United Housing Receives Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis Grant

Families across the Mid-South will be able to receive the services they need thanks to a new round of grants totaling more than $500,000 from The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis (WFGM).

The foundation has awarded $6 million in grants over the past 18 years to more than 100 non-profit and educational organizations, providing support to nearly 16,000 women and children through education, training, empowerment and hope.

This is the second year in a row that United Housing has been selected as one of the local organizations to receive a portion of the total grant pool. A grant of $10,000 will go directly toward our Homebuyer Education program, the heart of our organization. To learn more about the foundation and see the list of all 2014-2015 grantees, click here.

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.

Behind the Scenes: Video Send-Off for THDA Staffer Vicki George

Taking a break during video production.



With Christmas and our annual holiday party fast approaching, UHI staff got together to make a video to send off Tennessee Housing Development Agency Homebuyer Education staffer Vicki George.

Congratulations, Vicki, on your retirement! It has been great working with you and we hope you like our tribute!

You can see our video here. 

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.

United Housing Selects Winning Designs for NeighborScape Demo Garden

During the Fall 2014 semester, nine students from the University of Memphis Architecture program prepared designs for our NeighborScape Demonstration Garden. On Friday, November 21, the students and their professor, Jenna Thompson, met at United Housing for the final voting on the design boards. 

The following five students were given the Participation Award, along with $25.00: Michelle Goulet, Jonathan Patterson, Catherine Pera, Sonia Raheel and Antonio Tirado. 

Four out of the nine participants received special recognition and awards for outstanding work. The winners are pictured below, and their names and awards from left to right are: Zach Gaines (Honorable Mention - $100.00), Ashley Espinoza (Award of Merit - Second Place - $500.00), Yasmine Jafari (Design of Excellence - First Place - $750.00) and Taylor Bond (Citation Award - Third Place - $250.00). 

Next spring, professor Thompson and her graduate assistant will use the elements of the students' designs to create a composite design for the final demonstration garden at United Housing for its Homebuyer Education clients. Once completed, the building and implementation phases will take place during the 2015 summer gardening season. 

Tamika Walker Feels Right at Home in Wolf River Bluffs House

We’re excited to share that we have our first homeowner in the Wolf River Bluffs development: Tamika Walker! Tamika was able to purchase her very first home after completing Homebuyer Education classes, and she and her family moved in on July 14, 2014.

Tamika has lived in the Memphis area for more than 20 years, but she had never fulfilled her dream of owning her own home, until now. Over the past few years, she has worked hard to build her credit and researched all the steps to become homeownership ready. While busy completing these steps, Tamika had her eye on our Wolf River Bluffs development and dreamed of buying a home there one day. Now that dream is a reality, and Tamika does not take her home for granted.

“It’s great just walking up and down the subdivision and feeling safe in my own neighborhood,” said Tamika. “As a mother, it means the world to have a roof over my two daughters’ heads. One of my top priorities in owning a home is to show them how important it is to have something that belongs to you, which you can take responsibility for and have pride in.”

While enrolled in our Homebuyer Education class, Tamika gained insight into all of the items she needed to bring to the table in order to buy a home. Furthermore, Sharon Walker, our Homebuyer Education Manager, personally assisted and counseled Tamika throughout the home buying process.

In addition to finding a place that she and her family could call home, Tamika was interested in finding a house that was environmentally friendly. Sharon explained to Tamika that the homes in our Wolf River Bluffs development, which she had her eye on, are MLGW EcoBUILD certified and feature solar panels, which conserve energy and cut utility costs. After hearing this, Tamika was sold on living in Wolf River Bluffs.

“The eco-friendly component was a major factor when I was choosing a home,” said Tamika. “My utilities in the past were so costly, and I have already seen a huge difference in my bill while living in this house. Everyone always asks me about living here, and I tell them it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

Start the below video at the 2:45 minute mark to watch Tamika tell her story. 

For more information on the Wolf River Bluffs development, please contact Anne Meadors at (901) 272-1122.

United Housing Employees Help Keep Memphis Beautiful

After working at United Housing for almost two years, Bianca Patel began to think of new ways for the nonprofit to participate in eco-friendly practices. This thinking led Bianca, Accounting Coordinator and Administration Services, to implement an in-house recycling program at our office in November 2013.

“I noticed that most of the trash we were throwing out was actually recyclable, so I wanted to give our employees a way to recycle,” said Bianca. “This program parallels our other ‘green’ projects we have been working on, specifically United Housing’s Wolf River Bluffs development, so it was easy to get everyone on board.”

Bianca doesn’t just strive to keep our environment clean while at work. Although there aren’t any recycling programs that service her neighborhood, she still makes it a point to gather all her recyclable products and take them to local drop-off locations. Her concerted effort is obvious, and her coworkers have taken notice and joined in.

“The response from my coworkers has been great,” said Bianca. “I have also been able to get our neighbors in the office complex to participate, which has been encouraging.”

The program is one year old this month, and our office alone already recycles 50 to 100 pounds of materials every month.

Saturday, November 15 is America Recycles Day, sponsored by Keep America Beautiful (link to http://bit.ly/1yAv2xW). Want to help us keep our city beautiful? Find out how you can recycle in your neighborhood by visiting: http://bit.ly/1u1WLqq.