Neighborhoods

Monday, May 6, 2019

On Monday, May 6, the Arnett and Kennedy Family Funds of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley awarded a $12,500 grant to support Clean Up Glenwood Avenue, a program aimed at systematically cleaning up and transforming Glenwood Avenue and its adjacent neighborhoods into a safe, stable community with a vibrant corridor that provides a high quality of life and economic opportunity for residents.

All aspects of the program align with priorities set forth in resident-driven neighborhood plans and include the clean up of  vacant properties, improvement of unmaintained vacant lots, installation of LED lighting at key locations and crossings to improve pedestrian safety, and replacement of broken sidewalks on the streets surrounding Glenwood Community Park, which serves thousands of youth each year. As part of a broader neighborhood revitalization strategy, these improvements have begun to reduce crime and tax delinquency while restoring homeownership, property values, and pedestrian safety. Many thanks to the Arnett and Kennedy Family Funds of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley for their support!

Thursday, May 9, 2019

On Wednesday, May 8, Denise DeBartolo York awarded a $10,000 grant to support Clean Up Glenwood Avenue, a program aimed at systematically cleaning up and transforming Glenwood Avenue and its adjacent neighborhoods into a safe, stable community with a vibrant corridor that provides a high quality of life and economic opportunity for residents.

All aspects of the program align with priorities set forth in resident-driven neighborhood plans and include the cleanup of  vacant properties, improvement of unmaintained vacant lots, installation of LED lighting at key locations and crossings to improve pedestrian safety, and replacement of broken sidewalks on the streets surrounding Glenwood Community Park, which serves thousands of youth each year. As part of a broader neighborhood revitalization strategy, these improvements have begun to reduce crime and tax delinquency while restoring homeownership, property values, and pedestrian safety. Many thanks to Denise DeBartolo York for her support!

Second Baptist Church pastor Todd Johnson of Warren said it is important for people to come together and be part of a courageous community

Johnson, who was the keynote speaker at the 17th annual banquet for ACTION (Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods) held at the Basilica of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, said what makes a courageous community is confirming the dignity of every human being in that community.

“This is what ACTION stands for with equality, fighting against racism and injustice; speaking up for the poor even if it costs you popularity; speaking the truth to power and government officials even if it damages your relationship. These are some of what a courageous community is about,” Johnson said.

He said courageous communities have people who affirm the dignity of every human being.

ACTION recognized institutions and individuals for contributions to the community. The annual Frances Kerpsack Awards were presented to Jeffrey M. Magada, founder and executive director of Flying High; Mike McNair, editor of The Buckeye Review; Ian Beniston, executive director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation; and Sam Covelli, owner and operator of Warren-based Covelli Enterprises. To read the full story from the Tribune Chroncle, click here. 

Rayana McGuire has a mold problem.

She needs her window screens replaced – especially in her bathroom – to provide better ventilation and stop the mold growth.

Unfortunately for McGuire, her landlord isn’t responsive to her frequent pleas for repairs and, until recently, she didn’t know what to do.

“This is the first apartment I’ve had where I’ve had these issues,” McGuire said. “I don’t have a lot of money, and I’m not really educated on my rights as a tenant, so I don’t feel empowered at all to tell my landlord, ‘Hey, you need to fix this,’” McGuire said.

That lack of education is what motivated McGuire to join the newly formed Youngstown Tenant’s Council, a group of city residents that say they’re working toward a better quality of life for renters.

The group was founded by Mary Krupa, Elisa Hosey and Cosetta McMillan and grew out of ongoing activist efforts by the Alliance for Congregational Transformation of Our Neighborhoods (ACTION).

“With the pushes from ACTION and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. over the last year, we’ve seen a lot of tenants getting involved again,” Krupa said. “Seeing them taking action – like the South Carolina bus trip we took a year ago [to protest at a landlord’s home] – and getting concrete results is very motivating.”

Krupa said the group has 10 members and is still in its infancy, but hopes to grow its ranks soon.

“We decided to do a pilot project in the Taft Promise neighborhood because Taft Promise already has a working plan in place with multiple agencies and neighbors and schools. So, they already have something established,” she said. “So we’re going to try to get the tenants in that area to come to an initial meeting.” To read the full story from The Vindicator, click here. 

Room for optimism with Y’town Tenant’s Council

Over the past year, the city of Youngstown has made some noteworthy strides in cracking down on irresponsible, negligent and blight-inviting landlords within its borders. Much of that success can be attributed to the focused and aggressive work of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. and ACTION, a Youngstown-based activist group for social justice. Three months ago, for example, legislation proposed by the groups to more stringently regulate land-installment contracts for home sales that have been proliferating in Youngstown won unanimous approval by City Council. In too many of those arrangements documented by ACTION and YNDC, the buyers have been victimized by predatory lending practices and lackluster or nonexistent responses to legitimate property complaints.

ADVOCACY FOR ALL RENTERS

Now, the Alliance for Congregational Transformation of Our Neighborhoods is hoping to build upon that momentum through creation of the Youngstown Tenant’s Council, a group designed to enhance the quality of life for renters of all properties – including apartments – within the city limits. “With the pushes from ACTION and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. over the last year, we’ve seen a lot of tenants getting involved again,” Mary Krupa, founder of the council, said in a front-page story published in The Vindicator earlier this week. It is indeed heartening to see renters in the city organizing and taking a stand for the rights guaranteed them in state law and city ordinances. We look for swift growth and robust participation in the council. One of the first priorities of the new group must be educating all tenant members of their statutory rights and responsibilities. For example, landlords cannot legally discriminate based on nine categories: color, disability, familial status, national origin, race, religion, sex, ancestry or military status. Landlords also must ensure the premises they rent meet all health and safety codes and have functioning plumbing and heating. To read the full story from The Vindicator, click here. 

Members of ACTION testified in support of House Bill 103 Fair Lending through Land Contracts Act, at the Ohio House Civil Justice Committee on Tuesday, May 21 at the Ohio Statehouse.

This was the second hearing for the legislation, which is sponsored by Mahoning County State Representatives Michele Lepore-Hagan and Don Manning.

ACTION’s Racism Task Force identified this form of predatory lending in 2017 as a longstanding practice to exploit families with limited means, particularly communities of color. In 2018, ACTION took action and drove to Vision Property Management headquarters, an out-of-state predatory land contract firm, that no longer sells land contracts in Youngstown. In February 2019, ACTION worked with Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown and City Council to unanimously pass an ordinance designed to stop the exploitation and manipulation of families through predatory land installment contracts.

More than 20 members of the task force were in attendance. Multiple members provided oral testimony, while one member submitted written testimony. The ACTION members that testified included: Pastor Derrick Anderson of Jerusalem Baptist Church and Treasurer of ACTION; Ian Beniston, Vice President of ACTION; Basia Adamczak, Youngstown Seventh Ward Councilperson; Kalitha Williams, Project Director of Asset Building for Policy Matters Ohio; and Daphine Carter Hawkins, Chair, ACTION Housing Task Force. 

State Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan, D-58, of Youngstown, joined members of the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. in Columbus on Tuesday to advocate for House Bill 103, called the Fair Lending Through Land Contracts Act.

The bill is sponsored by Reps. Lepore-Hagan and Don Manning, R-59, of New Middletown, and would strengthen protections for Ohioans who are purchasing homes using land installment contracts. Nearly 30 supporters from the activist organizations attended the House Civil Justice Committee meeting to testify in support of the bill. To read the full story from The Vindicator, click here. 

Thursday, May 23, 2019

On Thursday, May 23, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation received a $15,000 grant from the Ward Beecher Foundation.

The grant will be used to purchase a vehicle for YNDC operations. Many thanks to the Ward Beecher Foundation for their generous support! We cannot get the work done without it. REVITALIZE.

Thursday, May 23, 2019

On Thursday, May 23, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation received a $10,000 grant from the John D. Finnegan Foundation.

The grant will be used to purchase a vehicle for YNDC operations. Many thanks to the John D. Finnegan Foundation for their generous support! We cannot get the work done without it. REVITALIZE.

The breadth of entrepreneurship stretches far and wide. It encompasses segments ranging from retail to real estate, from hardware to health care.

And within all of those sectors, one demographic is getting into business more than any other: black women.

Nielsen reports in a study conducted in 2017 that the number of businesses owned by black women increased 67% between 2007 and 2012, far outpacing the 27% growth for the overall female population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau Survey of Business Owners in 2015, the most recent available, black women were the majority owner of more than 1.5 million businesses nationwide, accounting for $42 billion in sales and $7.7 billion in payroll.

Even with that growth, however, there are certainly challenges. The average revenue for businesses owned by black women was $24,700, far below the all-women average of $143,100, according to the American Express 2018 State of Women-Owned Business report. If those figures were comparable, the report estimates, businesses owned by black women would add 4 million new jobs and $1.2 trillion in revenue to the economy. To read the full story from The Business Journal, click here.