Community Redevelopment Agency

What Community Redevelopment Agency does

The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), formally the City of Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency, is a joint municipal government entity that administers community redevelopment programs within designated Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts in Memphis, Tennessee. The agency operates seven core programs organized around a Restore-Reinvest-Reconnect framework: Single Family Home Rehabilitation (grants up to $65,000 per property for low-income homeowners), Good Neighbor Grant (up to $25,000 per commercial property owner), Lots Reimagined (vacant lot revitalization), Essential Housing (affordable housing development and preservation), Brownfield Coalition (environmental remediation), Block Wellness (neighborhood health), and Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (a federally funded program to address Interstate 40 barriers in seven historically African American North Memphis neighborhoods).

The agency's business model relies on TIF property tax increment revenue, federal and state grants (notably a $2,693,160 U.S. DOT Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods grant), and appropriations from its parent governments. CRA delivers services directly through grant applications and community partnerships to eligible residents, homeowners, and commercial property owners within the Uptown and Binghampton TIF districts. To date, the agency reports 250 families served via home rehabilitation grants and 300 vacant or abandoned properties restored, supported by 60+ partnerships with neighborhood organizations, developers, and government entities.

CRA has no proprietary technology product; its operating model is community-led planning with community-driven implementation, channeled through partnerships with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Pennrose, Promise Development, Downtown Memphis Commission, and Binghampton Development Corporation. The agency is governed by a joint City of Memphis and Shelby County board, with day-to-day operations led by a president, CFO, and program directors. Reach is limited to the Memphis Metropolitan Area, and the agency's competitive position derives from its statutory TIF authority rather than any technology or scalable product.

Name

Community Redevelopment Agency

Legal name

The City of Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency

Website

https://cramemphis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The City of Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is a joint government entity administering seven community redevelopment programs within Uptown and Binghampton TIF districts, serving low-income homeowners, commercial property owners, and disinvested Memphis neighborhoods through grants and partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Redevelopment Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Community Housing Services (62422), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Urban Renewal, Brownfield Redevelopment & Land Reuse (BPAIANAI), Public Housing & Social Housing Development/Modernization Programs (FSALAKAH)

Keywords

• Community redevelopment
• Tax increment financing
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Affordable housing programs
• Blight remediation

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Districts: CRA operates through Tax Increment Financing districts where property tax increments are reinvested into blight remediation, neighborhood revitalization, and community development programs.
2. Federal and State Grants: The agency receives federal grants such as the $2,693,160 Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for infrastructure and neighborhood reconnectivity projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Community Redevelopment Agency operates as a joint City of Memphis and Shelby County government entity that delivers grant-funded community development programs within designated Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts. Its offerings include the Single Family Home Rehabilitation program (grants up to $65,000 per home for low-income homeowners), the Good Neighbor Grant (up to $25,000 per commercial property), housing development through Essential Housing, vacant lot revitalization via Lots Reimagined, brownfield remediation coordination, neighborhood reconnection projects, and community wellness initiatives under a Restore-Reinvest-Reconnect framework.

Product overview

The Community Redevelopment Agency operates as a unified set of community development programs rather than a technology product platform. The agency offers seven distinct programs: Block Wellness, Brownfield Coalition, Essential Housing, Good Neighbor Grant (up to $25,000), Lots Reimagined, Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RCN grant of $2,693,160), and Single Family Home Rehabilitation (grants up to $65,000). These programs collectively address blight remediation, housing rehabilitation, vacant lot revitalization, and community reconnection through a Restore-Reinvest-Reconnect framework.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Family Home Rehabilitation

Quantifiable outcome

• 250 families have received grants to make their homes safe, warm, or dry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Shelby CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership with Shelby County for joint community redevelopment initiatives. Shelby County is a founding governmental partner in CRA's TIF district operations.
• City of MemphiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government partnership with the City of Memphis for redevelopment agency operations. The CRA Board governs the joint City of Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency.
• Downtown Memphis Commission (DMC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for downtown area redevelopment coordination and alignment of urban development efforts.
• Habitat for HumanitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on affordable housing development and home construction/rehabilitation programs.
• PennrosemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with housing developer for affordable housing development projects in Memphis.
• Promise DevelopmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing development partner for redevelopment and community building initiatives.
• Room In The InnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for transitional housing and community support services.
• Black SeedsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner for neighborhood development initiatives.
• Binghampton Development CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary community development partner for Binghampton TIF district implementation.
• BRS, Inc.majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGrant management consultant assisting with DOT grant administration including LOSB utilization tracking, DELPHI eInvoicing, quarterly reporting, and SF forms.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Invest Atlanta: Municipal economic development authority for the City of Atlanta that administers TIF districts, housing programs, and small-business grants. Closest functional analog as a city/county hybrid redevelopment authority.
• Downtown Memphis Commission: Memphis-based nonprofit that coordinates downtown economic development, planning, and real estate strategy. Overlaps with CRA's mandate on urban planning, TIF-adjacent redevelopment, and coordination of public-private investment in Memphis neighborhoods.
• Detroit Economic Growth Corporation (DEGC): Public-private partnership that drives economic development and neighborhood revitalization in Detroit. Operates brownfield redevelopment, TIF-adjacent financing, and housing programs comparable to CRA's portfolio.
• Memphis Shelby County Office of Planning and Development: Local government planning body with overlapping jurisdiction on land use, zoning, and housing initiatives. Comparable in function for municipal-level planning and community development coordination.
• Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority: Municipal authority that acquires, assembles, and disposes of vacant and blighted property for redevelopment. Comparable in managing property redevelopment pipelines and community housing initiatives.
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Memphis: Affordable housing developer and partner executing home construction and rehabilitation. Delivers outcomes directly aligned with CRA's Single Family Home Rehabilitation and Essential Housing programs in Memphis.
• Binghampton Development Corporation: Community development corporation that implements Binghampton TIF district activities on the ground. Functions as a quasi-extension of CRA in Binghampton, handling commercial corridor revitalization and small-business support.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National nonprofit that finances and supports community development organizations, including CRAs and CDCs. Provides capital, technical assistance, and grants that flow to entities like CRA Memphis.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National affordable housing and community development nonprofit that offers financing, development expertise, and policy advocacy. Operates complementary programs to CRA in affordable housing preservation and community development.

Emerging players

• Cuyahoga Land Bank: County land bank that addresses vacant and abandoned property in Cuyahoga County with assembly, rehabilitation, and disposition. Comparable to CRA's Lots Reimagined and vacant property restoration programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCah2lLlvWz7-TlM27prswvA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Redevelopment Agency