Presley Place
In the same way that Lauderdale Courts provided low-income, transitional housing for Gladys, Vernon, and Elvis Presley in the early 1950s, Presley Place in Memphis has been a nurturing, safe haven for more than 115 families since its inception in 2001.
Supported by the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation and Elvis fans around the globe, Presley Place, a transitional housing complex located at 709 St. Paul Avenue, offers a unique second chance to struggling families until they can make it on their own.
Created and managed by MIFA (Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association) as part of the nationally recognized MIFA Housing Opportunities program, Presley Place provides homeless families up to one year of rent-free housing and child day care. Residents must work and attend Life Skills classes at the Les Passees Center for Children and Families, where a personalized curriculum is designed to give them the tools and opportunity to make a permanent change. Parents attend classes on effective money management, responsible parenting, health and wellness, career development, and home ownership, while teen’s and children’s classes foster creative expression, culinary knowledge, social skills, and self respect.
When Lisa Marie Presley greeted the inaugural residents of Presley Place in 2001 at a special ceremony, she said, “All of us with the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation and Elvis Presley Enterprises are extremely proud of this amazing facility. The work that MIFA does truly has an impact on people’s lives.”
“Presley Place provides families throughout the Peabody-Vance neighborhood an opportunity to grow and work toward achieving positive goals,” explains Margaret Craddock, MIFA Executive Director. “These families are trying to overcome powerful barriers – poverty, homelessness, education opportunities, and discrimination. We need to nurture them and provide them with all we can, especially throughout the early stages of their lives. If we do that, we’re changing the lives of people who otherwise aren’t offered some of life’s important opportunities.”