Latest news with #MahoningCountyLandBank
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
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. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
YNDC showcases new homes for sale in Youngstown
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) and its partners continue to build new, affordable homes in the city and address a critical housing shortage. On Mineral Springs Avenue on Youngstown's South Side, empty lots have been turned into something livable and affordable. It is all thanks to YNDC and the Mahoning County Land Bank through the Welcome Home Ohio program. The state-funded program allows the homes to be sold for 80 percent or less than the average median income. The homes — located at 726, 730, and 738 Mineral Springs Avenue — have been listed for sale. Each home has three bedrooms and two and a half baths and is selling for $180,000. Debora Flora, executive director of the Mahoning County Land Bank, said stability is important. 'Having a place to call home makes not only your job more stable but also the education of children, economic stability — you need a place to call home in order to achieve the other things as well,' she said. Revitalization includes conservation efforts. YNDC is planting new trees and removing dead trees on lots. 'Healthy trees make healthy neighborhoods. They're definitely an important part of our neighborhood infrastructure — providing shade for folks so that they can enjoy the outdoors, helping to reduce our energy costs, keep our homes cool in the summer. They actually can improve mental health and well-being. Even studies have shown that healthy tree-lined streets help reduce crime,' said Jack Daugherty, neighborhood stabilization director for YNDC. YNDC and the Mahoning County Land Bank have 19 more new construction projects pending through next year. For more information on homes listed for sale, visit YNDC's website. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State-funded program increasing local housing options
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — The City of Youngstown is beginning to see the benefits of the new Welcome Home Ohio program. The program includes funding for the construction and rehabilitation of residential properties, and the Mahoning County Land Bank and Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) are taking full advantage of it. Representatives of both organizations showed WKBN the progress of a renovation that is currently underway at 3551 Shirley Road. The property was among those identified as vacant and tax-delinquent during a citywide survey released in 2023. YNDC was able to purchase the property during a sheriff's sale and received funding through the Welcome Home program to purchase and help renovate it. 'Those dollars were really critical to us being able to push this forward and in a fairly fast timeframe, I would say,' Debora Flora, executive director of the Mahoning County Land Bank. YNDC Executive Director Ian Beniston said the funding allows them to sell the property for an affordable price to a person who will live in the home. As part of the Welcome Home Ohio requirements, the Lank Bank cannot sell the home for more than $180,000, and the property must be sold to an individual who earns not more than 80% of the local median income at the time of sale for 20 years after the date of purchase. Buyers must live in the home for five years or face a penalty. Through the program, buyers will receive homebuyer counseling. Beniston said through YNDC's other partnerships, buyers can also receive downpayment assistance, possibly up to $28,000. 'The idea is not for someone to buy this and then flip it themselves and make it a rental. The idea is that for at least 20 years, this is going to be an affordable homeownership opportunity for a family or multiple families if it's sold,' he said. YNDC and the Land Bank have been working together for some time to eliminate blight, which has created vacant lots across the city. With the available funding, there is now an opportunity to rebuild in those areas. They are working on six rehab homes through Welcome Home Ohio right now, six new builds are wrapping up, and 19 new builds are starting soon. Beniston also discussed progress on a project to build six new homes on Mineral Springs Avenue. The Land Bank acquired the vacant land years ago but there hadn't been an opportunity to rebuild the area until recently. The project included removing the blight and rebuilding the area from the ground up. 'This is kind of a special moment if we look back on the last 20 years of starting to get some more momentum, and something that we've been, I think, looking forward to and building toward for a decade,' Beniston said. Beniston said all of the homes will be listed with a realtor, and there is typically a lot of interest in them. Buyers will need to have a realtor but can contact YNDC with interest in a particular property to be added to a list for notification when it is listed. 'Generally speaking, I think these are the best deals on the market. When you look at it, we're going to be selling brand-new, three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath, newly constructed houses for $180,000. There's nowhere in the five-county region that you're going to be seeing that type of product on the market for that price,' Beniston said. Vacant homes under renovation through Welcome Home Ohio in Youngstown include the following: 3551 Shirley Road 734 W LaClede 870 Canfield Road 3222 Sheridan Road 2502 Stocker 4340 Helena Flora said there are a couple of Welcome Home Ohio-funded projects in the works in other areas as well. Other homes that YNDC is working on include the following: 844 W Indianola 741 Sherwood 734 W LaClede 870 Canfield 3222 Sheridan 3310 Sheridan 2502 Stocker 4340 Helena 3551 Shirley 512 Clearmont 733 Lake 2653 Pearce 2655 Pearce 2657 Pearce 818 Billingsgate On Thursday, YNDC also plans to break ground on phase two of a project to build three new duplexes on Glenwood Avenue. That project is funded by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh Affordable Housing Program, Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati Affordable Housing Program, Mahoning County and the Raymond John Wean Foundation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
