WARREN, Ohio – Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership and the Trumbull County Land Bank expect a big year in their efforts to remediate blight, create and preserve home ownership, and promote economic development through the return of productive properties to active use.
Under TNP’s management, the land bank has renovated 400 homes and demolished over 1,400. In 2021, 91% of property sales went to first-time home buyers, who subsequently invested $1.3 million into renovations – turning abandoned houses into homes, one property at a time.
The state has made $500,000 available for demolitions and $1 million for brownfield properties that TNP and the Trumbull County Land Bank are managing, says Matt Martin, executive director of TNP. This funding, unlike previous allocations, allows for the inclusion of abandoned commercial sites, including brownfields that were not addressed by previous resources.
There are an estimated 700 vacant residential properties in Warren. TNP seeks to partner with the city and other townships and villages, as well as Trumbull County, to renovate or demolish structures in each municipality.
The nonprofit agency seeks to use funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
In Warren, TNP’s housing initiative proposes continued demolition of properties that are too far gone, and renovation of those that can be preserved. The partnership works with city officials to determine the appropriate allocation of ARP funding for these efforts.
At the county level, TNP continues to work with municipalities, townships and villages to assemble a pipeline of vacant properties and is working with Trumbull County to determine an allocation.
As a means of keeping properties from being abandoned in the first place, TNP performs home repairs for eligible owner-occupants through several modest funding sources. The agency hopes to see ARP dollars committed to this effort, says Martin.