As aging communities struggle to reinvent themselves, a neighborhoods first approach with robust housing programming is critical to revitalization. Our nonprofit partner, YNDC, shares aspects of their housing programs, testimonials of real clients and how they are helping the city of Youngstown thrive.
Written by Tiffany Sokol, Housing Director, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation
Revitalization has become somewhat of a buzzword in many Midwestern communities faced with the results of decades of disinvestment and deterioration. While many associate successful revitalization with flashy commercial developments or the appearance of a coffee shop chain on a previously vacant street corner, revitalization at its core consists of work that doesn’t usually make the evening news but has a deep and lasting impact: first for residents, then the neighborhood, and ultimately the larger community.
In Youngstown, Ohio, the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation (YNDC) invests most of its resources in a holistic portfolio of housing programming, which is at the center of its neighborhood revitalization efforts.
The organization’s housing programs include:
- Owner-occupied home repair and rehabilitation
- Strategic acquisition and rehabilitation of vacant homes for sale and rent
- New construction of homes for sale and rent
- HUD-approved housing counseling
It is important to note that none of this work is done in a vacuum. Housing development needs to be intentional as part of broader plans for neighborhood revitalization to maximize positive outcomes for the community. Housing resources are strategically invested in conjunction with community organizing, demolition, infrastructure improvements, social services, and other programs critical to neighborhood revitalization provided in partnership with multiple organizations.
The first strategy for neighborhood revitalization through housing is owner-occupied home repair and rehabilitation. Poorly planned neighborhood revitalization efforts often leave out those most critical to their success – existing homeowners. Neighborhoods can’t exist without neighbors, so ensuring the neighbors that already occupy neighborhoods targeted for revitalization have access to quality affordable housing is critical. This is accomplished through programming that repairs the homes of low- to moderate-income homeowners at no cost to them. YNDC primarily provides this assistance in the form of roof replacement, emergency repairs (such as furnaces and plumbing), and accessibility modifications.
Owner-Occupied Home Repair Client Story
Deborah grew up in her Godparents' home and was given their home after they passed. The roof was leaking so severely into every room in the house that it had infiltrated the electrical system and her walls were starting to bulge in from water damage throughout. She was also taking care of her parents which financially made it even more difficult to get the work done. With YNDC’s help, Deborah no longer has to worry about further damage to her home. “I grew up in this house. My children and grandkids grew up in this house. This is a three generation home. Being able to restore it and bring it back up to code makes me one of the happiest people on the street,” said Deborah.
Alongside repairing occupied housing, acquiring and rehabilitating vacant homes strategically selected to maximize market impact addresses vacancy, sets new standards of maintenance, and provides quality affordable and market-rate homeownership and rental opportunities in neighborhoods; while also creating jobs for Youngstown residents on an in-house construction team.
Acquisition and Rehabilitation Client Story
The Sylvester family are originally from Masury, Ohio and were looking for a home that could comfortably fit their family. They had been house hunting for a very long time before they came across the listing for one of YNDC's fully revitalized homes on Mistletoe Avenue. What stood out to them the most was how spacious and affordable the property was. They love the spacious interior and large yard of the move-in ready home. They are both first-time homebuyers and this experience has changed their lives a lot. The increased responsibility of owning a home and caring for a larger space has been an exciting new challenge for the couple.
Post-demolition of properties beyond repair, the presence of vacant lots can interrupt the aesthetic of previously dense neighborhoods. These lots also present the opportunity for new construction infill. Building new homes on vacant lots, although it often requires significant subsidy, when well thought out, restores the fabric of historic neighborhoods while creating additional quality affordable housing opportunities.
New Construction Client Story
Kyle and Kimberly were both born and raised in Youngstown and wanted to stay local. They had been house hunting for a very long time before they came across the listing for YNDC's new construction on Helena Avenue. They instantly fell in love with the home - the space that their home provides, that it was fully move-in ready, and the Handel's Neighborhood where it is located. Every aspect of this home was exactly what they were looking for. Through housing counseling, the homeowners were set up for success and they highly recommend YNDC's HUD-Approved Housing Counseling program for anyone in the homebuying process, especially for those who are first time home buyers.
As previously stated, neighborhoods can’t exist without neighbors, so developing people is just as important to neighborhood revitalization as developing property. As a HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agency, YNDC provides one-on-one counseling to assist households identify and overcome barriers to obtaining and sustaining quality affordable housing, including inadequate savings, income, credit history, and understanding of the process to lease or purchase a home. YNDC will offer tenant counseling to assist renters in improving their housing quality and homeownership counseling for clients who aspire to purchase a home. YNDC also provides counseling to existing homeowners to maximize limited incomes and minimize repair costs so they can avoid foreclosure and improve their living conditions.
Housing Counseling Client Story
Sonja first began housing counseling in 2014. She needed to increase her credit score, address open collections, high student loan debt and save for a down payment and closing costs. Working with YNDC housing counselors, Sonja began paying down debt, establishing additional positive credit, and saving money. Working with YNDC counselors, Sonja never hesitated to call these trusted advisors with questions about homeownership, entrepreneurship, and personal finance. Her journey was not always easy. Sometimes her savings had to be used for emergencies, like car repairs, rather than for the purchase of a home. While she sometimes grew frustrated, Sonja never gave up on her dream of homeownership and kept moving towards her goal. By 2020, her credit score had increased by 69 points. In May of 2020, Sonja paid off her last credit card. At the suggestion of her housing counselor, she contacted her student loan servicer for an income-based repayment plan for her student loans and continued to save money for her down payment and closing costs. Just days before the Christmas holiday, Sonja closed on the purchase of her first home and rang in the New Year as a new homeowner.
Neighborhood revitalization is crucial to the success of aging cities, and requires a multitude of strategies working in tandem, including those listed above to increase quality affordable housing opportunities. For more information on these programs and more about neighborhood revitalization, please visit www.yndc.org.
