City of Memphis Housing Summit - 2026 - Session 3

The City of Memphis Housing Summit, Session 3, held October 16, 2026, focused on the city’s goal of creating 10,000 housing units; Mayor Young said about 863 units were currently in the pipeline. He called for speeding up permitting, zoning, infrastructure coordination, financing, and development, while directing investment toward neighborhoods affected by long-term disinvestment and making room for smaller local developers. The mayor cited the Community Redevelopment Agency, tax increment financing, and the Essential Housing Initiative as tools to support neighborhood development, and emphasized preserving existing homes and holding property owners accountable.

Hope CEO Bill Bynum described the organization’s affordable mortgage and housing-finance work, including down-payment assistance, low-income housing tax credit projects, and partnerships with banks, philanthropy, government, and developers to assemble project financing. He discussed opportunities to help tenants purchase homes after tax-credit compliance periods and expand that approach in Tennessee. The summit included no reported votes, contract awards, or procurement approvals; discussion centered on financing strategies, partnerships, and priorities for future housing investment.