Neighborhoods

A long-vacant building constructed more than a decade ago with the hope of ending the reputation of Youngstown’s Southside as a food desert could once again fulfill that promise. Rose Carter, Executive Director of the Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods, AKA “ACTION”, has scheduled a noon press conference with Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown at the former Bottom Dollar Store 2649 Glenwood Ave.

Carter will reveal plans for a Community Marketplace at the former store, which she says will be dedicated to addressing food insecurities and other community concerns. The project is a collaboration between the mayor, local businesses, nonprofits, and others in the community. “This space will not only provide immediate relief but also serve as a catalyst for long-term positive change,” Carter says in a media release.

ACTION is a grassroots, non-profit community organization involving faith groups, schools, neighborhood organizations, tenant councils, and other non-profits, is the force behind other community projects, one of the latest includes a Mobile Market to deliver groceries to underserved neighborhoods. 

To read the full story from WFMJ, click here. 

A community marketplace is planned for the former Bottom Dollar grocery store site at 2649 Glenwood Ave. that closed nearly nine years ago. Rose Carter, executive director of ACTION — Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhoods — said the plan is to expand the organization’s mobile market to the South Side location about three days a week and offer a location for others to sell food and items.

“ACTION’s been pushing for a brick-and-mortar grocery store since 2017, but we’ve been unable to get one to commit,” she said. “We’ve had pop-up markets and the mobile grocery store and we’re going to be expanding and creating a community marketplace.”

The marketplace would probably open in the latter part of 2024, Carter said. The mobile market, which started in May 2022, is a van that brings grocery store items to those throughout the city. The community marketplace effort is a collaboration between the city, local businesses, nonprofits and others and is “aimed at nurturing a sense of belonging, fostering community engagement and ensuring access to essential resources for all,” she said. Carter added: “This space will not only provide immediate relief but also serve as a catalyst for long-term positive change.”

Councilwoman Anita Davis, D-6th Ward, who represents where the property is located, said: “It’s an answer to our discussions of our area being a food desert. This is a starting point. It will be a food market and will address our needs for a grocery store.” Davis said she plans to give a portion of her ward’s $2 million American Rescue Plan allocation to help the marketplace. “I’m prepared to help make this a reality,” she said.

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

City council agreed to use $8 million of its American Rescue Plan funds to develop a plan to build new houses and rehabilitate existing structures. Council voted 7-0 Wednesday in support of the funding. Two members — Julius Oliver, D-1st Ward, and Samantha Turner, D-3rd Ward — said they want the city to spend more ARP money on this proposal. Beverly Hosey, the city’s community development agency director, said work will be done to determine what type of affordable housing will be developed and where it would be built.

The strategy is based upon development-ready parcels and land owned by the city of Youngstown, the city land bank, the Mahoning County Land Bank and the Youngstown City School District, Hosey said. Hosey said studies and community outreach will be done to determine what percentage would be new housing and what would be improvements to the city’s existing housing stock. “We’ll do an evaluation of the entire city,” she said. “We’ll talk with neighborhood associations and council people to see what will be done and see what type of land is available.”

Hosey said she didn’t know how long the process would take or how many houses would be built and improved. “We’ll develop a strategic plan,” she said. Under federal guidelines, ARP money must be fully expended by the end of 2026. Hosey said the effort will be finished by the federal deadline. The $8 million allocation is nearly 10% of the $82,775,370 Youngstown received in ARP funding.

Turner criticized the time it took to get the proposal in front of council as the city received half of the ARP funding in May 2021 and the rest a year later. She suggested $15 million to $20 million, saying the proposal is “great, but we are extremely behind the curve in prioritizing this.” Oliver said $8 million is a good start. The work will be handled through the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. and Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning Valley, Oliver said.

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

Efforts to clean up and demolish blighted properties in Youngstown appear to be paying off, according to the results of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation’s latest citywide survey. The survey is completed biennually to keep track of the conditions of the city’s residential and commercial properties. The results of the survey are given to the Mahoning County Land Bank and city officials and are used to determine properties that may need to be demolished or repaired.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

As the city of Youngstown plans to build newer and affordable houses and rehab existing ones, $8 million of American Rescue Plan funds will help the housing crisis in the city. A proposal was brought up in Youngstown City Council’s Wednesday evening to get funds for housing in the city. The plan, which includes all seven wards, would send $8 million to the Community Development Division. “There’s a housing stock shortage. This is just another opportunity to get individuals who want to be homeowners to be homeowners,” said Youngstown Mayor Jamael “Tito” Brown. “We’re looking, not to tell what we’re going to do, but we’re going to ask questions and have community outreach,” said Beverly Hosey, director of Community Development.

The plan would build new houses around the city, taking some of the existing structures and rehabilitating them. Councilman Julius Oliver said people he’s talked to in his ward support it but have a concern for a lack of a senior facility. “They said, basically, we don’t want to have to go to the suburbs to age in place, when it’s time. Is the city going to do anything within this plan to build a senior facility that’s adequate?” Oliver said. Hosey said this is part of their consideration, along with rehabbing homes that seniors already live in. “It’s very important to all of us, and it’s particular to our team,” Hosey said.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

The workshop will focus on a program offering training for general contractors, plumbers, electricians and roofers. The Youngstown Neighborhood Corporation (YNDC) and the Minority Business Assistance Center (MBAC) at the Youngstown Business Incubator are offering a free contractor's workshop to learn more about becoming a full-lead abatement contractor.

To read the full story from WFMJ, click here. 

When considering places to settle for retirement, there are a number of factors to consider, including housing affordability, health care access, weather, and more. While some might assume Florida and Arizona to be ideal retirement destinations, most of the best places to retire are in the Northeast and Midwest – including one in Ohio, according to a new report. Youngstown, Ohio, is the ninth-best city to retire in the U.S., according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 rankings. Located about halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Youngstown is described as a “Rust Belt city in the midst of a cultural and economic renaissance that combines rich historical tradition with the zeal of a new generation,” according to the report.

To read the full story from Cleveland.com, click here. 

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation and the Minority Business Assistance Center at the Youngstown Business Incubator are offering a free contractors workshop for those interested in learning more about becoming a full-lead abatement contractor. The event will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Youngstown Business Incubator.

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

Thursday, November 9, 2023. 

Kimberly has lived in her south-side home for 26 years. She was a first-time homeowner and purchased a home in the neighborhood where she had grown up so she could be close to her family and friends. Her roof was leaking into her kitchen and bedroom. YNDC replaced her roof, and there are no more leaks! She said “I love the new roof! I love the color, it stands out. It makes the house look like it’s brand new. And with no more leaks, I don’t have to worry about water ruining my home.” This new roof was made possible by The Affordable Housing Program of The Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati 

Monday, November 13, 2023. 

Avery is a YNDC Housing Counseling client and first-time home buyer who highly recommends our FREE HUD-approved housing counseling program. Avery moved to Youngstown when she was 15 years old. “I just love my city,” she said. “I enjoy everything about it; the people, the scenery. I think Youngstown is worth the time and effort.”

A lot of prayer led her to buy this specific home. She has friends and family in the neighborhood, and she loves the peace and quiet. She expanded her square footage so much in this home, she even has an extra room she can use as an office. Her new home has two full decks she can enjoy year round. She said “I am an East Sider, I grew up here, and my mom bought her first house here.”

Avery is a success story of our HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Program. “They made me discipline myself in my finances, so I could save money,” she said.  “I cut back on things I didn’t need and savings became my goal. It helped me clean up my credit. And it wasn’t overbearing. I set a goal, I started small, and worked my way to bigger payments. By the time I got to the bigger payments, I was used to making payments, so it developed into a habit for me.”

She has suggested this free program to many people, and encourages anyone struggling with their finances to take advantage of this opportunity. “They can tell you what you need to do and get you started on the right track,” she said. Congratulations Avery! Thank you for your investment in Youngstown’s neighborhoods and best wishes in your new home! #REVITALIZE #youngstown 

YNDC's FREE HUD-Approved Housing Counseling program assists clients with identifying and resolving barriers to obtain and sustain quality affordable housing in confidential one-on-one counseling sessions over the phone. Please call YNDC at 330.480.0423 for more information or to enroll in the program.