Memphis needs fair housing, not hype
HUD Secretary Ben Carson is visiting Memphis this week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 (also known as the Fair Housing Act).
He will be greeted by a community where one in four of us – and 43 percent of children – live in poverty. More than half of all Memphians rent, and 55 percent of renters, are burdened by housing costs far above their ability to pay.
Our affordable housing ecosystem is marred by redlining, predatory lending, and economic segregation (the very things the Fair Housing Act was meant to fight), which are more than just a legacy, but a daily reality and a verdict on a city’s future.
Memphis is a backdrop where your ZIP code determines whether you thrive or fail.
At this time of remembrance, and of reminding ourselves how far we have yet to come, it is certainly not enough to celebrate the longevity of this law. It is imperative that Secretary Carson support Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) and leverage HUD’s resources to strengthen housing choices for residents in Memphis.
In Memphis, our path toward racial equity and economic opportunity must be based on an understanding of how residential segregation and housing discrimination have excluded people of color from jobs, quality schools, transit, and other essential resources.
We need a federal government administration that strives to maximize resources for affordable housing and community development, expands support for renters, and supports investments in inclusive housing and communities.
Our housing partners depend on programs and policies at HUD that augment and sustain efforts to reduce poverty by increasing affordable housing. Specifically, we need Secretary Carson to push the administration to ensure the highest possible levels for HUD programs including:
❚ HOME Investment Partnerships Program, a flexible formula grant program that supports new construction and rehabilitation of multifamily housing, homeowner rehabilitation, and tenant-based rental assistance;
❚ The National Housing Trust Fund, which creates housing opportunities for the lowest income households;
❚ The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which provides flexible funding to cities and states to address housing, infrastructure, and public services in low-moderate-income neighborhoods; and
❚ The Section 4 Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing Program, which provides grants to local nonprofits to expand their ability to carry out affordable housing and community development activities that benefit low-income communities.
Affordable housing benefits residents, who can access safe and stable housing, and the broader community as affordable housing investments create jobs and generate significant, tangible economic benefits.
What we need is a little less celebration, and a lot more action.
John Paul Shaffer is executive director of BLDG Memphis, a coalition of organizations and individuals who support healthy, vibrant, and economically sustainable Memphis neighborhoods.