3 days ago
Ground broken for new home in Campbell as part of development project
CAMPBELL, Ohio (WKBN) – It's a first in the City of Campbell, aimed at meeting an urgent need.
There was a ceremonial groundbreaking Wednesday morning for a brand new home on Whipple Avenue.
'When we have a shortage of housing, and especially that doesn't break people's bank accounts,' said Deb Flora, with the Mahoning County Land Bank.
It marks the first time the Mahoning County Land Bank, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation and City of Campbell have worked together on a housing project.
Money for this development is coming from a new project from the state known as 'Welcome Home Ohio,' which was created to help working class, middle-income families buy affordable housing.
'At a time where housing construction is very expensive, the Welcome Home Ohio dollars are making it affordable for us, as the developer, to get it done and then there's also a requirement from the state that we can't sell this house for more than $180,000,' Flora said.
She says they have to sell the home to a household that is at or below 80% of the average median income.
Mahoning County has already received more than $7 million from this program, which will pay for 31 projects around the county.
It's the second groundbreaking this month, following one in Struthers last week, with half a dozen more in Youngstown.
In this particular case, the land bank purchased this property in 2017 and tore the existing house down.
'I mean, it's going full cycle from being a blighted property that creates negative energy and is kind of a contagion on the block, removing it, the interim use was a green vacant lot,' said Ian Benniston, with YNDC.
Now Mayor George Levendis hopes this, along with a revitalization effort of businesses on nearby 12th Street, could help attract new residents to the city.
'This is a first step and, hopefully, there's going to be many more of these kind of houses,' he said.
Organizers hope lawmakers will continue funding the Welcome Home Ohio program in the next state budget.
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