2000 Best Practice Awards

191 Community Investment Roundtable
Memphis, Tennessee
Charles Neale (901) 544-0928

This project is a series of workshops organized by HUD and federal banking regulators that are designed to build working relationships between lenders and Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and other community-based organizations. The project began with 27 representatives of financial institutions taking a tour of seven supportive housing facilities and community economic development projects. A guidebook describing the sites was prepared for the tour and the bankers had a chance to meet with the CDCs and non-profits. Since that time, five Roundtables have been held. Each Roundtable permits open dialogue and encourages questions. The next roundtable, scheduled for June, will explore community economic development initiatives. This dialogue, centered on specific topics between bankers and community-based organizations, has broadened the possibilities for inner city communities to obtain funds and also broadened the perspective of both parties involved.

The Memphis Community Development Partnership is a recent addition to the Roundtable. The Memphis Community Development Partnership is one of 25 intermediaries across the country sponsored by the Ford Foundation, private sponsors, and the city. The Community Development Partnership provides funding for operating support for CDCs.

192 Fair Housing Alliance of Greater Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Jackie C. Cobbins (901) 432-4663

Ongoing series of forums and workshops organized by HUD and all of the federal banking regulators designed to connect and build working relationships between lenders and Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and other community-based organizations. To date five (5) Roundtables have been held with the next forum in the planning stages. One of the highlights of the roundtable series was an inner city development tour for bank officers and directors where 27 representatives of financial institutions were loaded on a city bus and taken to seven affordable housing supportive housing and community economic development projects. The bankers got a chance to listen to the responsible CDCs or non-profits explain their particular project. Each participant was given a project profile which discussed the financing details of each project including participation from banks. At lunch the bankers were fed by a new female entrepreneur who had benefited from the city's small business loan program. The tour also included a visit to a SHP homeless transitional project Dozier House and a HOPE VI project Site. Other Roundtables have featured bankers talking to CDCs about their affordable housing products and their Community Reinvestment Activity. During this forum a bank sponsored Community development corporation explained the financing structure of a historic and Low income housing tax credit deal. A subsequent roundtable for banks and CDCs Featured the Banking Regulators(OCC, FDIC, perspectives on qualified CRA investments. The most recent roundtable featured CDCs, MHA, and a private developer talking about the HOPE VI project in South Memphis. Each roundtable permits open dialogue and encourages questions. The forthcoming roundtable in June will explore community economic development initiatives including peer-to-peer lending, a micro enterprise program and explanation of IDAs. This dialogue around specific topics between bankers and community-based organizations has broadened the possibilities for inner city communities and broadened the perspective of both Bankers and CDCs and community based organizations.

442 FACT (Fire Accident Castrophe Trouble)
Memphis, Tennessee
William Glass (901) 544-1102

The implementation of a comprehensive plan of action that will insure a rapid response to emergencies affecting safety and security of Memphis Housing Authority residents and employees.

983 Senior Crime Stoppers
Memphis, Tennessee
Donna L. Derryberry (901) 529-4782

Senior Crimestoppers operates in over 4000 long term care, assisted living and HUD properties in 48 states. The program begins at each property by spreading a positive attitude of prevention and includes an extensive education program for residents, and staff members. Recognizing that any type of communal living situation creates the opportunity for unfortunate incidents to occur, Senior Crimestoppers was modeled after community Crimestoppers programs. In addition to the personal lock boxes provided, the program has an 800 tip telephone line where anyone can anonymously provide information about incidents in return for substantial cash rewards. When people don’t fear reprisal, or being identified, they take a more conscientious attitude toward reporting problems, especially if they are receiving cash anonymously. The program helps provide the safety and security every resident wants and deserves. It’s a win-win program for all.

1213 Delmar-Lema Village
Memphis, Tennessee
Judith Johnson (901) 529-9828

Project involves the rehabilitation of an entire historic district of 18 historic shotgun houses into 24 units of low income elderly housing in the Delmar-Lema Historic District and adjacent to Dixie Homes, a Memphis Housing Authority development that has undergone modernization. The shotgun houses were owned by Columbus Avenue Baptist Church situated within the same property. The plan in 1996 was to tear down the shotguns because they were in such a horrible state of repair. Then a plan surfaced to physically relocate all of the shotguns into the Greenlaw Historic District in order to save the district from delisting on the National Register of Historic Places. Although the city did not approve this plan, the church was so taken with the renderings of the revitalized shotguns, they decided to team with Memphis Heritage, Inc., a nonprofit focused upon historic preservation and the only historic preservation CHDO in the state , to develop a plan for rehabilitation. The project involved a unique partnership between The Church, Memphis Heritage, a bank sponsored CDC, First Tennessee Housing Corporation, a private developer, Capital Development, LLC .and the City of Memphis, Division of Housing and Community Development. Total project costs were $1.186 million and included multiple layers of funding : HOME, Historic Tax Credits, Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA)HOUSE funds ,lead abatement funds and private investment. The projects was so successful that it was a feature story on Bob Villa's Restore America series on PBS. Average rent in the 1100 SF units $350.00 per month plus utilities. This is a great example of partnerships between non-profits and faith based communities in support of neighborhood revitalization, and meeting the affordable housing needs of low income elderly persons.

1214 Picture It 2000
Rio Grande, Texas
Elmo Moreno (956) 487-3216

A real time software program that creates a wide range of professional quality photo images employing powerful photo-editing tools, hundreds of templates, and easy-to-use project wizards. The software will allow the Starr County Housing Authority to instantly record any HA activities, and to e-mail these activities to various HA partners, including local, state, and government officials, residents, marketing groups, private entities, as well as the general public.

1253 Gracewood Subdivision

Gracewood Subdivision was constructed on vacant land in a Weed and Seed target area. This project includes new construction of 47 affordable single family houses.

1319 Gibson Guitar Factory and Memphis Rock
Memphis, Tennessee
Robert Lipscomb (901) 576-7301

The Gibson Guitar Memphis Showcase was developed on Urban Renewal land one block from historic Beale Street. The facility houses an instrument factory, a cafe, and retail store, live performance space, and the Smithsonian Rock-n-Soul Museum. The project brings new jobs, a new tourist attraction, and adds to the revitalization of downtown Memphis.

1334 Chicago Park Place
Memphis, Tennessee
Robert Lipscomb (901) 576-7301

A vacant and abandoned school within the Memphis Enterprise Community was converted into a community-oriented facility that houses 39 units of affordable rental housing for the elderly, a police mini-precinct, and community space available for the neighborhood. This project is also linked to the overall redevelopment of the community.

1477 City of Memphis Housing Authority Transfer
Memphis, Tennessee
Susan T. Schmidt (901) 678-4186

In response to HUD mandates to improve operations, the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) engaged in a partnership with the Center for Urban Research Extension (CURE)at The University of Memphis to assist in a strategic transformation. CURE is a university-level center designed to facilitate inter-college and interdisciplinary collaborative to address urban issues. Faculty members and students, as a regular part of their research and instructional programs, are recruited to provide research and technical assistance for addressing issues in the Memphis region. Regarding the best practice, city administrators made strategic changes in MHA staffing. The new staff was given a mandate to transform the agency. To do so they asked HUD for approval to reorganize through community partnerships while fulfilling federal mandates for community involvement. The plan was to comply with HUD’s wishes in a way that would be accepted in a volatile political climate. In early 1999 the new MHA Executive Director, Robert Lipscomb, formed an informal think tank to suggest a plan for the total redesign of MHA. The group included three participants representing different perspectives in the community, from private business to public service, community activism, and nonprofit grant funding. One of these was a CURE staff member. The think tank structured the partnership process with four community development factors in mind: inclusiveness, holism, sustainability, and continuity with the public agenda. To ensure inclusiveness, the Task Force was co-chaired by three people - a leading businessman, the president of the MHA Residents’ Council, and the head of the local publicly owned utility company, who is also president of both the Chamber of Commerce and the local NAACP chapter. The Task Force structure then broke into committees addressing all aspects of MHA operation. The model of three co-chairs was repeated on all committees and inclusion for general membership also followed the public/private/resident model. To maintain a holistic approach, the think tank insisted on 14 committees. Areas of focus for the committees included: 1) social, community and tenant services; 2) health; 3) housing and homeownership; 4) operations and maintenance; 5) sports and recreation; 6) public safety; 7) planning and development; 8) resident initiatives; 9)education and mentoring; 10) administration and cost savings; 11) transportation; 12) community relations; 13) investment; and 14) environmental enhancement. As a result, the committees encompassed most of the best practices nomination categories. Despite the cumbersome nature of such a large structure. To promote sustainability, an intentionally short timeline of two months was set for completion of committee assignments to get things moving quickly and avoid burnout. The transformation process was linked to the public agenda as a response to the widespread distrust of MHA. The process maintained maximum media coverage to disseminate news of the work being done to the local citizenry.

1584 Memphis Retail Potential Study
Memphis, Tennessee
Steve Redding (901) 678-2056

This research project examines nine markets (covering 60% of the Memphis population), comparing retail potential from households with existing retail sales. A combination of government data and estimates generated by the Regional Economic Development Center (REDC) were used. Reports for each market included: a) demographic analysis of the market and pertinent sub-areas, b) a retail profile describing existing retail development, and including a parcel level map of retail locations, c) retail trade and household services gap analysis (difference between household expenditures and existing sales), d) a discussion of gaps by industry classification, and e) a market summary with recommendations for future retail development, and calculation of the square footage required to satisfy retail demand. study findings included the identification of retail gaps of sufficient size to warrant major department or discount stores, demonstration that the poorest neighborhoods had significant underestimated retail potential, identification of areas where low vehicle ownership limited resident's ability to shop, and location of existing retail clusters where additional stores might create strong synergy with greater retail appeal. A final chapter in the 215 page report included calculation of retail potential in the six market central core of Memphis, and identified several specific locations that are suitable for retail redevelopment. REDC developed its study methodology based on similar studies in Boston and Washington. Drawing on recent consumer research, and initiatives by national organizations, the study utilized methods that attempt to overcome the "information gap" in assessing inner city markets. The study was designed to advance the level of professional practice in retail potential studies by incorporating consumer expenditure data for low income neighborhoods and minority populations, as well as determine retail gaps at the lowest possible SIC level. Specific study components that we incorporated which contribute to the advancement of professional practice in retail potential studies include: a) developing our own estimates of household income based on a REDC created model that corrected for apparent misallocation found in proprietary models, and that could be applied to each market. b) using consumer expenditure data by income level rather than income data alone in estimating household spending potential. This resulted in higher and more accurate estimates for low income neighborhoods. c) providing household spending and sales estimates at the three and four digit SIC level (63 industries in nine markets). This provided more useable business-specific data on gaps and retail potential. d) developed charts for each market showing retail spending shares by household income range, with comparisons to the total study area and the county. e) mapped retail clusters based on county tax assessor database and county GIS.

1588 "Wesley Wellness (WW)"
Memphis, Tennessee
Terri Townsend (901) 325-7800

"Wesley Wellness (WW)" was the name given to the pilot initiative of the Wellness in Senior Housing (WISH) program. The promotional efforts have used "Wesley Wellness Comes to You" to show that health promotion and wellness can take place on-site in the facility, without residents belonging to an external health club. In January 1998, the Partnership for Women’s and Children’s Health expanded efforts to address health improvement for older adults through the Community Health Outreach division. The Partnership is a community collaborative between Methodist - Le Bonheur Healthcare and the University of Tennessee. The mission of this group is to create solutions to health care problems that measurably improve the health of women and children in the West Tennessee area through research, education, and improved access. These solutions should be affordable, measurable, and sustainable. A collaborative relationship with Wesley Housing Corporation was established in the spring of 1998 to pilot the Wellness in Senior Housing (WISH) program as "Wesley Wellness." The Director and Community Coordinator of Community Health Outreach, at The Partnership met with the management team at Wesley Senior Ministries to set mutual goals. As a result, the Wellness in Senior Housing (WISH) program was developed as "Wesley Wellness." The Community Coordinator, a RN/BSN/BSW, was available on-site for Wesley Highland Tower, the pilot site for program development, implementation, and evaluation. The goals of the WISH program: -Encourage healthy lifestyles choices by older adults in senior housing; -Encourage seniors to seek healthcare options early through appropriate referral; -Incorporate holistic healthcare by addressing the mind, bodies, and spirit in program activities for seniors; -Encourage coordinated community agency collaboration to sustain wellness programming in senior housing, maximizing resource utilization and minimizing duplication of efforts, and -Promote measurable, sustainable health benefits for senior participants. Components of the WISH program include health education, physical education and activity, nutrition education, health services referral, behavioral health education and referral, healthy and safe senior environment, spirituality support, and social and community support. Activities and events include exercise and movement, health screening, social activities, mental health support, and health education lectures. Specific programming is diverse including topics such as cardiovascular health, immunization, cancer screening and prevention, environmental and personal safety, spiritual enrichment, stroke club, SOWN (Support for Older Women), pet therapy, and intergenerational activities with a local preschool. Initial priority planning was placed on health education, access to health screening, and increasing the rate of immunization for pneumonia and influenza for women over 65. Wesley had seven senior housing facilities in Shelby County, six of which were HUD subsidized. There are currently eight such facilities, with seven HUD subsidized. There are over 1200 seniors living in these Shelby County facilities. None of these facilities had coordinated health promotion programs at that time of this project.

2501 Federal Grant Opportunities For New Millenium: A Forum for Public and Private Nonprofit Organization
Memphis, Tennessee
Nancy N. McGee (901) 684-6605

A Federal Funding Forum was provided for public and private nonprofit organizations in the Memphis, Tennessee region on January 21, 2000 by The Grant Center and its partners. The Agenda for the day included two panels: Panel I: New Federal Opportunities & Initiatives, consisting of 20-25 minute presentations from seven senior personnel from six Federal departments; Panel II: Making Your Case Through Effective Grant Proposals & Communications in Washington, presented by The Grant Center’s Washington Representative and the Washington Representative from the City of Boston. The luncheon keynote address was brought by The Honorable Harold E. Ford, Jr., U. S. House of Representatives. For an hour and a half in the afternoon participants were given the opportunity to visit one-on-one in a "Federal Grant Marketplace" with the various Federal Department personnel and the two Washington Representatives to discuss their programs and grant activities and get their specific questions answered. During the day, The Grant Center displayed funded Federal grant proposals that participants could browse through and a table of a variety of available resources. Federal Representatives distributed numerous pertinent handouts describing for participants the latest Federal grants and initiatives information from the six departments represented. A small registration fee was charged which included the cost of lunch and handouts.

2591 ONAP/OTAR Joint Monitoring Program
Memphis, Tennessee
Karl H. Kucen (901) 544-3195

The Office of Troubled Agency Recovery (OTAR) and the Office of Native American Programs (ONAP), mutually wrote and adopted a protocol between the two Offices to conduct joint monitoring reviews of ONAP agencies. ONAP personnel teamed up with TARC staff from both the Memphis and Cleveland Troubled Agency Recovery Centers (TARC) to jointly provide on-site monitoring and technical assistance to the many Indian tribes, housing authorities, and TDHEs that receive grant funding from HUD.

3060 Mid-South
Jackson, Tennessee
Carol Gish (901) 423-0616

West Tennessee Legal Services, Inc. (WTLS) is a Tennessee private non-profit corporation, with 501(c)(3) status, affiliated with the Legal Services Corporation. WTLS is a HUD-certified housing counseling agency since 1990. In January 2000 WTLS became certified by HUD as a Regional Housing Counseling Intermediary. The project is entitled Mid-South and covers Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and 60 counties in Kentucky. The subcontracting agencies are six legal service agencies in Tennessee; three in Alabama; two in Georgia and five in Mississippi. WTLS has received Housing Counseling funding for the past 10 years, and during the funding year 1995/96 was the only HUD-funded housing counseling agency in west Tennessee. WTLS works with other public and private housing entities to assist development of actions to promote and facilitate home ownership envisioned by the National Homeownership Strategy, through education and outreach, and individual and group service delivery, in a manner that is in compliance with, serves to affirmatively further, and acts to enforce fair housing choice. In addition to the HUD-Certified Housing Counseling Grant, WTLS has administered numerous grants from a variety of funding sources, including federal, state, and local city government; foundations; banks; United Way; and others. Examination of client housing needs and assessment of apparent and/or potential housing problems is a component of all initial client intake regardless of the issues that may have generated the initial client contact with the agency. This is true because the need for safe, decent, and affordable housing is a fundamental requirement and necessity. WTLS has been awarded a 2 year private enforcement grant by HUD; this project is statewide with legal service agencies subcontracting to WTLS to enforce the federal Fair Housing Act. Additionally, WTLS received an award from HUD under the FHIP Fair Housing Organization Initiative Establishment of New Organizations Component to create a new fair housing organization in association with California Rural Legal Assistance. WTLS has received CDBG funding from the City of Jackson for fair housing counseling and enforcement the past 11 years, and prepared the Analysis of Impediments for the City, continuing to provide an enforcement mechanism for the City with which allegations of discriminatory housing practices are investigated and to address barriers to fair housing choice by means of education in the law and community involvement. n eighteen month Grant from HUD under the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, Education and Outreach Initiative, Regional-based Reduction of Community Tension, by means of which all Legal Services agencies in Tennessee, east Arkansas, north Mississippi, and throughout Alabama, and the Central Alabama Fair Housing Center act together to provide education in the Fair Housing Act to law enforcement personnel, legal advocates, and to community groups. It is the aim of this Program to inform these entities and groups that discriminatory housing practices include intimidation and violent acts directed toward persons because they have exercised their right of housing choice under the law and that there are civil remedies available under the law to redress such injuries. In addition, in 1996 under subcontract with Jacksonville Legal Aid Society, through a Private Enforcement Initiative Program, WTLS provided tester training and a Manual to be used by that office for training testers. In the summer of 1998, WTLS provided like services to California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc.(CRLA) with an emphasis upon issues of Fair Housing Law enforcement for immigrant populations. Currently, in addition to contract/grants with HUD, WTLS administers programs in West Tennessee that provide services in dependency and neglect situations through the Family Advocacy Project; representation to Senior Citizens Centers primarily in the area of access to medical care through the Senior Citizens Program; representation primarily to senior citizens in nursing and boarding homes under the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program; assists families to form decisions related to aging issues through the Care Givers Project, as well as those issues relating to the disabled; provides counseling in pre-purchase, mortgage default with emphasis upon FHA-insured mortgages, federal regulations thereto, and enforcement of the federal regulations; landlord/tenant conflict resolution, with emphasis upon Tennessee Uniform Residential Landlord/Tenant Act; subsidized housing regulations, and enforcement of regulations; and investigation of complaints alleging violation of the Fair Housing Laws by means of the Housing Counseling Project; provides education in Fair Housing Law, rights, remedies and avenues of redress for discriminatory housing practices through Community Counsel, a contract with the City of Jackson; assistance to assure families receive all of the federal benefits to which they are entitled through the Family Benefits Project; and finally, provide general housing information and referral providing knowledge of available housing, rights and remedies to the public at large.

Content Archived: April 20, 2011