Issues plague project to provide housing for those experiencing homelessness in Orange Mound

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An effort to help the homeless community in Memphis has run into issues.

Juice Orange Mound has been turning old shipping containers into a place for people in need to call home.

The non-profit organization started this project in 2022.

The goal is to provide affordable housing to people living on the streets.

Then after three months, Juice Orange Mound will find them a suitable place to live.

“We stand to at the end of six months be able to directly house 20 people and work with them over 3 months each cohort to get them rehoused. What this looks like is creating a pipeline of people to get off the streets,” said Britney Thornton, Juice Orange Mound founder.

Work continues off Park Ave near Juice Orange Mound’s main location.

The container homes will have electricity, air conditioning, and heating.

A contractor working on the project said they’re currently building a unit that has a bathroom, shower, washer, and dryer on site for everyone.

But there is a problem.

“To our surprise, the utility lines were in the way and we couldn’t get a crane to put it in place. We’ve been trying to call MLGW to move the lines temporarily,” said Dwayne A. Jones, contractor.

But that isn’t the only issue.

Due to the delays, people are trashing the homes.

“We had window units but some of them were stolen. When I come over here, I get frustrated, but my mind automatically turns and says what do I need to do to fix the situation,” said Jones.

Juice Orange Mound’s main building will offer resources to those in need.

They hope to have these units open to tenants by the spring.

“Don’t mess it up, don’t trash it. Just love it and say you love Orange Mound. Let’s keep Orange Mound clean,” said Warren Banner, a member of Juice Orange Mound.