Building your credit is a process, but it doesn’t have to be challenging or take a lot of money. With education and taking small, practical steps, you can effectively raise your credit score.
One of the most important ways to get there is to establish a strong understanding of your budget and to make room for saving. Even small investments in your future can add up over time, especially when considering compounding interest. But what is compounding interest and why does it matter? We’ll break it down for you here.
While you probably learned about smoke detectors in school, fewer people know about carbon monoxide detectors, how they work and why they’re important. We share more about this essential home tool and what you need to know as a public housing resident on our blog.
Memphis Housing Authority and Pennrose announced the groundbreaking of Edgeview at Legends Park, a 99-unit, senior affordable housing development located within the mixed-income community in Memphis’ Medical District. The project is 100% affordable, with all units eligible for Project-Based Vouchers, which are utilized by residents participating in MHA’s Housing Choice Voucher program. The project is slated to begin welcoming residents in early 2025.
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program plays a crucial role in providing secure and cost-effective housing options for low-income, disabled and elderly households across the country. But, there are steps you must take to demonstrate you qualify for a voucher.
We’re excited to share that MHA is making a concerted effort to modernize many of its public housing sites, elevating residents’ standard of living while providing essential repairs and stabilizing units into the future.
One of Memphis Housing Authority’s most frequently asked questions is, “What happens if my information changes after I submit my application and am placed on the waiting list?”
It’s not easy to see a doctor. If you try to book an appointment with a new doctor, you’ll have to wait an average of 26 days until your appointment. To speed up the process, you may look into an urgent care facility. The few we have in Memphis are located along the Poplar corridor or toward the suburbs, requiring transportation to get there. And if you need to see a doctor immediately, be prepared to pay $1,883 – the average cost of an ER visit in Tennessee. That doesn’t include the cost of an ambulance, if you need to call one to take you to the hospital.
It’s hard to imagine the current temperatures quickly dipping below freezing any time soon, but as we enter September, it's good to go ahead and have a plan in place to ensure your family stays warm this winter without breaking the bank. Here are five ways you can winterize your home on a budget.
The Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) program allows Memphis Housing Authority and other public housing agencies to request a 36-month Housing Choice Voucher to serve youth who are aging out of child welfare or foster care programming.
When you start the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program’s verification process, you have to submit proof of income. The money you bring in and your voucher are closely connected – so being clear with the team at MHA team is really important.
Real estate investing is one of the most common ways to make passive income – or money that rolls in without actively working a job. That’s where becoming a landlord can come in.
It is a common misconception that owning a home is better than renting. In reality, renting is a more affordable and convenient option for many people. Here are six tips for helping you build on your savings while renting.
If you partner with MHA, you know that a lot of our housing programs use a voucher system. Most often, we talk about the Housing Choice Voucher Program. However, you may also hear us mention Project Based Vouchers, Tenant Based Vouchers and Emergency Housing Vouchers, among others. All of them give families essential housing support, but they all work a little differently. We explain the purpose of each voucher below.
Long-term rental housing support is essential for stabilizing families. Here are a few ways to use your rental situation to support your future independence.
Housing Choice Vouchers are meant to help you secure long-term affordable housing. As a tenant within the program, you have responsibilities to fulfill to keep your voucher current. But if you follow the program rules and keep your paperwork updated, you can rely on the HCV program for as long as you need. Here’s what you need to do every year to keep your voucher.
At Memphis Housing Authority, we believe that everyone deserves stability and a place of their own that they can call home — our veterans, service members and their families are no different. One of the ways that we serve this group of brave men and women is with the Veterans Assisted Supportive Housing — or VASH — program.
The Housing Choice Voucher program provides permanent, affordable housing to thousands of Memphians. And while we continually add new tenants to the program, we know that there are people waiting for a voucher who need stable, affordable housing now. If that’s your circumstance, we know the challenges and frustrations you’re facing. You might feel like you’ve tried all of your options and don’t know what to do next while you wait. We don’t provide emergency housing, but we can point you to several tools you might not know about.
As a renter, you’re responsible for regular upkeep of your unit while your landlord is responsible for making structural repairs and fixing any issues that happen beyond your control. But sometimes, it’s hard to know what you have to fix and what your landlord has to repair.
Your family may not be together when a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area and to create corresponding response plans. To keep everyone safe, involve the whole family in disaster planning.
It’s no secret that life outside the classroom influences how well students perform and engage in their academics. With school back in session for students across the Mid-South, how can MHA make a positive impact? The answer can be found in our family-inclusive programs.
MHA’s Family Self-Sufficiency program provides services to families with significant or multiple barriers to reaching economic security. Participants often require assistance with many basic needs, including housing, mental and physical health and nutrition, as well as support in obtaining work-related skills or educational goals.
During the month of May, the National Children’s Bureau sheds light on the challenges many families face as their children interact with the foster care system. Through Foster Care Awareness Month, people and organizations around the country join them in celebrating the successes of the foster care process and raise awareness for the areas of the system that need improvement.
Rental assistance vouchers provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 will assist families in special categories to prevent family homelessness or assist families having a high risk of housing instability.
Beginning September 1, 2020, Memphis Housing Authority (MHA), through CARES Act funding, is offering incentive payments to new and current owners to lease a new unit to qualified voucher holders.