Mayor Young outlines Memphis housing strategy

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Mayor Paul Young spelled out his housing strategy plan during the State of the City Address on Tuesday evening.

The mayor said the push for progress across the city will be dependent upon how we address housing. He went on to say that shelter is the foundation of any growing city.

“Our next big push for progress is going to come with how we think about housing,” Mayor Young said.

During Part of his speech, the mayor focused on a housing master plan as he pledged 10,000 affordable and market-rate homes in the heart of the city by 2030.

“If we are going to jumpstart Memphis growth, we have to build differenly and we have to invest more deliberately. That means changing the outdated rules that make it hard to build housing in our city. Yeah, y’all can clap for that,” Mayor Young said.

This is a huge yet attainable goal, the city’s Chief of Development and Infrastructure, John Zeenah, explains.

“To be able to support existing communities, so how the housing blends with the fabric of existing communities is really important to the city,” Zeenah said.

The plan would be made possible through zoning reform, streamlined approvals, aligned capital, and public-private coordination.

Simply stated, it will require collective action in order to put this plan into action. There will be everything from single-family to multi-plex homes.

“There are different types of housing for different stages in life, for different needs in life, for different incomes,” Zeenah said.

City leaders, including Zeenah, emphasize the importance of first acknowledging a problem, in a continued effort to seek solutions, by providing shelter.

There is no set timeline for when construction will begin.

WREG learned the housing strategy will include new builds while also renovating already existing homes.