WARREN, Ohio – The Trumbull County Land Reutilization Corp. is among the recipients of state dollars in the latest round of Welcome Home Ohio program funding.
The Trumbull County organization will receive $1 million in grants – $500,000 to buy five homes through foreclosure or sheriff sale and $500,000 to construct five homes, said Matt Martin, executive director of Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, which administers the land bank.
No locations have been finalized for the homes, but Martin said the organization has realized success with new construction at the former Emerson School site in Warren.
TNP built four houses on Drexel Avenue at the former site last year and sold them this year. That marked the organization’s first foray into new home construction.
“And there’s still plenty of land there, so that’s definitely a high consideration to return there,” he said.
Another school site on Warren’s east side also is a potential location. The grant is for houses in the city, Martin added.
“We’re just looking through some of our data now that we know how many houses we can build and just kind of scrubbing our priority list against what we have in hand here,” he said.
TNP had requested $1 million each for new construction and purchase of existing homes, but Martin said the state was “significantly oversubscribed” for the program.
“We’re really pleased with how we did,” he said.
In a news release from Gov. Mike DeWine’s office, Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull are also listed among 22 counties included in funding for Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio. That agency will receive a $400,000 grant to buy and a $600,000 grant to rehabilitate or build nine houses.
“Whether it’s supporting workforce needs, attracting new residents to Ohio or helping longtime residents stay in the communities they love, housing matters,” DeWine said in the release. “The projects we support through Welcome Home Ohio create safe and affordable housing options for families today, while building momentum for future generations to live their very best lives.”
The grants are among $26.9 million DeWine and Lydia Mihalik, director of the Ohio Department of Development, announced Friday to expand access to safe, affordable housing in 57 counties.
The program provides grants for both the purchase of qualifying residential properties at foreclosure sales and for the rehabilitation or construction of homes. Land banks, county land reutilization corporations, electing subdivisions and qualified nonprofit developers are eligible to apply.
Additionally, $20 million in nonrefundable tax credits are available through the biennium for qualifying housing rehabilitation and new construction projects once a property is sold. Tax credit applications are being accepted by the Ohio Department of Development on a rolling basis until all funds are expended.
“Every property restored through Welcome Home Ohio represents exciting new potential for a neighborhood and the people who call it home,” Mihalik said. “These investments are helping our local partners create housing solutions that meet today’s needs while preparing for tomorrow’s growth.”
Since its inception, Welcome Home Ohio has awarded nearly $86 million to support the creation of 727 homes in 63 counties.