Memphis councilwoman proposes $300 fee to combat blighted properties
A new ordinance targets abandoned homes that could be draining city resources.
Author: Scott Madaus
Published: 3:51 PM CDT April 30, 2025
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Drive down nearly any street in Memphis, and you’re likely to see the same troubling sight: abandoned and dilapidated homes that have fallen into blight.
“How does this make our city look?” asked Memphis resident Courtney Lewis. “Man, it makes our city look poor. If you want to be honest, it makes it look bad out here.”
With limited ways to recoup the money already spent on problem properties, Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green is proposing a new ordinance aimed at holding property owners accountable.
“I am proposing what we are calling a blight remediation fee ordinance,” Green said.
The ordinance would charge property owners $300 yearly until code violations on their properties are resolved. Green said the fee is meant to offset the cost the city incurs when identifying and addressing blighted properties. Those costs include code enforcement inspections, cutting overgrown grass, and clearing trash — services that currently come without any mechanism for reimbursement.
“This is a way for us to encourage people to develop their properties or raze them,” Green said. “But they have to start taking care of them because they are draining our city resources.”
Under the proposal, if a property owner refuses to pay the fee, the city could place a lien on the property.
Green said the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division could play a key role in identifying problem properties. She said that more than 10,000 properties in the city have had their utilities shut off for more than six months — a clear indicator of abandonment.
“That’s our baseline of properties that are abandoned,” Green said. “We know there are others out there as well.”
Lewis said it’s time for the city to act.
“They need to come out here and just do something with their property,” he said. “Lower the rent, make sure it’s fixed — you know, give somebody a chance to actually move in.”
The ordinance will be discussed further at upcoming City Council meetings.