The members of the Memphis Neighborhood Blight Elimination Steering Tea are proud to release the 2020-2021 Memphis Neighborhood Blight Elimination Action Plan. This is the fourth such plan in as many years. We remain committed to the shared vision and principles outlined in the Memphis Neighborhood Blight Elimination Charter in 2016, especially its guiding principle that “Every neighborhood in Memphis and in Shelby County has the right to be free from the negative impacts and influences caused by vacant, abandoned, and blighted properties.”

Past Action Plans led to successes such as:
1. Memphis Blighted Property Dashboard launched to track key blight indicators
2. Neighborhood Reports launched as a component of the Memphis Property Hub
3. Monthly community engagement sessions hosted for interested stakeholders
4. Creation of a citizen advocate approcah to addressing problem multi-family
properties
5. International Property Maintenance Code drafted and adopted by Memphis City
Council
6. Amendments to Neighborhood Preservation Act passed by state legislature
7. Maps and data about “Top ten code violators” released quarterly
8. Plan to resolve top ten vacant properties completed
9. Small Developers Bootcamp launched with community partners
10.Toolkit of resources for BEST Roadshow presentations created

Collectively, we work hard to achieve agreed upon action items that will move the City
of Memphis closer to a “blight-free” future where there are no vacant and abandoned
properties and where communities do not suffer the financial and social costs of having
blighted properties as neighbors. We undertake our work as a team to further our
individual efforts to empower and improve neighborhoods.

View the 2020-2021 Action Plan here.