Neighborhoods

In 2013, after having lived in Youngstown my entire life, I was the victim of an attempted home invasion.

I was there when the would-be intruder broke the glass in an effort to come through my back door. Naturally, I was left shaken for months. And no one in my community matched my outrage. It’s not that the people around me weren’t generally concerned about my safety. But being a Youngstown native, I was expected to be used to crime in my community. This attitude and expectation is not unique to our city. In many Black neighborhoods across the country, violence — particularly gun violence — is something we’ve just come to accept as part of what comes with living in certain ZIP codes. We acknowledge it. But we often feel like the only options available to us are to live with it or move. In order for a community to be truly transformed, the members of that community have to be actively involved in the transformation. That’s something I staunchly believe in. Like Patricia Stokes, the neighborhood steward for the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation says, “You’re living this! You know what’s going on in your neighborhood. So you’re able to talk about what needs to be done.”

To see the full story from Mahoning Matters, click here.

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

On Tuesday, May 17, the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley awarded YNDC with a $125,000 grant for emergency home repair.

The funds will be used to assist residents of owner-occupied, single family homes with emergency repairs such as roof replacements, furnace repairs and replacements, and plumbing repairs at NO COST. Big thanks to the United Way for the ongoing support of this critical program!

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Wayne had been house hunting for a while and almost gave up until he came across one of YNDC’s listings.

Wayne instantly fell in love with the home - the ample space, that it was fully move-in ready, and that his home can now be a place for extended family to get together. Every aspect of this home was exactly what he was looking for. Wayne is a first time home buyer and this experience has changed his life a lot. Through housing counseling, Wayne was set up for success, and he highly recommends YNDC's HUD-Approved Housing Counseling program for anyone in the home buying process, especially for those who are first time home buyers. “When I walked into this house, I knew it was home. It just instantly felt like this is where I belonged all along and that my search was really over. I was so impressed by the quality of work and just the overall vibe in the house,” Wayne said.

Congratulations, Wayne! Thank you for your investment in Youngstown’s neighborhoods and best wishes in your new home!

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

The Glenwood Plaza continues to see improvements.

In addition to Glenwood Fresh Market, the plaza is now home to Inspiring Minds Youngstown and Protestant Family Service. Both organizations are occupying newly updated units. Exterior work on the plaza is largely complete including the addition of the hand painted Glenwood Plaza sign. In the coming months a restaurant and one more business will open. 

The Raymond John Wean Foundation hosted the Mahoning Valley Community Development learning visit earlier this month, offering their Akron peers the opportunity to learn more about the strategic partnership between the Wean Foundation, Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership (TNP) and Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC).

The Akron group included representatives from Akron Community Foundation, the City of Akron, GAR Foundation and Huntington Bank,which are consulting with Joel Ratner, former Wean president, to build their community development organizations. During the daylong visit, the group toured TNP, visited the Wean Foundation for a panel discussion and wrapped up the day with a tour of YNDC.

During a panel discussion, Jennifer Roller, Wean Foundation president, Matt Martin, TNP executive director, and Ian Beniston, YNDC executive director, shared with the group how the strategic partner relationship has developed over the past decade and the efforts to ensure the work in communities persists.

“Resident-centered neighborhood revitalization, that’s our collective vision,” Roller said.

“We are incredibly impressed by the resourcefulness and partnership among the Wean Foundation, TNP and YNDC,” said Bronlynn Thurman, program officer at GAR Foundation.

To see the full story from Tribune Chronicle, click here.

The Raymond John Wean Foundation hosted the Mahoning Valley Community Development learning visit earlier this month, offering its Akron peers the opportunity to learn more about the strategic partnership between the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, Wean Foundation and Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership.

The Akron group included representatives from Akron Community Foundation, the City of Akron, GAR Foundation and Huntington Bank, which are consulting with Joel Ratner, former Wean president, to build their community development organizations. During the daylong visit, the group toured TNP, visited the Wean Foundation for a panel discussion and wrapped up the day with a tour of YNDC.

During a panel discussion, Ian Beniston, YNDC executive director, Jennifer Roller, Wean Foundation president, and Matt Martin, TNP executive director, shared with the group how the strategic partner relationship has developed over the past decade and the efforts to ensure the work in communities persists.

“Resident-centered neighborhood revitalization — that’s our collective vision,” Roller said.

“We are incredibly impressed by the resourcefulness and partnership among the Wean Foundation, TNP and YNDC,” Bronlynn Thurman, program officer at GAR Foundation, said.

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

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

On May 18, YNDC participated in a learning exchange with a small group representing multiple institutions in the City of Akron including: Akron Community Foundation, City of Akron, GAR Foundation and Huntington Bank.

The group is seeking ideas on how to strengthen the community development system in Akron and is working with former Wean Foundation president Joel Ratner to develop a plan. They visited multiple YNDC project sites and discussed YNDC's strategy and approach.  

Monday, June 6, 2022

On Monday, June 6, 2022, the Frances Schermer Charitable Trust awarded a $5,000 grant for emergency repair to YNDC.

The funds will be used for the emergency home repair program to assist residents of owner-occupied, single family homes with emergency repairs such as furnace and plumbing repairs at NO COST. Thank you to the Frances Schermer Charitable Trust!

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

588 Cubic Yards of Debris Removed

69 New Clients Enrolled in Housing Counseling

30 Emergency Repairs

28 Vacant Houses Boarded

REVITALIZE

The housing market in Youngstown, specifically Mahoning County, is thriving.

For the last three years, the demand for houses has outpaced availability, leading to higher property values in many neighborhoods. According to reports, the median selling price for homes in Youngstown this past April was $118,500, a 3.5% increase.

Sadly, neighborhoods like the greater Glenwood area are being left out of the market and out of this boom, mainly because no homes are available.

If you live in a similar neighborhood, you know that this lack of availability does not mean there aren’t any vacant properties in the area. It’s become a catch-22. Empty and deteriorating houses keep property values down. Consequently, homeowners seeking to add value and equity to their property face challenges accessing financial resources for repair and rebuilding. Considerably, even the fully remodeled homes can’t compete with others in the market.

Since so many neighborhood resources are funded by property taxes, including schools, the impact created by these conditions can reverberate for years.

But even under these circumstances, there’s hope to be found. Local officials are not only aware of the situation but vested in and actively working to resolve it. In partnering with organizations like the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation, the city has established an overall housing strategy to address the housing inequality issues impacting renters and homeowners.

To see the full story from Mahoning Matters, click here.