Cohen, Wharton Working Together for Memphis' Inclusion in President's "Promise Zone" Program
[MEMPHIS, TN] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) and Memphis Mayor A C Wharton today expressed their disappointment that Memphis was not eligible for the first round of President Obama’s “Promise Zone” initiative and recommitted to working together to see Memphis awarded a “Promise Zone” designation in the next rounds of the competition, which will use different selection criteria. In a letter sent earlier today, Congressman Cohen urged U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan to strongly consider Memphis in the 2014 round of the program.
“Memphis is the nation’s poorest large metropolitan area and it deserves substantial support from the federal government to help recover from the devastating impacts of the Great Recession,”said Congressman Cohen.“While we were not eligible for the ‘Promise Zone’ designations made by President Obama today, the funding and support provided by the program is critical for our city. I hope that the Administration gives Memphis the consideration it deserves for the next round of ‘Promise Zone’ designations—it’s a great way for us to eliminate concentrated poverty and increase the economic vitality of the city. I will continue working closely with Mayor Wharton to see Memphis included in the ‘Promise Zone’ initiative.”
“We are in the process of finalizing a comprehensive ‘Blueprint for Prosperity’, which will enable the city to launch a sustainable effort to ensure more Memphians can escape the ravages of poverty,”said Mayor Wharton.“A Promise Zone grant would be a critical tool to have in our arsenal. In the meantime, we will continue our pursuit of a Choice Neighborhoods implementation grant. The application was filed in September and we are now awaiting HUD action on that request.”
In addition to the letter sent this afternoon, Congressman Cohen has sent numerous letters to Administration officials as well as a personal letter to President Obama on this issue over the last year.