Memphis Affordable Housing Trust Fund

By Toby Sells

A coalition of Memphis nonprofit organizations want city and county leaders to keep current tax rates and spend the excess funds on a raft of community investments in what they call a “moral budget.”

By Eric Barnes, Daily MemphianUpdated: May 28, 2021 3:24 PM CT | Published: May 28, 2021 3:23 PM CT

For as long as I’ve been doing Behind the Headlines — 11 years this summer — business and economic development leaders have talked about what they see as a desperate need to reduce local property taxes. 

By SAVANNAH SMITH

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland have submitted their budget proposals for the 2022 fiscal year. The Shelby County Commission and Memphis City Council have been meeting and coming to an agreement on their respective budgets. The conversation about spending isn't just a government exercise. A multitude of organizations are also debating about or lobbying for budget priorities. 

By: WREG Staff

A number of organizations and activists want the Memphis City Council and Shelby County Commission to take a different approach when it comes to budget talks. These groups want leaders to focus on the social needs of the community and prioritize things like education and public transportation.

By Rachel Starks, Guest Columnist

In the past year, historic rates of eviction have swept across the country, leaving millions of families with costly court fees and housing uncertainty. While many are covered under the federal eviction moratorium, Memphians no longer have this protection, with over 1,000 evictions filled last month alone.

By Bill Dries, Daily Memphian

coalition of a dozen nonprofit and community organizations are calling for the city and county property tax rates to stay at their current rates to create more funding for public education, public transportation, affordable housing and similar priorities.

By Carrington J. Tatum

City and county officials are building budgets for the coming fiscal year at a time when higher property values plus a stable tax rate could translate into an additional $140 million in city and county revenue combined.

By Katherine Burgess, Memphis Commercial Appeal

A coalition is calling upon the City of Memphis and Shelby County Government to keep their current property tax rates in place — rather than lowered rates due to property reappraisals — and use the extra revenue to fund “a moral budget” including education, transit and mental health.

By Charles Layne, Guest Columnist

Memphis is a big city, and one with unique problems —notably, too much land and not enough people.

By Steve Lockwood, Guest Columnist

For years, Memphis has had far too much blighted and substandard housing – single-family as well as apartments.

The mortgage crisis of 2007, followed by the tsunami of foreclosures, made matters far worse. And obviously, the greatest impact has been felt in Memphis’ low-income neighborhoods.