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Commission passes joint Memphis–Shelby Building Home Program ordinance
Summary
On third reading and after modest clarifying amendments, the Board approved the joint city–county Building Home Program (Homestead reauthorization) to activate underutilized land for housing and expand loan products under Tennessee's Homestead Act framework.
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners approved a joint ordinance with Memphis to reauthorize and expand the Building Home Program under the Tennessee Homestead Act, a program intended to activate underutilized county land for new housing, promote community reinvestment and expand loan products to support homeownership and construction.
Dana Shostrom of the county's Division of Planning and Development explained clarifying amendments that specify the governing body approval process and shared responsibilities between Shelby County and Memphis City Council for disposition of property. Commissioner Henry Brooks, who sponsored earlier committee work on the item, said the program was developed with the housing task force and stakeholders and that the ordinance passed with the necessary supermajority after a suspension of rules for the third-reading amendment.
Why it matters: The Building Home Program creates a county-level mechanism to convert county-owned parcels into housing opportunities and includes implementation language to coordinate review and disposition across city and county governance. Proponents said it should increase local capacity to develop missing-middle and workforce housing.
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