The Memphis Tenants Union is pushing the Memphis Housing Authority for answers over why numerous Mill Creek Apartment residents are being forced to move out.
MEMPHIS, Tenn — A 72-year-old Whitehaven woman said she is facing a housing crisis she thought was behind her, as questions swirl over whether families relying on housing vouchers will be forced to leave their apartments with little notice or clarity.
Charlese Pennington, who has lived at Mill Creek Apartments for nearly three years, told ABC24 that the possibility of being displaced has reopened old wounds from a move she was forced to make just two years ago.
“I never thought this would ever happen to me,” Pennington said.
In 2023, Pennington and hundreds of other residents were required to leave Peppertree Apartments after the property was declared a public nuisance. She said the experience was traumatic, marked by uncertainty over where she would go, when she would have to leave and how she would afford the move.
Now, she fears history may be repeating itself.
“Living this kind of life, it’s like living on a railroad, and you don’t know when the people are going to push you out,” Pennington said. “So every day is a good day, if that’s where you can stay.”
Pennington said her first year and a half at Mill Creek was stable, but conditions in her unit ultimately deteriorated. She described persistent bug infestations, broken air conditioning and a lack of heat. Pennington told ABC24 during the summer that the conditions became so unbearable that she slept outside on her patio.
“I had an air mattress out there — the air mattress, blanket and everything — [and] slept outside,” Pennington said. “I had a wonderful night, which should be the kind of night that you have inside your apartment, instead of outside your apartment.”
The Memphis Tenants Union told ABC24 it learned about two weeks ago that residents at Mill Creek who rely on Housing Choice Vouchers could be required to leave the property by Jan. 1, 2026. According to the group, the information has been communicated verbally to tenants, but no formal written notice has been provided.
Mauri Pickney, lead organizer and co-director of the Memphis Tenants Union, said at least nine families at Mill Creek currently have active housing vouchers. She said the status of several other families remains unclear.
“There are nine families right now that are at Mill Creek that are on an active voucher,” Pickney said. “We found out that there were eight families that were also there, but now their vouchers are inactive. We have no information on whether they went inactive due to waiting on moving or if they were already inactive previously.”
Pickney said limited communication has left tenants confused about whether they will be forced to move and who is responsible for the decision. She said the situation highlights a broader issue facing voucher holders, who often find themselves caught between landlords and housing authorities.
According to Pickney, the Memphis Housing Authority (MHA) has said its role is limited to issuing vouchers, not managing or enforcing lease agreements between tenants and landlords.
“From what I’ve been told, Memphis Housing Authority is saying that they are only responsible for giving out the vouchers,” Pickney said. “They don’t have anything else to do with the tenant and the landlord lease.”
In a statement to ABC24, MHA said it does not comment on the circumstances of individual tenants but confirmed it is meeting with Mill Creek management this week to address the property’s relationship with the HCV.
Participants in the Housing Choice Voucher program who are in good standing with MHA and in compliance with their lease may request a voucher to shop for or locate another unit.
For Pennington, the uncertainty remains deeply personal. While she said she is putting her faith in what comes next, she worries about where she and other families will go if they are forced to leave.
“If it gets to a point where I’ve got to go, then of course I’m going to go,” she said. “Where I’m going to go? I don’t know.”
Advocates said they will continue pressing for clearer communication and written notice for affected tenants as the situation develops.
