United Housing opens new headquarters in Binghampton

This article was written and originally published by Fox 13 Memphis.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A local non-profit has a brand-new tool to help families buy their first homes.

On Thursday, United Housing officially celebrated the organization’s 8,000-square-foot headquarters in Binghampton, at the site of the former Caritas Village.

"Families cannot compete with cash investor buyers," said Amy Schaftlein, executive director of United Housing. "We help them get access more quickly to mortgages and down payment assistance."

Schaftlein told FOX13 United Housing helps between 500-800 people go through home ownership training every year. Last year, the non-profit helped 300 families get into their first homes, she said.

As FOX13 has reported, Memphis ranked No. 2 in the country for the percentage of "mega investors" who own 1,000 or more homes.

Schaftlein said families struggle to compete with investors because of financial barriers.

"That barrier mainly is around the closing costs and having cash to close," she said. "We help them get access to some resources."

She said United Housing has a mission of helping families get an asset they can pass down to their children.

"Homeownership can provide generational wealth," she said. "That is so important because of the stability that provides. The kids are more likely to stay in school long-term.”

New program offers $25k grants for first-time homebuyers

This article was written and originally published by WREG News Channel 3.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A program aimed at helping first-time homebuyers is extending its reach.

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati and United Housing, Inc. are expanding the Rise Up Program to benefit potential homebuyers in Memphis and West Tennessee.

A total of up to $2 million in funding is available in Memphis and Western Tennessee.

The Rise Up program will offer $25,000 grants to be used for down payments, closing costs, or principal reduction assistance for qualifying households.

The program is for first-time, first-generation homebuyers. There are no fees or strings attached, says Trudie McClelland with United Housing.

She says this is a unique and important initiative when it comes to increasing access to homeownership and lowering the barriers.

McClelland says it’s about building generational wealth.

“At the end of the year, what do you have to show for it? You know, you’ve paid probably 12 to $1,500 a month for rent, and that’s like $18,000 of your income. And you could have been to build an equity and a home,” McClelland.

Data shows that homeownership in Memphis is 46% lower than the national average of 65%.

Buying a home can be a stressful process and on average, that process takes about six months.

According to the Memphis Area Association of Realtors, home sales for September increased 13% from a year ago, with 1,460 sales total.

To help folks answer the questions of “How much do I have saved for a down payment” or “Can I afford my desired neighborhood?”  we must first know the importance of financial literacy.

“It’s really important to take a look at your credit score, take a look at your savings account, take a look at what your monthly expenses are, and decide how much of a house note you think you want to afford, and then sit down and talk with a counselor and let them help you get a better understanding of the best direction for you,” said McClelland.

The first-time homebuyer market share decreased to a historic low of 24% in 2024, according to the National Association of Realtors.

High housing costs and existing debt could be to blame.

Program offers free money for first-time homebuyers

This article was written and originally published by Fox 13 Memphis.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Here are two words you don't hear very often: free money!

United Housing and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati are joining forces to help first-time homebuyers.

"I think it's important that we continue to provide more housing and programs that will support local homeownership," said Amy Schaftlein, executive director of United Housing.

As FOX13 has reported time and time again, investors are snatching up homes all over Memphis.

This Realtor.com report found Memphis ranks second in the country for the share of "mega investors" who are buying homes.

The "Rise Up" program aims to help Shelby County families own Shelby County homes.

"Home ownership is about stability," Schaftlein said. "It's that housing stability that provides stable neighborhoods overall. It allows for kids to do better in school."

The program provides $25,000 grants that can be used for down payments, closing costs, or principal reduction assistance.

There is about $2 million in funding available, which is enough to help about 80 families. 

To apply for the program, people can contact United Housing at riseup@uhinc.orgor call 901-728-6921/901-728-6936.

"If you are a single mom and you have children and you want to become a homeowner, but you might not know how to start, you can always give us a call at United Housing," Schaftlein said. "You want to look at your credit score. You want to see what kind of savings you might have. If you don't think you have enough savings, you can always talk with one of our housing counselors."

Qualifications:

• At least one borrower must be a first-generation and first-time homebuyer

• Borrowers must agree to participate in HUD-approved counseling

• Borrowers must meet income limit of 120% of the HUD-defined Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project Income Limit

• In Shelby County, that's a limit of about $109,320 for a four-person household

‘What affordable housing looks like:’ Zodiac Homes bring new life to Whitehaven Hills

This article was written and originally published by Tri-State Defender.

From a purely business perspective, it makes no financial sense to build a $200,000 house in a neighborhood where homes typically sell for $130,000 to $150,000. That simple fact is a big reason so many Memphis neighborhoods struggle — the math just ain’t mathin’.

But on Zodiac Road in Whitehaven, 10 newly built homes are challenging that logic by reshaping what affordable housing can mean: new construction, new equity, new beginnings.

City leaders, nonprofit partners and community members celebrated the project’s completion at 3118 Argot Ave. This initiative was made possible through a collaborative effort involving the City of Memphis Housing and Community Development (HCD), United Housing Inc., the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA), Trustmark Bank and Convergence Memphis.

“These homes matter because they give 10 families the chance to build stability and wealth through homeownership,” said Memphis Mayor Paul Young during the August 21 ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Since the 2008 housing crisis, starter homes have nearly vanished from our market. Projects like this help reopen the door to opportunity.”

The largest property in the collection is a roomy 1,800 sq. ft. residence located at 3118 Argot Ave. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house has a spacious yard. The other nine homes, each 1,500 sq. ft. with four bedrooms and two bathrooms, are situated mere yards away on Zodiac Road.

In the Whitehaven Hills section of Oakhaven, United Housing Inc. is offering something that’s become increasingly rare in Memphis: a brand new, high-quality, affordable starter home.

“We have affordable housing in Memphis,” said Amy Schaftlein, executive director of United Housing. “But we’ve lacked quality new construction, especially for first-time buyers. This development proves we can have both.”

A comeback for starter homes

The homes were funded through a layered package of federal, state and city sources — including the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Memphis’ Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and down payment assistance. HCD’s Affordable Housing Department (AHD), which manages more than a dozen homeownership programs, played a critical role in guiding the project to completion.

“Vacant land is now being transformed into homes that will soon be filled with life, laughter and most importantly stability,” said Young. “This is how we strengthen neighborhoods.”

“Too often in affordable housing, corners get cut to lower costs, but that just leads to more problems for the homeowner down the line,” said Schaftlein. “We didn’t do that here. These homes are built with quality materials — brick, energy-efficient systems — because first-time buyers deserve a solid, low-maintenance home they can count on.”

A vision built on collaboration

Speaking at the event, HCD Director Ashley Cash emphasized how the partnership reflects a broader commitment to reversing neighborhood decline and resisting predatory investor takeovers.

“Without affordable homes, families get stuck in the cycle of renting,” Cash said. “Neighborhoods decline, and we’ve seen outside investors target our communities. But this project, and partners like United Housing, help break that cycle.”

Schaftlein underscored the importance of public-private collaboration in making developments like Zodiac possible.

“Everyone here — the city, the state, our nonprofit partners and banks — helped bring this to life,” she said. “And it took time — getting utilities hooked up, sewer access, permits. That’s the long part. But once the slabs were poured, it only took three months to build these homes.”

‘That’s what affordable housing looks like’

Gesturing to the brick homes behind her, Schaftlein issued a direct challenge to outdated stereotypes.

“To my left, your right — that’s what affordable housing looks like,” she said. “A lot of people have their own assumptions, but this neighborhood hasn’t seen a new starter home in 40 years. It’s time we add new and make it affordable.”

United Housing created more than 300 first-time homebuyers in Memphis last year, generating more than $40 million in mortgage financing. Zodiac Homes will add 10 more families and over $2 million in new mortgage activity to that tally.

Schaftlein said the average rent in the area hovers around $1,200 per month. “Over five years, that’s $75,000 paid to a landlord. That same money could be building equity in your own home,” she said.

Closing the appraisal and affordability gaps

Like many infill projects, the Zodiac development faced an “appraisal gap,” where construction costs exceed what the homes are valued at on paper. A new state program through THDA helps developers close that gap. Meanwhile, the City of Memphis provides construction subsidies and buyer-focused down payment assistance to address affordability barriers. It’s a two-sided approach: support for the builder to deliver quality and support for the buyer to access ownership.

“When we combine resources, we can overcome the challenges and help families get into homes,” Schaftlein said. “That’s how we grow wealth at the community level.”

Trustmark Bank, which financed the construction, emphasized the project’s commitment to quality.

“Memphis has affordable housing, but not all of it is quality,” said Trustmark Senior Vice President Richard Marsh. “We’re proud to be part of this, and proud to keep working with United Housing on projects like this one.”

A community-wide blessing

Before the ribbon was cut,  Pastor Dianne Young of The Healing Center Full Gospel Baptist Church opened the event with a blessing over the homes.

“Bless these walls so firm and stout that will keep warmth in and trouble out,” she prayed. “Let this be a place of peace.”

State Sen. London Lamar, representatives from the offices of Congressmen Steve Cohen and David Kustoff, and Andrea Hudgens of THDA also offered words of support.

And for Super District 8-3 City Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton, relatively new in her elected role, the impact was emotional.

“I almost cried when I drove up and saw it,” she said. “This is affordable housing, yes. But it’s also love. It’s memories. It’s hope. This is what our neighborhoods need and what our people deserve.”

Whitehaven Hills Welcomes First-Time Homebuyers With New Starter Homes

This article was written and originally published by Memphis Flyer.

The Whitehaven Hills community recently unveiled 10 affordable homes that will diversify options for first-time homebuyers and Memphis’ affordable housing market.

Last week, United Housing Inc., Convergence Memphis, and the city of Memphis announced nine four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes and one three-bedroom, two-bathroom unit. The properties are valued at $200,000.

“These homes represent a new type of progress we’re especially excited about,” Amy Schaftlein, executive director of United Housing, said. “The 10 homes on Zodiac Road are earmarked for local homebuyers, use energy-efficiency best practices, and fit a specific need in our real estate landscape.”

Schaftlein said many first-time homebuyers qualify for home ownership but have been unable to find options in the city. She said higher interest rates and home-sale price increases have contributed to the existing trepidation aspiring homeowners experience. 

“When we think about housing affordability, our minds first go to the cost of rent and essential housing needs,” Schaftlein said. “That’s a critically important part of the equation, but we also need to address the lack of options for people who could have purchased homes in previous markets but have been squeezed out due to current circumstances.”

Lack of affordable housing options leave residents in rental situations, Schaftlein said. While they may have the income to purchase, many continue to rent which stops turnover in the rental market, where these people would have moved out and into starter homes. 

Unlike other counties who’ve built starter homes for people to move out of their rentals into, Schaftlein said Shelby County lacks in the starter home inventory. This has also caused the county to lose population.

“We’re not building starter homes in Shelby County like we used to,” Schaftlein said. “They’re building them more often in DeSoto County and Tipton and Fayette; whereas, Shelby County hasn’t seen as much of that.”

United Housing emphasized that building starter homes not only helps the families that will live in them, but the neighborhood and housing market as a whole. Schaftlein said Whitehaven Hills hasn’t seen development like this in years.

While many homes that have faced blight and other issues are being renovated, Schaftlein said construction of new homes that are priced reasonably are important as well. She added that the current stock of starter homes typically consists of smaller houses that are “aging and require extensive renovation.”

“An ideal housing market is rich with properties of varied sizes, types, values, and ages,” Schaftlein said.

As a nonprofit, United Housing said they were able to work with the city and state to provide funding for the appraisal gap, which will create sales prices that gradually increase and not “price out” residents.

Schaftlein said this also allows the market to come in and bring neighborhoods back to “healthy appraisal values.” She said they hope to continue this trend to diversify housing opportunities for Memphians.

In order to be eligible to purchase one of these units, applicants must meet income requirements and complete a homebuyer education course through United Housing.

Nonprofit provides housing opportunities for underserved families

This article was written and originally published by WREG News Channel 3.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Every Tuesday, as part of our Greater Memphis on a Mission series, we highlight organizations making Memphis better. This week, we caught up with a group that believes in quality housing for all.

“There’s a huge gap for many families on getting access to credit and capital. One of the things we provide is that access,” said Amy Schaftlein, executive director of United Housing.

United Housing is a nonprofit organization that provides stable housing opportunities for families that are underserved by the homeownership market and the banking industry.  

“We do this through mortgage lending, home building, and also through education, which is really the flagship of our work,” Schaftlein said.

Part of that education is the home buyer education classes they offer monthly.

“The class covers everything from improving your credit, the importance of your credit, about savings and budgeting. Closing, working with a realtor. Working with a lender,” Schaftlein said.

Along with their first mortgage lending program.

“For low-income families who don’t have that credit score yet. Or, don’t have that relationship with a bank yet, so they work with our housing counselors and our staff,” Schaftlein said.

They also build starter homes in disinvested neighborhoods so home buyers have affordable options.

“I think it’s important that when the neighbors get involved and they say we want to see affordable housing. We want to have our kids be able to have an option to live here,” Schaftlein said.

And if you own an older home, they offer home repair loans to keep your house happy, healthy and safe.

“This is access to capital once you’re already a homeowner. You have to maintain that asset over time. The home repair loan is a low-interest loan, it’s 3 %, it’s up to ten years. It will help you fix the big-ticket items in your house, roof, HVAC, plumbing,” Schaftlein said.

Cheryl Henderson, a proud resident of Orange Mound and a manager for My Cup of Tea, bought her first home five years ago. She was able to utilize the home repair loan to do some updates.

“I was able to turn the old home into a new home, which included so many things. A new bathroom, a new kitchen, plumbing. Plumbing work because some of the plumbing up under the house was old, because the house is 70 years old,” Henderson said.

Since it was a low-interest loan, Henderson was able to get everything done at once and fit it in her budget.

“It made it even more rewarding because I’m able to pay it back in a way that is comfortable for me,” Henderson said.

That is why Brown Missionary Baptist Church and the Mid-South Genesis CDC donated $1,000 to United Housing, because providing quality affordable housing options will always strengthen a neighborhood’s legacy.

Could Memphis’ Zodiac development be sign of starter homes return?

This article was written and originally published by Daily Memphian.

The new-build starter home is mounting a comeback in clusters as Memphis grapples with a shortage of quality affordable housing.

“Since the 2008 housing crisis, starter homes have nearly vanished in our market,” Memphis Mayor Paul Young said Thursday, Aug. 21, as he cut the ribbon on a set of 10 new homes in an Oakhaven subdivision known as Whitehaven Hills. “Families who could once afford to buy a home are now being priced out.”

Nine of the homes in what is called the “Zodiac project” — because of its proximity to Zodiac Park — are four-bedrooms with two bathrooms. The 10th is a three-bedroom, two-bathroom property.

Each of the homes is valued at approximately $200,000 by United Housing, the nonprofit leading the development. United Housing is also part of a growing citywide response to the shortage.

Amy Schaftlein, executive director of United Housing, says there isn’t enough quality affordable housing in Memphis, the difference in where families have to live versus where they can choose to put down roots.

“I feel that if you are a first-time homebuyer, you need a very durable, energy-efficient, well-run home so that you can maintain it better over time,” she said. “Too often people would make affordable housing affordably, and then you would have issues longer term. I wanted to make sure that we’re constructing homes with great materials; brick is durable.”

Young notes a link between the more durable houses and the communities the city is incentivizing developers to build in.

“When I talk about growth, I mean activating vacant lots. I mean taking dormant structures and occupying them with families,” he said. “It’s not growth just for the sake of growth. It’s growth for the benefit of the residents of our city.”

Meanwhile, Schaftlein said families looking for quality affordable housing are finding it more readily south of the Tennessee state line as investors within the city have bought up affordable housing to convert single-family homes into rentals.

”We have to change that. Like many neighborhoods, they haven’t seen a new starter home in over 40 years,” Schaftlein said about the setting for the 10 homes. “It’s time. … Let’s stop giving our families to DeSoto and other counties. Let’s keep them here.”

The public agencies, nonprofit leaders, lenders and other developers involved in the development of affordable housing define a homeowner qualified for the financing and subsidies as someone whose household makes 60% or lower of the area’s annual median income of approximately $51,000.

The income standard comes with incentives like down payment assistance and other measures designed to bridge what’s called the appraisal gap, or the space between the cost of building the houses and their lower appraised value due to their location.

That gap is something clusters of homes — like the ones in Whitehaven Hills — could erase in time as builders seek to define affordable housing by homeowner income, not construction quality.

“In order to construct a home like this, we are going to have an appraisal gap. It’s going to cost more than what we have it appraised for,” Schaftlein said after the ribbon cutting. “I think over time as we continue to invest in infill development, you will see a more gradual increase in property value. That will help close the gap in many neighborhoods. It’s going to take longer in some neighborhoods and quicker in others.”

Young said the “broader strategy” is about rebuilding neighborhoods that have some measure of blight and even gaps of vacant lots where starter homes of past generations once stood. That comes with city funding for public infrastructure in areas that have been disinvested and neglected for decades.

“We want to have enough properties aggregated together where you are changing the perception of the neighborhood, both for residents and potential investors,” he said. “We want to change the perception such that neighborhoods that may have seen disinvestment for many years are now seeing opportunities for growth.”

‘When are they going to be available?’

The new homes at Whitehaven Hills are four miles south of the site of the blighted Somerset Apartments, which the city began clearing this past May.

The city is months away from seeking development proposals for the Somerset site. That could be new rental units, houses for sale or a combination of both. Some of those involved in the affordable housing movement say that combination is the more realistic, shorter-term answer.

The owners of the 30-acre Somerset complex (a series of limited liability corporations with addresses in Memphis, Delaware and California) gave it to the city after 15 years of abandonment during which the city pursued legal action against them for city-code violations. Young’s administration has stepped up those efforts as well.

The 10 homes sites bordering Zodiac Park were vacant lots in the Memphis Metropolitan Land Bank Authority.

United acquired them with a grant from the Tennessee Housing Development Authority to Convergence, a subsidiary of United that works specifically on predevelopment items like putting parcels together for sets of homes.

The process leading up to construction took about a year and half, Schaftlein said, with active construction lasting about three months. 

“As soon as we started building, we were getting calls about, ‘When are they going to be available? Are they for sale? Are they for rent?’” Schaftlein said. “We’re using federal money, so there is an income limit. There are other limits on who can buy. It lowers the pool, but there are so many people in that income pool that benefit from this project.”

Trustmark Bank is a partner in the mortgage financing, which Schaftlein estimates is about $2 million for the set of 10 homes. Trustmark also worked with United in the Wolf River Bluffs development of 34 new homes in Frayer that debuted in 2022.

Ten $200K homes developed in Whitehaven Hills community for first-time buyers

This article was written and originally published by ABC24.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The City of Memphis celebrated the development of 10 homes in Whitehaven Hills community for first-time buyers on Thursday, Aug. 21.

The homes are valued at $200,000. Nine homes will contain four bedrooms and two bathrooms, and one house will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms. United Housing Inc. and Convergence Memphis took part in the efforts to create the homes.

“Anytime we can bring homes to market, it’s a big occasion. But these homes represent a new type of progress we’re especially excited about,” said Amy Schaftlein, executive director of United Housing. “The 10 homes on Zodiac Road are earmarked for local homebuyers, use energy-efficiency best practices and fit a specific need in our real estate landscape. People who qualify to buy their first home, but couldn’t find one within the current housing stock, can make a home here in Whitehaven.”

According to a statement from United Housing, building starter homes benefits the families who inhabit them and improves neighborhoods along with the local housing market overall, asserting that "the development of new properties often increases the value of existing homes, creating immediate gains for existing residents." 

"The homes on Zodiac Road are one example of the ways that nonprofits, private developers and government entities are collaborating to build and repair homes across Memphis," the organization stated.