Community Alliance for the Homeless

CAFTH asserts that “housing is a basic human right” and that “homelessness is a solvable problem.” ²

History

The Community Alliance for The Homeless was founded in 2010 by a merger of Partners for the Homeless and the Greater Memphis Inter-Agency Coalition for the Homeless. The former group was originally known as the Homeless Resource Coordinating Council and was formed in 1996 to apply for Continuum of Care grants provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The latter group was founded in 1988 to provide general community support for homeless populations in Memphis. ²

Activities

Continuum of Care (COC) is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to combat homelessness through donations to nonprofits in specific geographic areas, primarily to provide and subsidize housing for low-income individuals. The Community Alliance for The Homeless is the HUD’s designated lead agency for its COC in TN-501, a region that covers  Shelby County (including Memphis) in Tennessee. To be a COC and receive HUD funding, CAFTH and nonprofits like it must abide by certain rules and make regular reports to the HUD. COC grants are awarded to nonprofits on a competitive basis by applying to the HUD. ^{3 4}

The Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) is a HUD initiative to reduce youth homelessness. In Fall 2025, CAFTH was contracted by the HUD to monitor all YHDP projects in TN-501. ⁵

According to CAFTH’s website, the organization tracks or used to track homelessness data regarding “gender identity equity” and “racial equity.” However, as of October 2025, these pages were not functional. ⁶

CAFTH’s website provides guidance to the homeless and individuals at risk of homelessness to reach shelters or access home subsidy programs. These resources include programs specifically designed for military veterans and the youth. ⁷

CAFTH tracks the sheltered and unsheltered homeless population in Memphis through the Point-in-Time method, which counts the homeless population in or near shelters in a single night. Conducting Point-in-Time counts is a HUD requirement for COC grant recipients. ^{8 9}

In January 2020, CAFTH celebrated a 27.6 percent decline in homelessness in Memphis, TN since 2012, CAFTH claimed was due to the efforts of the organization. However, some local activists claimed the statistics were overstated and criticized CAFTH’s Point-in-Time method to count the homeless population. Mid-South Peace and Justice Center president Paul Garner told reporters, “That’s not a scientific way to count anything, let alone people who often do not want to be found, often for reasons of their own personal safety.” ⁸

Financials

In 2024, the Community Alliance for The Homeless earned $3,246,782 in revenue, spent $3,220,869, and ended the year with $569,437 in assets. Of the group’s revenue, $2,910,717 came from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development while $262,719 was raised from other sources. ¹

Leadership

As of 2025, Sydne Taylor was the president and CEO of the Community Alliance for The Homeless. She has worked for the organization since 2016. She previously worked for three terms as an AmeriCorps member. ² In 2024, Taylor earned $92,701 from CAFTH. ¹