Memphis, TN

Client: Memphis Community Development Partnership (MCDP)

Team of experts: Joe Schilling, Virginia Tech’s Metropolitan Institute; Bill Nelson, Director of Housing Inspection and Code Enforcement, City of Dayton, Ohio

Description of work:

In June MCDP and the University of Memphis’ CBANA sought assistance from the Campaign in the areas of code enforcement and neighborhood revitalization strategies. With support from the Greater Memphis Community Foundation, NVPC has provided strategic guidance for the Partnership and its Problem Property Collaborative (Collaborative). In August 2005, an NVPC study team spent three days in Memphis surveying existing code enforcement policies and the relationships among relevant public/private sector institutions and community/neighborhood associations. The study team also held subsequent conference calls with the Partnership, CBANA, and other local organizations to discuss its preliminary observations and brainstorm about possible next steps.

Recent conversations among the Partnership, CBANA, and its close allies indicate support for the Collaborative to launch its own initiative for code enforcement reform. In December 2005 the NVPC drafted a strategic framework to guide the Partnership and Collaborative with the design and launch of its Code Enforcement Campaign 2006. Such an initiative could target activities to certain strategic neighborhoods along with complimentary citywide reforms of the existing code enforcement system. Several of the framework’s recommendations highlight successful code enforcement strategies and tools adopted by other communities. The Partnership plans to convene a special strategic planning session for the end of February 2006 that will be facilitated in part by NVPC.

Who might find this report helpful: Community development groups interested in launching their own community driven code enforcement activities.