The single-story red house sits beside a vacant corner lot where insects buzz in the tall grass. Inside, it’s mostly empty, with three gray bedrooms and a kitchen full of flooring supplies. But as he walks through the house, Keedran Franklin sees only possibilities.
“All the bedrooms are on the same side, so we’re going to knock the walls out and make it dormitory-style,” he says, gesturing to indicate the length of the future communal sleeping area. “We’ll have cocktail tables here, cafeteria-style. This’ll be our research area, where we’ll have laptops, bookshelves for people learning how to apply for jobs, apply for apartments.”
While he talks, he points around the future dining area and computer lab like he can already see the renovations.
Franklin is the executive director of the Community Unity Council, a Memphis group that brings together members of street organizations — a term he prefers over “gangs” — to engage in community service work and reentry support following incarceration.
Now, his group is setting down roots in a permanent space. The South Memphis home will soon become the Heart of Opportunities House: a resource hub and transitional housing program with wraparound services to help young men achieve stability…