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Mahoning County Land Bank secures $500,000 to demolish houses, buildings

By Mahoning Matters staff
The Mahoning County Land Bank cleared away the last two empty houses on Mineral Springs Avenue in Youngstown so the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation could build new houses there. (Contributed photo)
The Mahoning County Land Bank cleared away the last two empty houses on Mineral Springs Avenue in Youngstown so the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation could build new houses there. (Contributed photo)

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Land Bank recently secured $500,000 in state funds to demolish houses and commercial buildings next year and is in line for more dollars to support potentially hundreds of additional demolitions in the next several years, officials say.

"The end of Youngstown's inventory of vacant, abandoned, unsafe and beyond-repair housing is in sight," Debora Flora, executive director of the land bank, said in a news release.

"The initial funds will allow us to raze about 40 houses," she said.

The land bank and its partners believe that, after many years of demolitions, Youngstown is about 800 demolitions away from clearing the city's inventory of beyond-repair housing, the release states.

Vacant homes in the city beyond that target can likely be repaired and would not be appropriate for demolition, Flora said.

"The city will be able to shift its focus and resources to housing renovation as safe, affordable housing becomes an even more critical need due to the pandemic," she said.

The land bank foresees the need for 200 residential demolitions throughout the county. Campbell, Sebring and other communities can significantly reduce, if not eliminate, their inventories with proof of matching funding, the release states.

"As the program opens up toward the end of the year, we have the opportunity to request additional funds to complete 1,000 demolition projects if matching dollars are secured, Flora said."

Initial demolitions are expected to start in the first quarter of 2022, Flora said. She expects the land bank to submit its request for additional funds in the same time frame and know by mid-2022 how much will be available for additional demolition.

This story was originally published November 16, 2021 at 2:15 PM with the headline "Mahoning County Land Bank secures $500,000 to demolish houses, buildings."