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Addressing Urban Blight in Memphis: A Call to Action

Learn about the economic, safety, and community costs of urban blight in Memphis and Shelby County. Explore the connections between foreclosure, blight, fires, and homelessness. Discover ways to combat blight and promote community well-being through grassroot political action.

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Addressing Urban Blight in Memphis: A Call to Action

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  1. Combating blight in our neighborhoods • Issues First Community Summit | Mid-South Peace and Justice Center

  2. Overview and Purpose • It is the intention of the Issues First campaign to promote a community-wide discussion and grassroots political action to curb urban blight as well as address related issues in a holistic fashion. • The purpose of this document is to give a snapshot of troubling trends in Memphis and Shelby county and highlight the economic, public safety and quality of life costs to the community as a whole. • We will also demonstrate the connections between foreclosure, blight, fires and homelessness, that stem from predatory lending practices.

  3. Starting points • 6000-7000+ unsecured vacant properties • 13,000+ vacant lots • 3000+ County owned due to abandonment or delinquent taxes. Cleveland & McNeil

  4. Parking garage off Jefferson Concerns and Costs • Masks Homelessness • Crime, Illegal dumping. • $3.5 million in vacant fires costs in 2008

  5. Presentation of fire data maps • 2005-2009 • Total vacant fires • EMS • Squatting • Racial breakdown

  6. High Cost of Blight Orange Mound • The 933 vacant fires from late 2004- 2009 cost taxpayers $16.3 million dollars • Majority in low income communities of color

  7. Code and Context • City and County Code agencies are responsible for enforcement of local property codes. • Serious problem of organizational overlap and a lack of information sharing

  8. Code and Context • 933 fires in vacant properties • 694 were in 1-2 family residential units. This is overseen by City of Memphis Code Enforcement • 152 were in Multifamily units and were mostly over seen by the Fire Dept. • 77 were commercial fires and were mostly over seen by County Code Enforcement Binghampton

  9. Presentation of Accountability • Accountability Matrix and Explanation

  10. Code and Context Causes of Vacant Fires

  11. Code and Context Vacant Fires 2005 - 2009

  12. Why did fires decrease in 08? • 2008 Memphis Community Enhancement began boarding up vacant properties. • Other Forces

  13. Cost of board-up $17,500 - cost of a fire $600 - cost to board up a home $16,900 - potential savings per prevented fire

  14. The Shadow Inventory • 82,947 foreclosures notices From 2000-2009 • 50+% of notices resulted in foreclosure • Predatory lending practices in housing.

  15. Shadow Inventory • Define Shadow Inventory • Underwater walk away • High Class Squatting

  16. Shadow Inventory-cont • Presentation of Maps • Appt • Str • Wd • Non Wd Str transaction • Foreclosure map with Race

  17. Other points of concern • Federal Tax credit ends • 20% to 30% of Shelby County mortgages are “underwater” • Unethical in-house financing practices.

  18. Political and Grassroots Action • Issues First-People’s Agenda • Code Reform • Public Pledge

  19. Political and Grassroots Action • TN. Neighborhood Preservation Act • Grassroots Organizing and training

  20. Political and Grassroots Action • Change For Shelby County network • Communities of concentration • Accountability in government • Accountability of Lending Institutions

  21. Notes For more information, please contact: • Mid-South Peace and Justice Center • 901-725-4990-office. 901-725-7858 • Email- center@midsouthpeace.org

  22. Contributions Data for this presentation was provided by: • Office of the Shelby County Register of Deeds • City of Memphis Department of Fire Services • City of Memphis Department of Fire Services-EMS • Shelby County Environmental Court • Memphis Housing and Community Development • City of Memphis Division of Community Enhancement • Memphis Daily News • Mid-South Peace and Justice Center-internal sources • Commercial Appeal

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