Strategic University Partnerships

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Strategic University PartnershipsUsing data to
drive community development initiatives and
measure impact

• Tk Buchanan, M.A.
• Senior Research Associate
• Center for Community Building and Neighborhood
  Action
• University of Memphis

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Neighborhood-by-Neighbor A City-Wide Problem
Property Audit

• http//memphisneighborhoodsurvey.org

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Neighborhood-by-Neighbor

• First ever city-wide property audit
• 200,968 parcels, 297,121 housing units
• Originally conceived as a partnership between
  HCD, Code Enforcement Citizen Volunteers
• 169,000 University Match
• 40 Samsung Q1 Ultralite Hand Held Computers
• Project Director, Community Organizer, Database
  Manager/GIS Analyst, 2 graduate interns

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Our Task

• Survey the condition of every residential
  property in Memphis.
• Uses what we know about collaboration and block
  sweeping as effective code enforcement (i.e.
  Baltimore, Chattanooga, Philadelphia, Long Beach,
  Plano, Richmond, Albany, NYs Block by Block
  program, Chicagos Troubled Buildings
  Initiative, etc.)
• Introduces cutting edge technology and analysis
  to neighborhood leadership and volunteers.
• Asking the question what would it take to
  restore this property back to its original
  condition?
• Audits Include
• Problem Properties
• Vacancy
• Crimeogenic Factors
• Foreclosure
• Housing Choice Vouchers- HUD, THDA and city
  site-based and scattered sites.
• Parks
• City Service Needs
• Streets (potholes)
• Signs (missing or broken)

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Database Management

• CBANA will host survey until neighborhood
  indicators project outgrows server space
• http//memphisneighborhoodsurvey.org
• http//dataportal.memphisneighborhoodsurvey.org
• Database duplicated on the citys Oracle server
• clones for each division
• Ultimately folded into Community and Neighborhood
  Indicators, to be hosted by University of Memphis
  and the Memphis Police Department
• 3 domains housing and neighborhoods, crime and
  community, and children and families.

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Community Deliverables ( Putnam)

• Community Bonding
• CBANA trains existing CBOs on technology.
• Community Building
• CBANA identifies areas without organization and
  attempts to cultivate leadership.
• Community Bridging
• CBANA returns to each neighborhood to present
  findings and customized strategies for compliance
  
• CBANA provides continuum of technical support
• best practice research, sample form letters, etc.
• Maps and database for each neighborhood in
  electronic format, easy to paste into
  applications and other documents.

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Data Users

• Community Based Organizations
• CDCs
• Neighborhood Associations
• Churches, civic clubs
• Other non-profits
• City of Memphis
• Housing and Community Development
• Memphis Police Department
• Memphis Light Gas Water (utilities)
• Department of Planning Development
• Shelby County
• Commercial Code Enforcement New Construction
• Office of Planning and Development
• University Wonks
• CBANA
• Department of City Regional Planning
• School of Urban Affairs Public Policy

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Data Uses

• Establishment of an official Blight Level
• Evaluation of Housing Subsidies (DPA, Sect. 8,
  LIHTC)
• Foreclosure strategy
• HUD Neighborhood Stabilization Plan
• Code Enforcement Compliance
• Grant writing

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Specific Community Uses

• General and specific code enforcement strategies
• Identify demolition candidates
• Clean-up campaigns
• Civil litigation
• Identify zoning violations and variations
• Determine abandonment
• Develop acquisition strategy

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Thank you!

• CBANA appreciates your interest and welcomes your
  inquires
• Tk Buchanan, M.A.
• Senior Research Associate
• Center for Community Building and Neighborhood
  Action
• University of Memphis
• 600 Jefferson Av, Suite 453
• Memphis, TN 38105
• [phone] office
• [phone] fax
• tbuchann_at_memphis.edu