The 38125 and 38141 zip codes of Memphis, also known as Hickory Hill, have been characterized as declining for at least fifteen years now. Increasing crime rates, decreasing property values, and the flight of many residents and retail stores further into the suburbs have contributed significantly to the decline of Hickory Hill. According to the City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development (HCD), zip code 38141 has been identified as one of ten zip codes in Memphis with the greatest percentage of home foreclosures. Hickory Hill also ranks among the top ten zip codes for the highest percentage of homes financed with sub-prime mortgages and has been identified as an area likely to face a significant rise in the rate of home foreclosures in the near future.
The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) is a grant-funded program awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program provides emergency assistance to state and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that are abandoned or vacant. The NSP acquired properties must be rehabilitated for the purpose of resell, rent, or lease purchase in order to stabilize neighborhoods and control potential blight that foreclosures may cause. The State of Tennessee was awarded $49,360,421; Shelby County was awarded $2,752,708; and the City of Memphis was awarded $11,506,415. The city has selected ten zip codes based on established criteria by HUD as areas of greatest need related to foreclosures, and 38141 qualifies for assistance. This program will be administered locally by the City of Memphis HCD.
The federal and local government can provide the framework and resources to revitalize urban areas, but members of the community must be involved for the revitalization to truly be successful. The members of the community are stakeholders, and they must feel ownership, responsibility, and camaraderie for the revitalization efforts to make a significant impact. Faith-based urban revitalization initiatives can help foster the sense of community that is an integral part of true revitalization, and that is what Stacy Spencer envisions for his community.
A decade ago, Stacy Spencer set out to start a new congregation in an old church in Hickory Hill. “‘I didn't want to just come in and start another church. I wanted to do something to restore the fiber of this community. That meant meeting the needs of the people who were coming and the people who weren't leaving,” Spencer said. Over the span of a single decade, New Direction Christian Church (NDCC) has grown from 60 members to 18,000. "Our job is to make disciples, not members," Spencer said. "Members come to sit and watch. Disciples come to help and serve." The “disciples” have made many contributions to Hickory Hill over the past decade, including:
- regular Bible studies at nearby apartment complexes, community prayer vigils, and mentoring kids at various schools, including the Kirby High football team.
- the Power Center Community Development Corp. to "restore the economic, educational and social foundation of Hickory Hill through empowering initiatives designed to instill hope, pride and sense of community." One of those initiatives is the Soul Cafe, a for-profit venture that opened in a former O'Charley's restaurant next to the church.
- the Power Center Academy, a charter middle school that opened in 2008. The school, which has nearly 200 students in grades 6-8, was recently named the middle school winner in a statewide public school competition by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education.
- the formation of the church's own CDC, which helped acquire the abandoned Marina Cove apartment complex at 5505 Winchester. The church's plans to redevelop the property include a health clinic, a performing arts center and a charter high school.
- a deal for Nueva Direccion Christian Church to move into New Direction's original location at 5777 Winchester after the Hispanic congregation was robbed during a prayer service at their former location. Nueva Direccion Christian Church is now working to meet the needs of Hickory Hill's growing Hispanic population.
What Spencer is doing to revitalize Hickory Hill is something the government can rarely do- create a sense of community that comes from neighbors helping neighbors. For residents of Hickory Hill, the feeling of camaraderie that has been fostered through the church’s initiatives allows the revitalization process to stretch beyond the capacity of government assistance into a project that is successful and sustainable well into the future. "When Hickory Hill is restored, we want people to look at it and know that God did it," Spencer said.
The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) is a grant-funded program awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program provides emergency assistance to state and local governments to acquire and redevelop foreclosed properties that are abandoned or vacant. The NSP acquired properties must be rehabilitated for the purpose of resell, rent, or lease purchase in order to stabilize neighborhoods and control potential blight that foreclosures may cause. The State of Tennessee was awarded $49,360,421; Shelby County was awarded $2,752,708; and the City of Memphis was awarded $11,506,415. The city has selected ten zip codes based on established criteria by HUD as areas of greatest need related to foreclosures, and 38141 qualifies for assistance. This program will be administered locally by the City of Memphis HCD.
The federal and local government can provide the framework and resources to revitalize urban areas, but members of the community must be involved for the revitalization to truly be successful. The members of the community are stakeholders, and they must feel ownership, responsibility, and camaraderie for the revitalization efforts to make a significant impact. Faith-based urban revitalization initiatives can help foster the sense of community that is an integral part of true revitalization, and that is what Stacy Spencer envisions for his community.
A decade ago, Stacy Spencer set out to start a new congregation in an old church in Hickory Hill. “‘I didn't want to just come in and start another church. I wanted to do something to restore the fiber of this community. That meant meeting the needs of the people who were coming and the people who weren't leaving,” Spencer said. Over the span of a single decade, New Direction Christian Church (NDCC) has grown from 60 members to 18,000. "Our job is to make disciples, not members," Spencer said. "Members come to sit and watch. Disciples come to help and serve." The “disciples” have made many contributions to Hickory Hill over the past decade, including:
- regular Bible studies at nearby apartment complexes, community prayer vigils, and mentoring kids at various schools, including the Kirby High football team.
- the Power Center Community Development Corp. to "restore the economic, educational and social foundation of Hickory Hill through empowering initiatives designed to instill hope, pride and sense of community." One of those initiatives is the Soul Cafe, a for-profit venture that opened in a former O'Charley's restaurant next to the church.
- the Power Center Academy, a charter middle school that opened in 2008. The school, which has nearly 200 students in grades 6-8, was recently named the middle school winner in a statewide public school competition by the State Collaborative on Reforming Education.
- the formation of the church's own CDC, which helped acquire the abandoned Marina Cove apartment complex at 5505 Winchester. The church's plans to redevelop the property include a health clinic, a performing arts center and a charter high school.
- a deal for Nueva Direccion Christian Church to move into New Direction's original location at 5777 Winchester after the Hispanic congregation was robbed during a prayer service at their former location. Nueva Direccion Christian Church is now working to meet the needs of Hickory Hill's growing Hispanic population.
What Spencer is doing to revitalize Hickory Hill is something the government can rarely do- create a sense of community that comes from neighbors helping neighbors. For residents of Hickory Hill, the feeling of camaraderie that has been fostered through the church’s initiatives allows the revitalization process to stretch beyond the capacity of government assistance into a project that is successful and sustainable well into the future. "When Hickory Hill is restored, we want people to look at it and know that God did it," Spencer said.
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