Dixie Homes - Memphis TN One of Memphis' first two public housing ventures was Dixie Homes, built for African American residents, after the Memphis Housing Authority was established in 1935. "Memphis became the second city in the nation, following New York, to establish a local housing authority" following the establishment of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in 1934.
Consisting of 633 units, the project cost $3,400,000 for both facilities--the first was constructed for whites in keeping with the South's segregation policies. Dixie Homes was constructed following demolition of the Quimby Bayou swamp area slums, and was designed in the two-story, commons area block-style meant to encourage...