YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Some neighborhoods across the city are seeing something unusual this summer – 16 new homes being built.
The Mahoning County Land Bank, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp., Mercy Health – Youngstown, Ohio’s Welcome Home Ohio program and the city celebrated with other partners at 215 Upland Ave. on Wednesday, the site of a future single-family, three bedroom, two bathroom home.
“YNDC has the data that indicates we’ve had next to no housing development in the last 20 years,” said Debora Flora, executive director of the Mahoning County Land Bank. “And so that is a contributing factor in the lack of affordable housing and the lack of housing in general here.”
The house is one of 16 affordable houses going up in neighborhoods throughout the city. None will sell for more than $180,000, and they will include a Community Reinvestment Area 15-year, 100% property tax abatement. Eligible homeowners will be able to get up to $28,000 in down payment assistance through the city’s At Home in Youngstown assistance program and a partnership with Huntington Bank.
Ian Beniston, executive director of YNDC, said the 16 projects represent a $5 million investment, which is being funded with the help of a 1% interest community investment loan from Bon Secours Mercy Health.
Kendra Smith, vice president of community health at Bon Secours, said the five-state organization is investing a $50 million fund in the health of the community.
“This fund allows us to invest in things like affordable housing and small business development and food systems, all of those things that we know impact health. … This is our first project in Youngstown, but hopefully not the last.”
Beniston said living in a healthy home can lead to a foundationally healthy life.
“This is about creating healthy people too, financially, but also physically,” he said. “If you live in a mold-filled rat hole, you’re probably not going to be healthy. We’re creating bright, healthy, energy-efficient homes here that put people in a good position to be successful in life, in all aspects.”
The houses are designed to improve not only the lives of families but also neighborhoods. Beniston said the city is funding sidewalk repairs; old trees are being replaced with new ones; and the city is waiving utility tap-in fees.
“What excites me most is just seeing something that we’ve had the vision to do for a long time starting to come to fruition,” Beniston said, adding that three vacant homes on that block have been renovated and six homes have been repaired.
Councilwoman Samantha Turner, 3rd Ward, said partnerships like the ones making this project happen are about revitalizing neighborhoods. She said in the past, funding allowed dilapidated homes to be torn down, but now the construction of 16 new homes is an important next step to building strong, beautiful communities.
Turner said she hopes even more organizations can get involved.
“We need more organizations to have that capacity to do the work and to build more housing, because we are talking about tearing down all these homes, but right now they’re missing teeth across all of our neighborhoods,” Turner said. “We want to move at a faster clip, because we have people moving out quickly because we don’t have places for them to stay that are of quality.”
Of the 16 new homes celebrated Wednesday, three are on the North Side. The open concept homes will be cape cods, two story or ranch-style homes, including first-floor laundries, front porches and two-car garages.
They are all in various stages of completion, with the first starting at the beginning of June. Beniston anticipates each home will take about six months to complete.
The homes are located at:
- 3253 Glen Oaks Drive.
- 1275 S Meridian Road.
- 970 Bonnie Brae Ave.
- 966 Bonnie Brae Ave.
- 950 Bonnie Brae Ave.
- 753 Mineral Springs Ave.
- 727 Wilkinson Ave.
- 728 Wilkinson Ave.
- 206 Beachwood Drive.
- 459 N. Schenley Ave.
- 472 Wesley Ave.
- 1208 Aberdeen Ave.
- 1210 Aberdeen Ave.
- 257 Outlook Ave.
- 215 Upland Ave.
- 210 Granada Ave.
“I’m so excited right now,” Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said. “We’re at a point where we demoed all the property, and now we’re developing these neighborhoods again. And that’s where we win.
Beniston said there are six more projects that will be announced this year, including three more on the East Side.
“You want to see massive impact, because we’re putting massive dollars towards it,” said state Rep. Lauren McNally of Youngstown, D-58th, adding she is excited this project is touching all sides of the city and that the Welcome Home Ohio funds remain in the upcoming state budget.
Brown said he is excited to talk about these projects when he attends mayoral conferences.
“Affordable housing does not mean low-income housing,” he said. “It means you could be able to afford a home with quality, efficiency – and that’s what we want to provide. We’re going to continue preaching the gospel of affordable housing across the city of Youngstown.”
Before homes become available, Beniston said interested families can call 330 480 0423 to enroll in the housing counseling program.
Pictured at top: Ian Beniston and Debora Flora.