In his State of the City, Mayor Paul Young unveiled his bold plan to build or renovate 10,000 homes by 2030. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis is aiding in this goal, one build at a time. On paper, the housing strategy will jump-start population growth and address housing shortages. At its heart, each structure represents a minimum of two generations of Memphians on a new trajectory of success.
“We're helping keep communities together. When we beautify a home, we often see that neighbors are like, let me go to the Home Depot and pick up some potted plants and scrape some paint off and refurbish. It has a ripple effect.”
Since its creation, Memphis Habitat has created access to more than 650 new homes and affordable mortgages while also helping more than 1,800 senior homeowners reside at home through repairs or modifications. It ranks 25th among more than 900 Habitat affiliates nationwide for new home production, and local socioeconomic studies estimate Memphis Habitat has generated nearly $400 million in cumulative community impact since 1983.
But housing is more than the structure itself. Where we live can shape our access to healthcare, education, transportation, and other resources that help individuals and families thrive. That’s why investment in safe, stable housing can have a ripple effect far beyond the walls of a home.
That connection between housing and health has also created opportunities for partnership beyond the traditional housing sector, including with Matter Health, which works to improve health outcomes for older adults. Memphis Habitat and Matter Health are working both individually and in collaboration through the “Aging in Place” program to preserve home and independence for older homeowners through repairs and modifications. The result is autonomy, maintained connections, and familiarity, as well as multigenerational neighborhoods.
“There’s a cost of doing nothing, and it’s not zero. If [an individual or family’s] health continues to deteriorate and they’re on Medicaid or Medicare or even employer insurance, the rest of us will pay for that through our taxes or our premiums. People who grow up in a Habitat home — built healthy, built correctly — are on a different trajectory.” – Michael Scarborough, Matter Health
That ripple effect also depends on people beyond the housing sector choosing to participate. Through volunteer efforts and specialty builds, Memphis Habitat gives individuals and organizations tangible ways to invest in the city’s housing future. The upcoming CEO Build on October 9, 2026, invites local leaders to do just that, contributing not only financially, but through their own sweat equity.
Want to hear more about how Habitat for Humanity is building a brighter tomorrow? Listen to this conversation between Dwayne Spencer (Habitat for Humanity) and Michael Scarborough (Matter Health) on Meanwhile in Memphis!
Hear from real leaders making a real impact in Memphis each week on the Meanwhile in Memphis podcast, airing on Tuesdays at 8am on WYXR 91.7 FM and streaming wherever you prefer to listen podcasts.
Great cities need great leaders, and New Memphis builds them. New Memphis is a nonprofit leadership development organization that infuses Memphis with leaders who are passionate about positive community change and have the skills needed to take action. New Memphis’ leadership development programs inspire thought, connection, action, and civic engagement, helping participants find meaningful ways to use their talents and networks to be effective city advocates at any point in their careers — from the college classroom to the C-Suite executive.
