Well before we were faced with a national pandemic, Memphis was facing an affordable housing crisis. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition report released in March 2020, The Gap: A Shortage of Affordable Homes, the Memphis metro area has a deficit of over 38,000 units of affordable housing for households at or below the poverty level or at or below 30% of area median income.
It has been a long-held belief that economic prosperity is a direct result of educational attainment with many overlooking the converse relationship between the two. A recent article in the July edition of The Atlantic titled “Education Isn’t Enough” stated that “multiple studies have found that only about 20 percent of student outcomes can be attributed to schooling, whereas about 60 percent is explained by family circumstances—most significantly, income.” Studies also show that a surrounding community of poverty and crime can adversely impact students’ scholastic success.
The vision for South City is to create a community that is vibrant and sustainable with neighborhood amenities including quality housing, good schools, health resources, healthy food options and economic development opportunities.
