[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 197 (Thursday, November 19, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1056-E1057]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING ERIC BURMEISTER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 19, 2020

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask the House of 
Representatives to join me in recognizing Mr. Eric Burmeister, 
Executive Director of the Polk County Housing Trust Fund, as this 
week's Iowan of the Week for the week of September 25, 2020.
  Iowans have been through a lot recently. Along with the COVID-19 
pandemic, we have also experienced extreme drought, a derecho, and some 
communities are still recovering from last year's floods. One common 
issue families are facing as the result of each of those circumstances 
is a rise in housing insecurity, whether by damage to the home itself 
or loss of income to pay for housing. For far too many in our state, 
this basic human need

[[Page E1057]]

is at risk. And if a basic need like housing isn't met, parents will 
struggle to maintain steady employment and children will not learn as 
well in school. There is no facet of life untouched by this issue.
  Eric Burmeister and his team at the Polk County Housing Trust Fund 
(PCHTF) have been fighting tooth and nail to make sure our most 
vulnerable neighbors have somewhere stable to call home. Not only does 
the organization lead local efforts on planning, advocating, and 
funding for affordable housing in the state's most populous county, its 
team also finds meaningful ways to help individuals through housing 
challenges.
  Recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we've seen a dramatic increase 
in evictions in Polk County and across the state. To combat the issue, 
Burmeister, along with the PCHTF and Iowa Legal Aid, came up with a new 
program to help renters avoid eviction. Implemented nearly a month ago, 
the project is set up just outside Polk County's eviction court to 
connect tenants with legal assistance and immediate rental assistance. 
Funded by $800,000 from Polk County's share of federal CARES Act 
funding, the emergency program provides low-barrier funding that can 
cover rent through the end of September and as far back as March 15. 
Burmeister's goal for the program is to provide one more reinforcement 
in the safety net to help Polk County residents avoid homelessness 
during the pandemic. Since the program began Sept. 1, it's already 
helped prevent 61 evictions affecting 149 residents, 77 of them 
children.
  Eric has been involved in affordable housing advocacy for decades. He 
came to the PCHTF in 2010 after a thirty-year career in real estate 
development and finance. A graduate of Drake University Law School, he 
has represented developers of notable commercial and residential 
redevelopment projects in the Des Moines metro area, including the 
historic Kirkwood Hotel, Brown Camp Lofts, and the Newin Dairy Lofts. 
Burmeister also has a long history of involvement in the Des Moines 
community, serving in leadership positions with The Polk-Des Moines 
Taxpayers' Association, The Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute, 
and most recently on the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees of 
Grand View University where he teaches part-time in the business 
department. He stays active in several Des Moines neighborhood 
associations and is currently serving on steering committees as a 
community representative for affordable housing issues.
  Through his tireless dedication to addressing this issue and finding 
countless ways to get involved in his community, Eric shows us what it 
means to be an Iowan. Since before I took office, I've said the best 
problem solvers live right here in Iowa's third congressional district. 
Eric's sensible solution to help his neighbors avoid homelessness 
during a global pandemic is one more example of that fact. I'm forever 
proud of Iowans like him who have stepped up to the plate to help 
address this pressing issue. I will continue to promote and push for 
legislation in Congress that enables organizations like the Polk County 
Housing Trust Fund, Iowa Legal Aid, and advocates like Eric to work 
towards their goal of affordable housing and eradication of 
homelessness. It is my privilege to recognize Eric Burmeister as Iowan 
of the Week.

                          ____________________