Neighborhoods

Monday, December 9, 2019

On Thursday, November 21, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation was awarded a $25,471 Comprehensive Housing Counseling grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The funds will benefit the HUD-approved Housing Counseling program at YNDC. The housing counseling program assists those with credit or financial challenges to address those issues, secure bank loans, and become homeowners. So far in 2019, 254 new clients have enrolled in housing counseling at YNDC, and 75 clients have become homeowners.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Effective January 1, 2020, four new members will begin their terms on the YNDC Board of Directors.

The new members include Deborah Grinstein, Juan Santiago, Matthew Strang, and Christopher White. Both Deborah and Christopher are joining the YNDC board after serving as officers on the Interfaith Home Maintenance Service Board of Directors. More information on the new members can be found on the board page. Please join us in welcoming our new members.

Under the
supervision of the Neighborhood Stabilization Director, the Neighborhood
Organizer will collaborate with the YNDC team to organize residents and
stakeholders to take collective action to improve citywide housing quality and
neighborhood conditions and to identify and develop neighborhood leaders.

The Neighborhood Organizer will recruit neighborhood
residents, neighborhood groups, and community allies to improve the quality of
life in Youngstown neighborhoods through direct action to overcome longstanding
obstacles to neighborhood progress. Must be drug free, passionate about
improving Youngstown’s neighborhoods, and possess a willingness to learn and
participate in training. A full job description with instructions for applying
can be downloaded below.

Work is expected to get underway in spring on the three-sided tower sign at the Western Reserve Transit Authority’s Federal Station downtown, now that a requested variance has been approved. 

The variance for WRTA was among several items that the Youngstown Board of Zoning Appeals and City Planning Commission took up at a special meeting Wednesday.

Among those raising objections were Jack Daugherty, neighborhood stabilization director for Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. Testifying against the Winona Avenue change, he characterized it as “a classic example of spot zoning” with no legitimate public purpose. The property is also out of compliance with the city’s property maintenance code, he said. 

To see the full story from The Business Journal, click here.

The planning commission voted to recommend city council reject zoning changes to allow sober-living facilities in two residential neighborhoods.

The commission voted 6-0 Wednesday with Law Director Jeff Limbian abstaining, saying he did so because “there is a potential for litigation” over the issues, and he’s the city’s head legal counsel.

To see the full story from The Vindicator, click here. 

Mahoning County residents who dream of owning a home are invited to attend a Homeownership Resource Fair on Dec. 10. Participants will have the chance to work with local agencies and banks to make their dream a reality.

The event is led by Community Legal Aid in conjunction with the Mahoning County Financial Stability Partnership.

Vendors will share information on budgeting, credit counseling, home buyers programs, down payment assistance programs, and other resources that prepare people for purchasing a home. Participating agencies include: Apprisen, Youngstown Promise Neighborhood, United Way, the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Catholic Charities, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority, Community Resource Coalition, Mahoning and Columbiana Training Association, Home Savings Bank, Chemical Bank, PNC Bank and First National Bank.

To see the full story from Community Legal Aid, click here. 

Thursday, December 12, 2019

The Western Reserve Health Foundation awarded a $65,000 grant to increase YNDC’s capacity to organize residents and develop the Youngstown Housing Task Force into an effective, sustainable and resident-driven organizing effort with the power to affect long-term systems and policy change to improve housing quality and health outcomes.

In 2020, work will include: door-to-door canvassing, continued execution of issue campaigns, training resident leaders, and development of a strong membership base for the Youngstown Housing Task. Many thanks to The Western Reserve Health Foundation for the support! The Western Reserve Health Foundation is a supporting organization of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley. The Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley is operated exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes which effectively assist and promote the well-being of residents of Mahoning and Trumbull Counties. Information about the Foundation can be found at cfmv.org. 

Monday, December 30, 2019

During the month of December 2019, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) completed the sale of three newly constructed homes to homeowners on Helena Avenue.

The project to construct three new homes broke ground in June 2019 and was made possible through partnerships with the Mahoning County Land Bank, City of Youngstown, PNC Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, and Handel’s Neighborhood Association. This project is part of an overall planned strategy to revitalize Helena Avenue and the Handels neighborhood that began with the work of the Pleasant Grove Neighborhood Action Plan in October 2014 and is ongoing. Congrats to the new homeowners!

At its December meeting, board members of the Raymond John Wean Foundation awarded $2 million in community investment grants to Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. and Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership.

The community development corporations are strategic partners with the foundation due to their strong leadership roles in resident empowerment and sustained community development in Warren and Youngstown.

To read the full story from The Business Journal, click here. 

Monday, December 16, 2019

On Tuesday, December 3, 2019, The Raymond John Wean Foundation awarded YNDC a two year $1.1 million grant for general operations. YNDC will receive $550,000 in 2020. The grant will fund YNDC operations, programmatic activity, and neighborhood organizing.

The Raymond John Wean Foundation is a private foundation that has a vision of empowered residents creating a healthy, vibrant, equitable and economically stable Mahoning Valley, the Foundation leverages a powerful combination of grantmaking, capacity building, convening and partnerships within the strategic priorities of community revitalization, economic opportunity, educational opportunity and public and civic sector leadership.

YNDC is sincerely grateful for the ongoing support and strategic partnership with The Raymond John Wean Foundation. YNDC could not do its work without it.