Neighborhoods

Sabrina Johnson is a Neighborhood Stabilization Intern for the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation. Sabrina assists YNDC’s Neighborhood Stabilization Director and team with a variety of tasks to stabilize Youngstown’s neighborhoods and to organize residents and partners around issues affecting neighborhoods. This work includes a variety of office, research, engagement and field assignments.

The Ohio Department of Development’s Office of Community Enhancements (OCE) awarded YNDC a $1,100,000 award from the PY 2024 Housing Assistance Grant Program. The Housing Assistance Grant Program is funded with Ohio Housing Trust Fund (OHTF) dollars.

The grant will provide emergency home repairs and accessibility modifications to homeowners who are at or below 50% of Area Median Income in Mahoning County.

The funds will be used to complete repairs to 205 housing units. Huge thanks to the Ohio Department of Development for the major support of our home repair efforts!
 

The Huntington Foundation awarded YNDC with a $30,000 grant for Housing Counseling. The Housing Counseling Program empowers low- to moderate-income residents to identify and overcome barriers to homeownership, including inadequate savings, income, credit history, and understanding of the home buying process, and prepares them for future homeownership; and provides existing low- to moderate-income homeowners with resources to maximize their limited incomes and minimize repair costs so that they can avoid foreclosure and improve their living conditions.

Many thanks to The Huntington Foundation and Huntington National Bank for their ongoing support!

More than 300 people invested in the continued growth and success of Appalachian Ohio attended the 13th annual State of the Region Conference on May 13 at Ohio University.

As part of the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA) University Center, the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service brought  together public officials, economic development experts, business and organizational leaders, and others to discuss various issues related to economic growth in the Appalachian Ohio region.

Five panelists talk on stage at the State of the Region Conference in the Baker Center Ballroom
“The State of the Region was a powerful reminder of the innovation and collaboration shaping the future of Appalachian Ohio,” said John Carey, director of the Governor’s Office of Appalachia. “As our region develops, we continue to leverage unique opportunities and create meaningful change, all driven by strong partnerships and leaders who are committed to seeing their communities succeed.” The theme for this year’s event was “Building Thriving Communities” and featured four panels on Housing, Tourism, Child Care, and Development.

Five panelists sit on stage and talk at the State of the Region Conference All of these efforts can be tied together by one foundational component: affordable housing. As different panelists pointed out, it’s essential for the tourism industry because workers need a place to live that is close to hotels, restaurants, and attractions. The level of childcare is dependent on the local schools and the property taxes generated, and new residents fuel economic development. It's important to note that housing options aren’t required to be new dwellings, but ones that are improved.

“We try to take a ‘fix it first’ approach, we have thousands of people living in what I would consider low-quality housing,” said Ian Beniston, executive director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation(opens in a new window). “If we don't fix those houses, ultimately, a lot of folks will have to vacate them.”

To read the full story from Ohio Today, click here.

The Center for Nonprofit Leadership at Youngstown State University, housed in the Williamson College of Business Administration, has been awarded a grant from The Wean Foundation to implement the 2025 Nonprofit Leadership Summer Fellowship Program.

The Nonprofit Leadership Summer Fellowship Program is a biennial program that matches YSU students seeking career-related experience in the nonprofit sector with nonprofit organizations in the Mahoning Valley looking to build organizational capacity. This program gives 12 YSU students the opportunity to work full-time for 12 weeks, for a total of 480 hours, or part-time for 300 hours between May 12 and August 1. All fellows are paid $18/hour.

The following students and organizations were selected to participate in the 2025 Nonprofit Leadership Summer Honors Internship Program.

• The Andrea Mahone Foundation hired MacKenzie Harrington, a Master of Business Administration student, for the part-time Marketing & Social Media Fellowship position.
   
• Inspiring Minds Youngstown hired Melea Johnson, a Social Work major, for the full-time Site Instructor Fellowship position.
   
• Mahoning County Land Bank hired Serene Awad, an Environmental Studies major, for the full-time Program Management Fellowship position.
   
• Mahoning Valley Historical Society hired Connor Tapp, a History major, for the full-time Community Engagement Fellowship position.
   
• Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley hired Kevin Balella, a Marketing major, for the full-time Panerathon Event Fellowship position.
   
• Meridian HealthCare hired Tara Wine, a Marketing major, for the full-time Marketing & Development Fellowship position.
   
• Northeast Ohio Adoption Services hired Sujey Navarro Negrete, a Business Administration major, for the part-time Community Engagement Fellowship position.
   
• Oh Wow! Children’s Center for Science & Technology hired Aicha Sawaneh, a Communication major, for the part-time Marketing & Events Fellowship position.
   
• United Way of Trumbull County hired Danuneka Cargill, a Business Administration major, for the part-time Marketing & Events Fellowship position.
   
• YMCA of Youngstown hired Haya Farhan, a graduate student studying Health and Human Services, for the full-time Marketing & Development Fellowship position.
   
• Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation hired Sabrina Johnson, a Psychology major, for the full-time Neighborhood Stabilization Fellowship position.
   

• YWCA Mahoning Valley hired Miya Brown, an Accounting major, for the part-time Accounting Fellowship position.

  To read the full article from Youngstown State University, click here.

The Mahoning County Land Bank and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. have partnered to construct their first new home outside Youngstown’s city limits, expanding their reach to Struthers.

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

The Center for Nonprofit Leadership at Youngstown State University, housed in the Williamson College of Business Administration, has been awarded a grant from The Wean Foundation to implement the 2025 Nonprofit Leadership Summer Fellowship Program. The biennial program matches YSU students seeking career-related experience in the nonprofit sector with nonprofit organizations in the Mahoning Valley looking to build organizational capacity.

The program gives 12 YSU students the opportunity to work full time for 12 weeks, for a total of 480 hours, or part time for 300 hours between May 12 and August 1. All fellows are paid $18 per hour.

The students and organizations selected to participate in the program are:

• MacKenzie Harrington, a master of business administration student, part-time marketing and social media fellowship, Andrea Mahone Foundation.
   
• Melea Johnson, a social work major, full-time site instructor fellowship, Inspiring Minds Youngstown.
   
• Serene Awad, an environmental studies major,  full-time program management fellowship, Mahoning County Land Bank. 
   
• Connor Tapp, a history major, full-time community engagement fellowship, Mahoning Valley Historical Society.
   
• Kevin Balella, a marketing major, full-time Panerathon event fellowship, Mercy Health Foundation Mahoning Valley.
   
• Tara Wine, a marketing major, full-time marketing and development fellowship, Meridian HealthCare.
   
• Sujey Navarro Negrete, a business administration major, part-time community engagement fellowship, Northeast Ohio Adoption Services.
   
• Aicha Sawaneh, a communication major, part-time marketing and events fellowship, Oh Wow! Children’s Center for Science & Technology.
   
• Danuneka Cargill, a business administration major, part-time marketing and events fellowship, United Way of Trumbull County.
   
• Haya Farhan, a graduate student studying public health, full-time marketing and development fellowship, YMCA of Youngstown.
   
• Sabrina Johnson, a psychology major, full-time neighborhood stabilization fellowship, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. 
   
• Miya Brown, an accounting major, part-time accounting fellowship, YWCA Mahoning Valley.

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

A stretch of Glenwood Avenue is looking a little brighter these days thanks to a program from the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Program aimed at improving lighting and cutting crime. Back in January, a pedestrian was hit at the intersection along Glenwood across from the Salvation Army and Southern Tavern. It’s something the YNDC is trying to shine a light on to avoid any more dark situations.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here. 

A groundbreaking was held for new and affordable housing opportunities in Struthers Tuesday. The home is being built at 42 East Wilson Street with the project being funded by a grant, the Mahoning County Land Bank and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.

To read the full story from WFMJ, click here. 

There was a groundbreaking for a new single-family home in Struthers on Tuesday. It’s a project by the Mahoning County Land Bank and the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.

To read the full story from WKBN, click here.