U of M interns help improve city

In times of crisis, like the recent economic turmoil, people often come together to help each other out. The University of Memphis has created a program to do just that.

The U of M Center for Community Building and Neighborhood Action conducts an annual lending study and offers an internship program in Shelby County. CBANA is part of the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policies.

"This study shows the different zip codes around the county that had disproportionate predatory lending and foreclosures." said T.K. Buchanan, administrator of the CBANA internship program.

Buchanan said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has instituted the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. NSP will provide grants to cities and communities to buy, rehabilitate and resell foreclosed homes. This is in an attempt to stabilize the declining housing market and help strengthen poorer neighborhoods, according to the HUD Web site. The CBANA report was used by the city and county when applying for the grant, Buchanan said.

"The city came together to figure out where the money would go, and it used the CBANA program to see where the biggest problems were," she said.

The city came up with several zip codes that had the most problem properties, which are properties that are vacant, damaged or foreclosed, Buchanan said. These areas include Hickory Hill, Frayser and the area around The U of M campus. The area with the highest number of problem properties in the county is Frayser, said Steve Lockwood , executive director of the Frayser Community Development Corporation.

But HUD and the City of Memphis have yet to allocate the funds, Lockwood said.

"As of right now, we have no concrete plans on when we will get the money or how it will be distributed," he said. "We are waiting to find out the exact amount we are getting before making those plans."

While Frayser and other community development corporations around the city have not received NSP grant money, they have already started on projects using contributions from the city and county, Lockwood said. Some CBANA interns, like Sam Powers, have helped with the community improvement projects. Powers, a graduate assistant at The U of M, is working for the Frayser Community Development Corporation.

Powers said his job is to meet with people older than 60 or disabled people in Frayser and assess their houses. He then decides how much money to give to each person in need.

"We give between $1,000 and $5,000, depending on the person and the amount of damage," Powers said.

Due to the lack of concrete plans on how to use the NSP funds, Powers does not yet know if he will work directly with the project. However, Lockwood said Powers' hard work and "nose for housing" could make him an ideal candidate to work on the NSP.

"Right now, Sam is locked into the minor home repair, but that should be done in four months," Lockwood said "So if the funds are there when he comes back in September, then it would make sense for him to work on that."

Powers said he has enjoyed working in Frayser over the last semester and would like to work directly with NSP.

Another CBANA intern who may soon be working with NSP is Jesse Smith, a graduate assistant in anthropology, who is working with United Housing.

United Housing is working on multiple levels with the city and the NSP according to Marketing and Resources Director Paige Walkup. UH, the city and the county held a summit to make sure all communities had a voice in the HUD application process, said Walkup. Smith, who works as an outreach specialist for UH, said her job is basically to get the word out about the UHCDC.

"I go out into the community and let churches and other leaders know about United Housing and what we do," Smith said.

Smith said she raises awareness of UH's programs for first time homeowners and foreclosure prevention counseling. When UH receives the NSP funds they plan to buy and rehab homes all over the city for low income families, Walkup said. Once UH receives the funds, Smith said she will continue to inform people of the NSP.

"I just want to help these low income families," Smith said. "The connections I make now will help in the future and with getting the word out, especially in Frayser, about United Housing."

Lockwood also said the Frayser community needs to become more aware of the programs to help the housing problem. But the rest of Memphis should be concerned as well, he said.

"The NSP is important to Frayser and other neighborhoods in trouble, but the whole city should be aware of the program, because it affects all of Memphis," Lockwood said.