COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Development on Wednesday announced it has awarded $6.8 million in grants to home and neighborhood improvement organizations across the state, including two in the Mahoning Valley.
The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. was awarded a $1 million grant for essential home repairs and modifications for handicap accessibility for homeowners at or below 50% of the area median income.
Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership was allocated $400,000 for similar uses, the department said.
The funding comes from the Housing Assistance Grant Program, which helps nonprofit organizations across Ohio to promote more affordable housing, improve housing conditions through essential home repairs, handicap accessibility, limited down payment assistance and homebuyer education.
“Ohio’s housing challenges do not begin and end with the cost of buying a home,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “The truth is, keeping a home safe and livable can be just as challenging for many families. This funding helps fill critical gaps for Ohioans who need support now – supporting essential repairs, accessibility updates and down payment assistance that improve quality of life and provide greater stability.”
With the grants, nonprofits can contract with local qualified construction companies to complete essential home repairs such as heating systems, water heaters, plumbing systems, severely deteriorated roofs, walls, windows, doors, hazardous electrical systems and more.
The grants also allow investments of up to $5,000 per home toward down payment assistance and associated out-of-pocket expenses, as well as up to $500 per household for homebuyer education.