Helping Keep Housing Affordable
Dear Friend,
There were no votes in Congress this week and I enjoyed spending it at home in Memphis, where I helped open the new Fairway Manor affordable housing complex, had the opportunity to speak with elementary school students about the importance of public service, and participated in a conference focused on ensuring that our community’s cemeteries are properly maintained and respected. Keep reading to learn more about what I did in Memphis this week.
Keeping Housing Affordable
Jackson Elementary School Career Day
Supporting Memphis Families and Workers
Helping Maintain and Preserve African-American Cemeteries
Fighting for Struggling Students
Helping Veterans Become Homeowners
Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property
Helping Veterans Find Jobs
Yesterday, I was pleased to be at the grand opening of the Fairway Manor Apartments, a celebration of the continuing mission of building affordable housing in Memphis. The Fairway Manor Apartments have now replaced Graves Manor, and the 28 new multi-family units along with 68 units for the elderly will help change the fortunes of our community. The Fairway Manor project was made possible by the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit and HUD Capital Funds. Those funds will not only transform the physical condition of this public housing community but it will positively impact the lives of the Fairway Manor residents.
Affordable housing is an extremely important and vital issue for the City of Memphis. Even though the economy is slowly climbing out of the recession, many Memphians are still struggling to put a roof over their heads. While some in Congress, including Republican Budget Chairman Paul Ryan, are trying to cut funding to programs that help build and develop affordable housing, I will continue my efforts to reach across the aisle to increase the allocation of federal funding for housing programs—and I am always advocating for more of that funding to come to Memphis.
Jackson Elementary School Career Day
Yesterday was career day at Jackson Elementary School, and I enjoyed the opportunity to speak with several classes about why I chose public service and my role as the Ninth District’s Congressman. With many of Jackson Elementary’s fifth graders having recently learned about our federal government, I was glad to be able to talk to them and answer questions about how the legislative branch works.
Supporting Memphis Families and Workers
I received an “A” grade—the highest grade awarded to any member of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation—from the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) for my votes over the last year to improve the lives of workers and their families. The UFCW is made up of more than 1.3 million people working primarily in grocery and retail stores, and in the food processing and meat packing industries.
It is an honor to be recognized for my efforts to give working Memphians and their families a fair shot at a better life. Workers’ rights must be protected and all Americans who work hard and play by the rules should be able to lead a long and happy life, earn a fair and livable wage, keep a roof over their families’ heads, and put food on their tables.
Helping Maintain and Preserve African-American Cemeteries
Earlier this afternoon, I spoke at the 8th annual “Memorial in May” cemetery preservation conference at Rhodes College, put together by the Preservation of African American Cemeteries (PAAC) organization. In 2009, I was part of a Congressional hearing with Congressman Bobby Rush of Illinois to look into the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal, where employees had been charged with digging up more than 200 graves and reselling the plots. The cemetery was the final resting place for lynching victim Emmett Till, legendary blues singers Dinah Washington and Willie Dixon and thousands of others, and it is one of the Chicago area's most storied black cemeteries.
Our hearing produced the Bereaved Consumers Protection Act, which I cosponsored in 2010, which would force cemetery directors to bolster their record keeping and make those records available to federal, state and local officials. It would also create a kind of consumer Bill of Rights for cemeteries, prohibiting directors from misleading customers about the prices of funeral goods and services, and clarifying contracts for burial plots, entombments and inurnments.
But just this January, Galilee Memorial Gardens in Memphis was shut down because of allegations that the workers allegedly stacked bodies and buried corpses outside of the cemetery. In an effort to prevent this from happening again, I have also signed on as a cosponsor of the Funeral Rule Improvement Act of 2014, would expand regulations on cemeteries and subject owners to up to $10,000 in penalties if they violate the rules.
Cemeteries are the final resting place and marker for each life. It is the place loved ones gather to visit, remember, embrace and celebrate those who have passed and those who are part of one’s ancestry. These irreplaceable cultural resources tell the real stories of our history; yet, they are neglected, lost and essentially forgotten—but they should not be. The desecration of bodies shouldn't be allowed to occur. I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to ensure cemeteries are respected.
Fighting for Struggling Students
This morning, I joined U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and several other Senators and Representatives in sending a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan urging him to bring more fairness to struggling students by establishing clear standards of eligibility for “undue hardship” discharge of federal student loans in bankruptcy. These standards would benefit the most vulnerable borrowers by bringing consistency to the manner in which the Department of Education’s contractors handle undue hardship claims.
Because federal law currently treats student loan debt as “non-dischargable” in bankruptcy, mountains of student debt can follow borrowers around for a lifetime—even if they are unable to pay it off. The law does allow certain borrowers to discharge the debt if they can prove an “undue hardship,” but that path is too often blocked by unscrupulous contractors working for the Department of Education who use aggressive tactics to unfairly fight against these types of discharge in court, even when they are clearly needed by the borrower. The New York Times ran a story about some of these aggressive tactics and how they hurt American families earlier this year.
While the federal government should do all it can to fairly collect on student loan debts owed by borrowers, it is not sensible or cost-effective for the Department of Education or its contractors to engage in lengthy legal challenges and appeals against bankrupt student loan borrowers who have demonstrated a clear and legitimate inability to repay their loans.
I have also introduced a bill to repeal some changes made to the bankruptcy code in 2005 so that private student loan debt is treated the same as other private debts during bankruptcy. People who seek higher education to better their futures should not be dissuaded from doing so by the threat of financial ruin. The bankruptcy system should work as a safety net that allows people to get the education they want with the assurance that, should their finances come under strain by layoffs, accidents, or other unforeseen life events, they will be protected. This bill takes a modest but important step in achieving that goal.
Helping Veterans Become Homeowners
Last year, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs helped a record number of veterans obtain mortgage loans and become homeowners. In guaranteeing nearly 630,000 home loans, the VA’s Loan Guarantee program helped more veterans become homeowners or move to a new home than at any point in its 70-year history. Not only is this great news for veterans, but it also is another sign that our housing market is rebounding—and that is good news for everyone. The VA Loan Guarantee program has some of the lowest foreclosure rates around and, along with offering low interest rates, their loans do not require a down payment from first-time buyers. If you are a veteran looking to purchase a home, you can learn more about the program here.
Make Sure to Claim Unclaimed Property
The State of Tennessee maintains a searchable database of unclaimed property, which can include bank accounts, stocks and dividends, wages, refunds, insurance payments, gift certificates, credit balances and overpayments, and a number of other things. There is no cost for accessing the database, and you may find that you are owed money or property. If you have not searched the database yet or if you haven’t searched in a while, you can visit https://www.claimittn.gov and see for yourself whether the state is holding any property or assets for you. And you may pass this information along to your friends and family as well!
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden recently announced the launch of a new integrated employment tool to connect veterans and service members with employers, and to help translate military skills into the civilian workforce. The Veterans Employment Center, an integrated, online tool connecting veterans, transitioning service members and their spouses with both public and private-sector employers, is the result of an interagency effort to improve, simplify and consolidate the current array of employment resources for veterans. Additionally, this will provide one comprehensive database of resumes for employers who are seeking to leverage the skills and talents of veterans, service members, and their spouses. A video tutorial on how to use the Veterans Employment Center can be viewed here.
As always, I remain.
Most sincerely,
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress