Neighborhoods

One of the most serious problems facing Youngstown over the past 20 years is improving -- the number of vacant properties is way down and property value is going up.

The vacant property situation seems to be stabilizing. Vacant properties are now being added a few at a time, rather than hundreds at a time.

Retired steelworker Bill Watson remembers the vacant house that once stood behind his on Buckeye Circle on Youngstown's south side.

"It was just nothing but a hazard in there," he said.

A year ago, the house was demolished, which pleased Watson.

"Took them about a week but they did a nice job tearing it out," he said.

Last week, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation released a study showing vacant structures in Youngstown falling 43 percent -- from 4,000 five years ago to near 2,200 now. To read the full story from WYTV, click here. 

One of the most serious problems facing Youngstown over the past 20 years is improving -- the number of vacant properties is way down and property value is going up.

The vacant property situation seems to be stabilizing. Vacant properties are now being added a few at a time, rather than hundreds at a time.

Retired steelworker Bill Watson remembers the vacant house that once stood behind his on Buckeye Circle on Youngstown's south side.

"It was just nothing but a hazard in there," he said.

A year ago, the house was demolished, which pleased Watson.

"Took them about a week but they did a nice job tearing it out," he said.

Last week, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation released a study showing vacant structures in Youngstown falling 43 percent -- from 4,000 five years ago to near 2,200 now. To read the full story from WYTV, click here. 

Ten years ago, a partner- ship between the Raymond John Wean Foundation and the city of Youngstown gave birth to a nonprofit community organization dedicated to spreading the early successes in rejuvenating the downtown area of Youngstown to many of its aging, blighted and time-worn neighborhoods.

To many pessimists, that task stood as herculean at best, impossible at worst.

Today, 10 years later, that organization – the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. – rose to the challenge and proved those naysayers wrong. The proof is in the ever-expanding organization’s tangible results clearly visible in transformations of what once were some of the city’s most dingy and neglected residential sections.

We salute the YNDC for its determination, its resilience, its hard work and its forward-thinking mindset toward revitalizing sections of all four quadrants of the city and for its efforts to expand its outreach to achieve even more impressive and broader-based success stories in the near future. To read the full story from The Vindicator, click here. 

Neighborhood group to meet, host speakers

YOUNGSTOWN

The Garden District Neighborhood Association will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in Colonial Hall of St. John Lutheran Church, 1420 Mahoning Ave.

Guest speakers will be Ian Beniston and Jack Daugherty of Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. that works to improve neighborhoods throughout the city.

It began in 2009 in partnership with the city and The Raymond John Wean Foundation. Beniston is the organization’s executive director. To read the full story from The Vindicator, click here. 

Over 70 lights will be installed in Youngstown residences Wednesday.

YNDC, area volunteers, and Youngstown police will work to put up the LED lights. They're being donated by the Raymond John Wean Foundation to individuals who cannot afford outdoor lighting.

The City of Youngstown has a goal to make the community safer, Captain Simon of Youngstown Police Department says this project help that goal. To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

Monday, April 15, 2019

On Friday, April 13, community leaders from the non-profit and public sectors in the City of Erie, Pennsylvania visited YNDC to learn more about the history of YNDC, neighborhood action planning, housing development, neighborhood stabilization, use of data for planning and evaluation, and funding.

The group discussed these topics with the YNDC team and visited multiple project sites. They will apply the information to improving neighborhoods in Erie. REVITALIZE. 

The Garden District Neighborhood Association will have a meeting at 6:30 p.m. today in colonial hall of St. John Lutheran Church, 1420 Mahoning Ave.

Guest speakers will be Ian Beniston and Jack Daugherty of Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. Councilman Mike Ray, D-4th, will give an update of activities concerning Youngstown and the West Side. To read the full story from The Vindicator, click here. 

Take a look around Youngstown these days and you'll see a neighborhood that's changed.

There is less blight, less vacant houses, and a lot of that is thanks to the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.

Wednesday, YNDC celebrated a big milestone -- the renovation of its 100th vacant home in the city. 

The renovations resulted in 106 units of quality, move-in ready housing in the city. To read the full story and watch the videos from WYTV, click here. 

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

On Wednesday, April 17, 2019, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) and partners celebrated the renovation of 100 vacant residential structures resulting in 106 units of quality, move-in ready housing in the City of Youngstown.

REVITALIZE.

According to a press release, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) and volunteers including officers from the Youngstown Police Department and staff from Youngstown State University will be installing solar-powered LED lights east of Cottage Grove and west of South Avenue and from Florida Avenue south to Midlothian Boulevard on Wednesday, April 17.

Over 70 lights were donated and installed free of charge by The Raymond John Wean Foundation and will benefit homes of individuals or families who cannot easily afford to improve their outside lighting, the release said. To read the full story from WFMJ, click here.