See how Mahoning Valley housing council plans on improving real estate for residents
This year, the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and partners came up with a housing-improvement plan for the Mahoning Valley.
Now, several community organizations and individuals are banding together to come up with ways to bolster local real estate and accessible housing for all Mahoning Valley residents.
Brenda Linert is the director of community impact for the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
“Not only is the cost of homes rising, but so too are taxes, including property taxes, both of which are creating huge challenges for homeownership,” Linert said. “We also need to build our neighborhoods back up.”
The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber established a 24-member housing board called the Housing Council.
According to Linert, they’ll be tasked with finding ways to improve the quality of existing homes, develop new units and make it easier to attain housing for a growing local workforce.
The council will work to enhance quality, accessibility and attainability of local housing, improving existing stock, developing new residential spaces and leveraging available resources.
What is the Mahoning Valley Regional Housing Strategy?
The Mahoning Valley Regional Housing Strategy is a plan to stabilize and strengthen the housing market in the Mahoning Valley, according to Eastgate Regional Council of Governments.
The improvement plan aims to help all types of housing in the area, “from luxury market-rate to housing that serves the region’s most vulnerable populations.”
The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber wanted to help “make it easier to obtain housing for a growing local workforce,” according to Linert.
Eastgate Regional Council of Governments proposed some regional initiatives including an emerging developers training program, making coordinated zoning adjustments and starting down payment assistance programs for residents.
Guy Coviello, chamber president and CEO, said the Mahoning Valley Regional Housing Strategy is a good start to address the housing issues impacting Trumbull and Mahoning counties.
“We are eager to move forward and embrace the challenge to provide suitable, affordable and abundant housing for a growing workforce in the Mahoning Valley,” Coviello said.
Here’s who was selected to be a part of the Housing Council:
- Jason Altobelli, Realtor, Altobelli Real Estate
- Ian Beniston, Executive Director, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation
- Krista Beniston, Planning Manager, Western Reserve Port Authority
- Floyd E. Cline II, Commercial Mortgage Loan Officer, Huntington National Bank
- John Demmler, President & CEO, 717 Credit Union
- Tony DiTommaso, Senior Representative, Carpenters Local 171
- Gregory Ensley, Vice President, Commercial Banking Team Leader, Farmers National Bank
- Lena Esmail, Owner & CEO, QuickMed
- Tricia Ferry Frate, Executive Vice President, VEC, Inc.
- Debora Flora, Executive Director, Mahoning County Land Reutilization Corp.
- Roberta Hiller, CEO, Youngstown Columbiana Association of Realtors
- Tricia Howe, Executive Officer, Home Builders & Remodelers Association of the Valley
- Ryan Kelly, CEO, Pantheon
- Joseph Koch Jr., Vice President, Koch Construction
- Mark Lamoncha, President & CEO, Humtown Products
- Erik Liber, Owner, HSH Drywall
- Jeff Magada, Executive Director, Flying High
- Kareem Maine, Plant Director, Ultium Cells
- Matt Martin, Executive Director, Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership
- Moshood Martins, Business Owner and Investor
- John Masternick, President, Windsor House
- Justin Mondok, Director of Planning & Development, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments
Doug Rende, President & CEO, Shapes Unlimited
Don Thomas, President, Platz Realty
