South Memphis Renewal Community Development Corporation
We help develop, support, and steward community revitalization that maximizes housing, economic and community development and innovation in Memphis, TN.
About SMRCDC
SMRCDC is a nonprofit, community-based organization focused on revitalizing the South Memphis area. Our services area is bounded by E. H Crump Blvd. on the North; Elvis Presley Blvd. on the East; Third Street to the Mississippi River on the West and Triggs Ave to the South. Our boundary in which we work is typically low-income, underserved neighborhoods that have experienced significant disinvestment. We are most commonly celebrated for developing affordable housing; we are usually involved in a range of initiatives critical to community health such as economic development, sanitation, streetscaping, and neighborhood planning projects, and oftentimes even provide education and social services to neighborhood residents. (More About Us)
SMRCDC is organized around the division of work to better gain traction in transforming the community we live, work and play in.
YouthBuild
YouthBuild is a community-based pre-apprenticeship program that provides job training and educational opportunities for at-risk youth ages 16-24 who have previously dropped out of high school. Youth learn vocational skills in construction, as well as in other in-demand industries, including health care, information technology, and hospitality. (More About YouthBuild)
SMRCDC plays a critical role in building community wealth for several key reasons:
Property
Development
We anchor capital in communities by developing residential and commercial property, ranging from affordable housing to shopping centers and even businesses.
Resident
Participation
At least one-third of a CDC’s board is composed of community residents, allowing for the possibility of direct, grass-roots participation in decision-making.
Neighborhood Organization
SMRCDCs’ work to enhance community conditions often times involve neighborhood organizing, a process critical for empowering residents and gaining political power.