Eleni Kavros DeGraw

Dear Neighbor,

Sharing updated information this week on the Student Loan Reimbursement Program as it will be, once again, taking applications for the program.

As a reminder, you must have gone to school at a Connecticut institution (public, private, vocational), you need to have been a resident of Connecticut for five years, you need to complete 50 hours of volunteer time, and have actively paid up to $5000 last year on your student loan to qualify.

As I said, more details below, and for those borrowers who are confused by all the changes at the federal level, I’ve included information on the relatively new Office of the Student Loan Ombudsperson. They help with borrower complaints, analyze statewide loan trends, and educate the public on borrowers’ rights on education loans, among many other issues.
 
Tax-free week begins this Sunday for many back-to-school needs. I’ve heard from a few people that this program doesn’t go far enough, and I am looking at refilling a bill to include more items to give working families a break as their children head back to the classrooms.
 
You may have seen Avon on the news this week because the tenants of Avon Place decided to form a tenants’ union due to years of dealing with a negligent out-of-state landlord. The entire Avon delegation was on hand to support them, as was Senator Blumenthal and the CT Tenants’ Union. More information on this issue below, and I dearly hope that by banding together, these residents will have power returned to them so they can live in a safe environment.
 
Finally, I want to call your attention to CT Alert. The CT Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) encourages everyone to download the CTPrepares app so you are able to prepare for any emergency. You can also sign up for the alert system by texting CTALERT to 888-777. Forewarned is forearmed.
 
Have a great week,

Eleni

The Student Loan Reimbursement Program will begin accepting applications again on Friday, and this time around, with expanded eligibility requirements, including a wider range of educational and volunteer experiences, opening the door for more individuals to qualify for relief. Please click on the flyer below for more details.

The first newsletter from the Office of the Student Loan Ombudsperson has been issued.

The newsletter will be sent periodically to educate Connecticut student loan borrowers, and each issue will include the latest on student loans at the federal, state, and private levels – what’s changing, the impact to borrowers, and how to stay ahead. Click on a section of the first newsletter below for more details.

Connecticut's annual Sales Tax-Free Week begins on Sunday through Saturday, August 23. It provides a chance to save money, whether it is taking the kids back-to-school shopping or treating yourself or your loved ones.

Highlights of Sales Tax-Free Week

• Sales or purchases of certain items of clothing or footwear costing less than $100 per item are exempt from Connecticut's 6.35% sales tax.
• Sales Tax-Free Week applies to purchases made in-store, online, mail-order, and over the phone.
• This special exemption applies to purchases made from retailers located in Connecticut as well as from online retailers.

This is Connecticut's 26th Sales Tax Free Week.
 

What we heard, among the many reasons why a tenants’ union is necessary, is beyond the pale.

• Elevators that don’t work, even though people with disabilities live in the buildings.
• Paying for amenities that haven’t been available for three years, including the pool and gym.
• Potholes deep enough to damage your car.
• Mold and mildew throughout the buildings.
• Tenants were unable to ever return to buildings after a major fire a couple of years ago.

Additionally, this landlord owes the town of Avon approximately $ 1 million in liens. And all because of an out-of-state landlord who thinks he is not accountable to his tenants. Senator Richard Blumenthal said it best: it’s borderline criminal.

While this may not be in the part of Avon I represent, sadly, this has become a commonplace story in Connecticut. An out-of-state landlord buys a development, runs it into the ground, declares bankruptcy, and along the way ruins people’s lives.

Forty percent of the complex sits empty while we are in the middle of an affordable housing crisis because of this landlord’s greed.
We will do everything we can to support these tenants and to end the deceptive, dangerous, and unconscionable practices of landlords like this one.

For more on this story, click on the video below.

The information for each event is below, with more details available on the RSVP links.

1. How do we Measure Hunger: the Role of Data in Food and Nutrition Security
   
   1. When: Wednesday, September 17th, 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM
   2. Where: Room 1D of the Legislative Office Building
   3. Description: Data is critical to identifying food and nutrition insecurity and determining what solutions are/will be effective. The data we have provides invaluable insights and there are new metrics in development, but there are also gaps that need to be filled. This event will explore what we know, what we don’t, and opportunities to expand data access in the future.
   4. RSVP Here
2. Identifying Nutritious and Affordable Options in Today's Food Environment
   
   1. When: Friday, September 26th, 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
   2. Where: Room 1D of the Legislative Office Building
   3. Description: There is a ton of information out there about “healthy diets” but much of it is confusing or contradictory. There’s also a lot of buzzwords like “ultra-processed” flying around that aren’t always clearly defined. As a shopper, it can be hard to know just how nutritious or non-nutritious an item is. This is especially true when some information is not easily visible when looking at an item in the grocery store or online. Come learn:
      1. What’s missing from the food label
      2. How to spot healthy vs. unhealthy items
      3. How to navigate the grocery store or online food spaces.
   4. RSVP Here
3. A Conversation on Food and Nutrition Education for Family Wellbeing
   
   1. When: Wednesday, October 1st, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
   2. Where: Room 1D of the Legislative Office Building
   3. Description: Knowledge about nutrition, cooking, growing food, accessing available resources, and more can significantly strengthen families' food security and health. However, access to opportunities to develop knowledge and skills around food is not always available to everyone. This event hopes to explore the current state of food and nutrition education in Connecticut, where there are gaps in access to that education, and opportunities to fill those gaps.
   4. RSVP Here

The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) is urging state residents to sign up for the CT Alert emergency notification system as extreme weather incidents continue to increase.

According to DESPP, more than 5,000 residents signed up for CT Alert just over the last month — more than during any one of the last three years bringing the total to nearly 226,000 people who have signed up for the emergency notifications.
DESPP offered several tips on how to prepare for potential severe weather:

• Download the CTPrepares app for your mobile phone so you know how to prepare for any emergency.
• Create an emergency kit to keep in your home so you are ready for any emergency.
• Put together a “go bag” with copies of important documents, prescriptions, a battery-operated radio, and other items such as a cell phone charger.
• Make sure you have an evacuation plan, particularly if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone.

Signing up for the CT alert system can be done online or by texting CTALERT to 888-777.