She will be an asset to the advisory board and help amplify the homebuyers' collective voice for the West Tennessee region. 

Kendra's duties as a board member will include working with other HBE providers and THDA organizations from all over the state of Tennessee. They will meet a minimum of three times per year, with their discussions focusing on housing education. It is the hope of THDA that the Board will "encourage partnerships and the free flow of ideas and recommendations on better ways to serve our THDA stakeholders and the residents of Tennessee," according to a THDA communication. 

We are honored to be at the table, but not surprised that Kendra is recognized for her excellent work, dedication, and commitment to Homebuyer Education! 

United Housing & St. Therese team to provide home for women

Landmark Community Bank Offers Low Interest Loan To Facilitate Purchase

 

When St. Therese of Lisieux – the “Saint of the Little Way” – said more than a century ago that people in distress could be saved by small acts of kindness, she may not have been thinking about food and shelter for women who are survivors of trauma and homelessness. But a Memphis non-profit has used the teachings of the Little Flower, as St. Therese is known, as an inspiration to build community with and for women who are looking to rebuild their lives after being on the streets.

And when the Memphis-based Community of St. Therese of Lisieux approached United Housing, Inc. (UHI) in need of space for three women in transition, the message resonated. Thanks to a partnership with the Lisieux Community, UHI, the Presbyterian Women (PCUSA) and Landmark Community Bank, those women now have a safe place to live as they work to get back on their feet.

“We participated in the national Community Stabilization Trust program that resulted from the settlement with the major national banks affected by the financial crisis. The banks provided foreclosed properties to non-profits like UHI for use as affordable housing,” said Amy Schaftlein, director of development and communications for UHI, a non-profit affordable housing agency that serves families in the city of Memphis, Shelby County and West Tennessee. “When organizations like St. Therese have a need, those properties could be fixed up and rented for a dollar a year for two years with an option to purchase, and meanwhile address a critical social challenge.”

Lisieux Community President Sandra Ferrell says a grant from the Presbyterian Women (PCUSA) allowed her organization to take the next step, not only purchasing the house but also making needed renovations. Landmark Community Bank in Memphis provided the low-cost loan through a state-level community reinvestment program.

“A foreclosed house had been sitting vacant for years, and now these three women have a home. It’s such a wonderful partnership of local and national organizations working together to make a difference on several levels,” Ferrell said. “Many times, people who find themselves on the street never learned to live as part of a family, and we help provide them with education, life skills, employment assistance and other programs. As St. Therese taught, we can do small things that add up to mean a lot to these women’s futures.”

Now two of the participants are starting at Southwest Community College, and everyone involved has felt the impact. Landmark Community Bank Senior Vice President Bryan Jones says the bank selects opportunities to support local non-profits each year.

“This initiative has such a direct impact on Memphians who desperately need the help and want to get back into society,” Jones said. “We’re blessed to have organizations like United Housing and the Lisieux Community in our midst, and Landmark Bank was honored to play a small role in connecting the dots and offering the financing that provided a stable home.” 

The home has a capacity for five women to participate in the two-year program. The Lisieux Community has made tremendous strides in helping women transition back into the workforce and community. For more information, visit www.lisieuxcommunity.org.

Open House at Wolf River Bluffs Development

Join us for our Open House at our Wolf River Bluffs development in Frayser on Sunday, April 26 from 2-4 p.m. Located close to Midtown and just eight minutes from downtown, this development allows access to wooded parkland, providing a rural feeling in an urban setting. Starting at $129,000, these MLGW EcoBUILD certified homes feature an eco-friendly design with solar generated electricity, which can save the homeowner up to $50 per month in utility costs.

 

During the event, Crye-Leike Realtor Jimmie Hopson will be on-site to give tours of the model home, and Sheila Middleton with Magna Bank will also be on-site to pre-qualify buyers interested in these units. Arrive early because the first 10 attendees will receive Kroger gift cards, and all attendees will get a free t-shirt and complimentary refreshments!

This development is currently in Phase One and consists of 10 homes with open floor plans, real hardwood floors and large lot sizes. These units feature three bedrooms, two baths, a two-car garage and a separate formal dining room, great room and eat-in kitchen.

Not sure you're able to own a home due to financial reasons? Let us help you with your credit and provide you with tools to become a homeowner by enrolling in our free Homebuyer Education program. Learn how Tamika Walker, our first homeowner in Wolf River Bluffs, used our free services to purchase her first home.

At United Housing, we believe that Home Matters, and we look forward to meeting you at our open house to begin your path to homeownership. For more information, call (901) 272-1122 or visit uhinc.org.

View images of the home's interior below.

 Each Wolf River Bluffs home features Energy Star appliances

The homes are MLGW EcoBUILD certified 

Living room and dining room feature real hardwood floors

 Universal design throughout the home and high ceilings in the living room

Covered backyard patio

Two-car garage and solar panels by Sharp Manufacturing

People and Places Conference Part III: Health and Housing

This is Part III of a series by Staff Blogger Amy Schaftlein, Director of Development + Communications at United Housing.

Last week I wrote about how Memphis can learn from D.C.'s Housing Production Trust Fund Baseline Funding Act to mitigate population loss and blight in our city. Blight, poor housing stock and vacant properties also pose health threats for many families, and relying on local government funding cannot alleviate all issues associated with unhealthy living situations. This post delves into how Community Development Corporations (CDCs) can partner with the health sector to have a bigger impact in our neighborhoods.

For too many communities and families, zip codes determine health. The People and Places Conference session entitled, "Engaging the Health Sector," asked the question: How can the community development field work with the health sector in a more collaborative way to alleviate ills associated with poor housing, unsafe neighborhood conditions and other neighborhood-based issues that plague American communities? The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco convened a HealthyCommunities Conference and invited other banks to invest in CDCs working with the health sector to decrease health issues faced by low-income communities and give the banks CRA credit at the same time. 

Shelterforce Panel (photo courtesy of Shelterforce)

Last week, United Housing visited Jackson, Tenn. to join in discussions with the state of Tennessee's Medicaid program, TennCare. TennCare's Money Follows the Person program is a Rebalancing Demonstration Program that focuses on transitioning long-term care systems and institutionalized elderly and disabled into homes in the community. Tennessee saves $41,000 per person they move to care in a community setting and out of a institutional care. TennCare called a Stakeholder Meeting in Jackson to get feedback and input on how Tennessee should spend the saved dollars in the Rebalancing Fund. 

Affordable Housing, potentially development and rehabilitation grants to assist in the purchase and accessible rehab of a home, were among the opportunities proposed. Nonprofit Housing developers will be the targeted agencies to receive this type of funding. Another, a cheaper and quicker solution is a proposed voucher program that will give priority to elderly and disabled folks without the support system to use vouchers to transition into the community - temporarily - for 2-5 years. The group wanted to make sure that the housing developments were coordinated with the Tennessee Housing Development Agency's monitoring capacity. While none of the proposed rebalancing funds are confirmed nor fully defined, it is one step toward a model for healthcare and housing to work together on a larger scale for a healthier future for Tennessee. The amount of funds available are not yet being shared.

United Housing is looking to continue partnerships with other service agencies locally, like Meritan, Inc. and Shelby Residential and Vocational Services (SRVS) to ensure quality, accessible home renovations for their customers transitioning into home care and community-based solutions. As a growing part of our housing development, partnerships with health insurance providers and healthcare agencies will be critical for the future of our housing development work.

Open House at United Housing's Wolf River Bluffs home for SRVS' customer.

Other examples of CDCs working with the health sector from the conference include:

·         Partner with Health Insurance Providers - how we can decrease costs by practicing mold abatement, for example.

o   Add housing needs as part of intake in health clinics

·         Healthy Foods financing with grocers in communities

·         Consult Health Facilities on tax credit opportunities (Do insurance companies have a tax burden that could warrant a Community Investment Tax Credit type incentive program?)

·         Coordination of affordable housing units with health clinics and services. For example, including a mental health liaison in permanent supportive housing units.

·         Look at nonprofit hospitals’ target areas and see where those areas overlap with CDCs' – then create something like ArizonaHealthy Communities

·         Partner with university hospitals

o   For example, APM in Philadelphia partnered with Temple University to inform Sustainable Communities initiative

·         Set up training workshops like Pennsylvania Associationof CDCs did with Jefferson University Hospital and Department of Health and Human Services

It will continue to be important to show how the impact of our work, as CDCs, affects health outcomes in our communities. By showing how our work addresses health disparities, we can more effectively influence policy and attract partners in hospitals and health clinics. It is an exciting time in community development and with the new community benefits obligations many hospitals have due to the Affordable Care Act, it could have as big of an impact on the community development sector as the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) had in the 1970s.

People and Places Conference, Part II - How Memphis can learn from Washington's Housing Trust Fund

This is Part II of a series by Staff Blogger Amy Schaftlein, Director of Development + Communications at United Housing.

Hi everyone, if you've had a chance to look at last week's post, I talked about attending the People and Places conference in D.C. in early March. I am following up with you this week on the work that is being done across the country to fund housing development in tough neighborhoods. One thing I found striking is the amount of money the city of D.C. has invested in their housing production. 

The Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development is a member association that leads nonprofit CDCs in ensuring that low-income residents have housing opportunities in the District of Columbia. The Coalition advocated for the creation of the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF), and since 2002, the HPTF has produced or preserved over 8,000 affordable homes.

In 2011, the Coalition started a Housing for All campaign to create solid streams of revenue for the HPTF.  The Coalition trained residents to speak out for affordable housing, mobilized supporters and challenged government officials to take action. Over the last two budget sessions, the Coalition won nearly $200 million to fund the HPTF of D.C. This is a huge feat. The strategy did not include identifying one dedicated revenue stream. Instead, they focused on raising a dollar amount that is not dependent on a fluctuating, dedicated source or one-time investment. The HPTF Baseline Funding Amendment Act of 2014 was passed supporting $100 million annual baseline funding for the trust fund, a miraculous win.

As Memphis begins to plan for housing needs in 2016 and beyond, a dedicated funding amount for housing will be extremely important to combat deteriorating housing stock and property values across the city. 

Memphis is losing population, and with that loss, we lose revenue and investment. Based on U.S. Census numbers, at least 80,000 more people moved out of Memphis than moved in between the years 2000 and 2010. Tipton County homes sales are up 48% from 2014. People in the middle-income range are moving out. They leave behind vacant homes that cost government and homeowners money. There is an estimated reduction of value of $1,058 for each house within a 1/8 mile radius. Abandoned properties cost local governments $20,000 per house for lost taxes, increased police and fire calls, and public works, code enforcement and safely problems.

A strategy to increase investment in our older, existing neighborhoods is necessary if we want to grow our tax base, decrease blight, support local businesses and attract outside businesses to our city. A Housing Trust Fund or dedicated funding stream for housing initiatives, and/or tax abatement strategies with strategic and committed investment from our local and state governments, are a few things that will help Memphis mitigate population loss, increase investment in our older, existing neighborhoods and help to stabilize losses in property values and tax revenues. 

A Look into the 2015 People & Places Conference in Washington D.C.

Hi, I'm Amy Schaftlein, Development and Communications Director at United Housing. Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend the People and Places Conference in Washington D.C. thanks to our partner organization, Livable Memphis. Livable Memphis sent me on a scholarship as an employee of United Housing, a member organization, and board member. I attended seven sessions covering housing and community development policy and advocacy and will share with you insights on these sessions through a lens of both a UHI employee and a volunteer on Livable Memphis board and Policy Sub-committee. 

The conference focused not solely on what organizations are doing, but how organizations are working with residents, neighbors, youth, elderly and immigrant families to strengthen communities. As the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations (CDCs) said, the residents and stakeholders have agency and are active participants in creating and sustaining parks, gardens and small businesses in traditionally forgotten neighborhoods. This conference saw community development practitioners not only as those employed at nonprofit and community development organizations but also as those living and working in neighborhoods every day - volunteering at community gardens, schools, and in advocacy campaigns in their cities. 

People & Places has boasted that they are the most diverse and inclusive conference in more than a decade and there is evidence of that on every panel and in every discussion from talks on racial justice, to tackling issues facing immigrants in America today. 

To the right, John Paul Shaffer with Livable Memphis presents on creative placemaking and tactical urbanism as innovative approaches to neighborhood revitalization.

Speakers from leadership position in government included Deputy Secretary of Labor, Christopher Lu, at the Thursday breakfast event. He spoke about wage equality and doubling apprenticeships not only in manufacturing but also in the information sector, to help families increasing their education and earnings. At lunch, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Jay Williams, noted a startling statistic, “While our production numbers are back to what they were in 2008, we got there with 1 million less workers.” That statement says a lot about our economy. Yes, it is getting better, but families are not feeling it because many are not contributing to it. 

Assistant Secretary of Commerce Jay Williams with Steve Glaude, Executive Director of  the Coalition of Neighborhood Housing and Economic Development. Photo courtesy of @CNHED.

Over the next several weeks I will share three takeaways I had from this conference. One, as community development practitioners, we should continue to find ways to incorporate the health sector in our work. Secondly, if Memphis wants to invest locally in our housing stock, one option may be to create a Housing Trust Fund and finding ways, locally to sustain it like the D.C. organization, Coalition of Neighborhood Housing and Economic Development proposed in their virtual tour. Finally, in order to strengthen neighborhoods, building the capacity of our community to advocate for local public policies that work in their neighborhoods will be central to creating the kinds of political will and buy-in necessary to fund a Housing Trust Fund and other funding and legislation that will help build community.

GraceBuilders House Blessing Caps Meaningful Project

At the recent house blessing for the GraceBuilders program, Edith Heller shared a very "Memphis" type of story about the week that Jasmine Morris closed on her home in the Northwood Hills neighborhood.

Jasmine is United Housing's 4,000th homeowner and purchaser of the GraceBuilders home, and Edith said she was "meant to be part of this project." Edith explained how her dog had been sick that week and a patient at the Animal Emergency Center, where Jasmine is a veterinary technician. She watched and cared for the dog all week, and Jasmine and Edith developed a special bond through the process. In a city where so many people share overlapping connections, this was just one more meaningful coincidence that makes this project so special.

The house blessing was a time for Jasmine, Edith, Grace-St. Luke's Episcopal Church Associate Rector Gayle McCarty and many others to reunite and celebrate a project that was particularly engaging and special for so many. Jasmine had a chance to show off her newly decorated house, including her framed 4,000th United Housing homebuyer certificate hanging proudly in her living room, while about 25 GraceBuilders volunteers were thrilled to see the finished product. Many volunteers have expressed the satisfaction of contributing to a long-term project that has a big impact.

This is the kind of project United Housing would like to do again, and we are currently exploring groups with which to collaborate. Congratulations to Jasmine's family on their new home and to GSL on a job well done!

Wolf River Bluffs Selected as Finalist in MBJ’s Building Memphis Awards

Finalists for the Memphis Business Journal’s third annual Building Memphis Awards have been selected by the editorial staff and a panel of independent judges will choose the winners in each category.

In addition to six project categories, judges will select a “Best Sustainable Element” from all of the finalist projects and determine an overall “Project of the Year.”

Our Wolf River Bluffs development has been chosen as a finalist in Best Public Private Project: Small Category. Click here to learn more about the program’s mission to highlight various local professionals who collaborate to develop impactful projects in our city.

The Gift of Owning a Home

We believe that home matters every day of the year, but nothing beats spending time with family and friends in your own home during the holidays. More than any other time, this season brings people together and reminds us of the important things in life. Opening gifts around the Christmas tree and sitting around the dining room table for hours and hours are just some of the many holiday memories that last for a lifetime.

Jasmine Morris, a 27-year-old Memphis native and veterinary technician, always wondered what it would feel like to celebrate a holiday in her own home. Now, she no longer has to wonder. She officially closed on the Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal Church GraceBuildersHome and moved in with her two daughters, just in time for Christmas.

“That makes me really happy, satisfied,” said Jasmine. “I feel like I’m providing my children with something that’s theirs, and as a parent, that’s something I felt like I needed to do. We can start new Christmas traditions in our home, and that’s special to me.

Jasmine’s dream has always been to buy her own house, and we made sure this dream became a reality. Unsure if she could qualify for homeownership, Jasmine enrolled in United Housing’s Homebuyer Education program and realized it was possible.

“When I took the course, it really became real to me,” said Jasmine. “I was actually going to be able to buy a house, and it was going to be mine. I have to pinch myself because it’s been such a blessing.”

Do you want to spend the holidays in your own home? There are stories like Jasmine’s all over the region, and we want to help you and your family fulfill these dreams. Visit our website, or call us at (901) 272-1122.

For more information on Jasmine Morris, read this article from the Memphis Daily News: http://bit.ly/14SCfk5.

LID Design Competition Sparks Development Changes in Memphis, Shelby County

Update: Water Environment Federation Stormwater Report highlights LID Design Competition, see link below.

In early March 2014, the Memphis-Shelby County Office of Sustainability put out a call for developers interested in participating in their Low Impact Development (LID) Design Competition. Phase 2 of United Housing’s Wolf River Bluffs Development was chosen as the competition site because of the organization’s interest in eco-friendly design. Once the competition was complete, United Housing would have the opportunity to look over all entered submissions and privately contract with whichever firm or team they chose to implement the development, which would feature 40 senior living townhomes.

LID is characterized by methods to treat stormwater runoff in a way that mimics the natural hydrology of the site, through natural infiltration instead of the traditional method of piping the water directly off the site. Because United Housing and the Memphis-Shelby County Office of Sustainability share a similar vision of implementing energy efficient technologies to sustain affordable green communities, United Housing gladly accepted this opportunity for Phase 2 of its development.

The competition design site was located on 12.5 acres of United Housing’s Wolf River Bluffs Development near the intersection of McLean Boulevard and James Road in Frayser. Teams were responsible for developing a plan for a gated senior living community that featured 40 townhomes, interspersed parking, an amenity center for seniors to gather and a cluster design intended to preserve as much vegetation as possible.

A total of 28 architecture, engineering and landscape architect firms represented the 11 teams registered for the competition. Participating teams included:

• A2H, Inc. / Precision Forestry
• Allen & Hoshall, Inc. / Site Solutions, Inc.
• Blair Parker Design / Civil Engineering Solutions, LLC
• Dalhoff Thomas design | studio / The Corradino Group
• Fisher & Arnold, Inc.
• Gresham Smith and Partners / Black & Veatch / Allworld Project Management, LLC / Richie Smith Associates /     University of Memphis students
• Barbara Keathley Associates, Inc. / Roger Dale Skaggs, ASLA / Pickering Firm, Inc. / archimania
• Looney Ricks Kiss / ARUP
• Malasri-Gallo-Lawrence (JT Malasri / Corey Gallo, ASLA / Thomas B. Lawrence, PE)
• Schnadelbach and Associates / The Ibert Group, Limited
• SSR Inc. / Self+Tucker Architects / JPA, Inc.

Round one of judging took place in Houston, Texas, where the first LID competition was launched in 2010. Teams received 80% of their score from LID experts during this round, and the top three teams advanced to the final round in Memphis. The top three teams included Dalhoff Thomas design | studio and The Corradino Group, Blair Parker Design and Civil Engineering Solutions, LLC and Malasri-Gallo-Lawrence. 

The final round was judged by a local jury of 17 civic leaders, design professionals, developers and other decision makers, including United Housing Executive Director Tim Bolding and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell. After the three teams presented their projects to the jury and audience, it was announced that Dalhoff Thomas design | studio and The Corradino Group was the $15,000 winner. United Housing has the option to pursue future contract negotiations with one or more of the participating firms in order to create a compelling design and attract funding for Phase 2 of Wolf River Bluffs Development. The teams’ design boards will travel the state to be displayed at various conferences in Chattanooga, Henry Horton State Park in Chapel Hill and Murfreesboro over the next few weeks.

Anna Gattuso, Amy Schaftlein and Tim Bolding from United Housing with Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell

United Housing with members from the winning team, Dalhoff Thomas design | studio and The Corradino Group

LID Design Competition Coverage:
The Stormwater Report, a Water Environment Federation news service dedicated exclusively to stormwater news, from green infrastructure to wet weather issues: http://bit.ly/1DW0NpL

Memphis Business Journal: http://bit.ly/1teon8B

WKNO's The Family Plot: http://bit.ly/1yy2CsL