Past Activities of MCDP:
Received seed funding from Community Foundation of Greater Memphis and United Way of the Mid-South
Successfully linked the Youth Civic Action Team (Y-CAT), a collaboration of Peabody/Vance, Madison Heights, Vollintine-Evergreen, and Orange Mound with the Presbyterian Church’s Self-Development of People to receive financial support totaling $26,000. The grant provided funding to hire and train youth to identify and report problem properties.
Developed a curriculum utilizing best practices to impact code enforcement at the neighborhood level. Training session implemented over a period of a year.
The PPC steering committee coordinated a planning session in 2005 with over 40 individuals representing 21 organizations. The agenda consisted of issue identification, essential ingredients for a comprehensive code enforcement strategy, action planning, a presentation of best practices from Dayton, Ohio, and discussion of priorities for PPC.
Completed a letter writing campaign to support CIP funds to expand City of Memphis impound lot for abandoned cars. City Council approved the Police Department budget including $14 million for the expansion of the impound lot.
Orange Mound Junk Car Festival was held May 21. Fourteen cars were removed by our preferred towing company with additional 3 cars removed by other towing companies. Channel 5, Channel 24, and Channel 30 covered the event. Frayser Community Association junk car festival was held as part of the Frayser Fall Festival 2005
PPC in collaboration with CABANA are actively collecting data on property conditions and problem properties in six neighborhoods. CABANA continues to commit significant research and staff time to PPC as a part of one of their strategic focus areas for the center. PPC members serve on the advisory council for the Brookings Institution Urban Markets Initiative for CABANA.
Partnered with Joe Schilling and Bill Nelson of the National Vacant Properties Campaign (NVPC) to review Memphis and Shelby County anti-blight housing codes and code enforcement programs and policies to identify commonly used strategies and tools in other cities. In addition, NVPC identified specific strategies and tactics that neighborhood-based groups in Memphis can use to improve and enhance program effectiveness.
Partnered with City of Memphis and Shelby County Government to draft proposed Neglected Properties legislation to address vacant properties
Hosted presentation “ Are Homes Values Rolling Down the River: A Comprehensive Community-Based Strategy to Attack Property Abandonment” in partnership with the National Vacant Properties Campaign in February, 2006 to an audience of 70 participants from financial institutions, community organizations, foundations, elected officials, and other stakeholders.
Hosted a workshop for 50 neighborhood leaders on the linkage of the Problem Properties Collaborative with the Memphis Police Department’s Blue CRUSH strategy, nuisance abatement, and the E-Team.
