MVOC Organizes Officials, Community Leaders To meet with Ohio Department of Deve

[DefendYoungstown]

Ohio Department of Development Meeting Summary
January 9, 2008, 2:00pm
Vern Riffe Center, Columbus, Ohio 

COLUMBUS – A delegation of federal, state, city and county officials as well as community and faith-based leaders organized by the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative met with state officials in Columbus this past Friday to discuss the state's commitment in allocating additional resources to address the foreclosure and vacant property crisis in Youngstown. 

The meeting was spurred by the state's recent announcement of a zero dollar allocation to Youngstown in regards to its $116 million dollar Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

In October, Youngstown received a direct allocation of $2.7 million from Housing and Urban Development through the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of July 2008 which provides billions of dollars to cash-strapped local governments and states to acquire, demolish, or rehabilitate homes vacated due to foreclosure. In addition to direct federal funding, the State of Ohio received $116 million in discretionary funds to additionally distribute to the areas of greatest need.

In December, city and community officials submitted a formal request to the Ohio Department of Development asking for an additional $16 million, however, while Mahoning County as a whole received 2.9 million, the City of Youngstown received no specific funding from the State of Ohio's discretionary allocation.

According to City of Youngstown Community Development Director William D'Avignon, the cost to "stabilize" the City of Youngstown is $42.9 million.

D'Avignon – who attended the meeting Friday – made specific reference to the city's Youngstown 2010 Citywide Plan which, he noted, has received national and international attention due to its recognition and acceptance of the city's population decline. D'Avignon noted that the plan is "based in reality" and went on to say that "(in Youngstown) we are not trying to build glass towers. (The plan) is about stabilizing a community. That is the Youngstown 2010 plan. You cannot deny that Youngstown did not get what it deserved." D' Avignon suggested that the foreclosure data used by the state was inaccurate and being that state officials had to adhere to a federal formula, getting that data correct was critical to the funding allocation to Youngstown.

Valley representatives also acknowledged that Friday's meeting was not an attempt to have the state reallocate NSP funding but rather to discuss what alternative funding could be found to assist the city.

Mayor Jay Williams stated that he had been in discussions with Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher prior to the Friday's meeting and stated the Lt. Governor expressed displeasure about the allocation and assured the Mayor that all efforts will be made to find additional resources to assist Youngstown.

Williams also explained that representatives were also here today to "reintroduce" Youngstown and added that the meeting, additionally, was an opportunity to discuss a number of "transformative" initiatives currently underway that make Youngstown a strategic investment area, largely unlike in the past. In addition to Youngstown 2010, Valley representatives outlined initiatives such as the recently released Youngstown/Mahoning County Vacant Property Initiative which includes the establishment of a county-wide land bank, establishment of professional community organizing (MVOC) and the establishment of a multi-faceted, high capacity, city-wide community development corporation (Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation) in addition to Congressman Ryan's Urban and Suburban Communities Regeneration Act which will reach the house floor at the end of January or early in early February.

Lt. Governor Lee Fisher – who attended the meeting by telephone – reiterated that the state is committed to "exploring ways to find funding" for Youngstown and that he is willing to have a follow up conversation in the Mahoning Valley in February. William Graves, Director for Community Development for the Ohio Department of Development, said he will see the Lt. Governor's commitment through and will come with him to the Mahoning Valley in order to have a more detailed discussion about funding opportunities.

Phil Kidd

[AllanY2525]

I hope that the City of Youngstown (ie: Mayor Williams) will continue to pursue
every available dollar in order to continue, and maybe even accelerate, the pace
of demolitions in the city.

The more the city cleans out neighborhoods that will NOT be saved in the 2010
plan, the sooner these areas can be given "back to nature" - which will, in turn,
lessen the load on the street department in keeping these areas functional
in terms of roads, sidewalks and curbs, and public utilites above and under those
streets.

This should help to lower the budgetary requirements of maintaining the
infrastructre located in these areas - which should free up some amount of
funds that could be used to maintain the other neighborhoods that the city
intends to rebuild and/or restore.

[DefendYoungstown]

MVOC Organizes Officials, Community Leaders To meet with Ohio Department of Development Officials

Group to discuss resources from the state to tackle foreclosure and vacant property crisis

YOUNGSTOWN - Youngstown has the highest foreclosure rate and subprime lending rates in the State of Ohio and the resulting abandonment has left the city further challenged in its ongoing battle to address urban blight.  Given this serious social and economic problem, Youngstown officials and citizens were rightfully pleased to receive news late last year that the federal government had passed the "Housing and Economic Recovery Act" of July 2008 which provides billions of dollars to cash-strapped local governments and states to acquire, demolish or rehabilitate homes vacated due to foreclosure. The City of Youngstown received a direct allocation from the Housing and Urban Development of 2.7 million; however, City of Youngstown Community Development Director William D'Avignon estimates that the cost to "stabilize" the City of Youngstown is $42.9 million.  In addition to direct federal funding, the State of Ohio received $116 million in discretionary funds to additionally distribute to the areas of greatest need. In December, city and community officials submitted a formal request to the Ohio Department of Development asking for an additional $16 million, however, while Mahoning County as a whole received 2.9 million, the City of Youngstown received no specific funding from the State of Ohio's NSP program.

As a result, the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative has secured a meeting with state officials to discuss the zero dollar allocation, state commitment to allocating other state resources to Youngstown to address the foreclosure and vacant property crisis, and current revitalization efforts that make Youngstown a strategic investment area. These effort include but are not limited to: the nationally and internationally recognized Youngstown 2010 Citywide Plan, National Vacant Property Campaign Youngstown/Mahoning County Vacant Property Initiative, establishment of a county wide land bank, establishment of professional community organizing (i.e. MVOC), establishment of a multi-faceted, high capacity, city-wide community development corporation (i.e. Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation) and Congressman Ryan's Urban and Suburban Communities Regeneration Act.

Friday's meeting is a key component of the MVOC's vacant property organizing campaign. Community leaders along with city and elected officials will meet at the Vern Riffe Center in Columbus, Ohio on Friday, January 9 at 2:00pm. Among those confirmed to attend are Mayor Jay Williams, CDA Director Bill D'Avignon; Commissioner John McNally; Pastor Michael Harrison, Union Baptist Church; Patricia Dougan, President Seventh Ward Citizens Coalition; Joel Ratner, President, Raymond John Wean Foundation; Pat Lowry, Press Secretary, Congressman Tim Ryan; Kirk Noden, Executive Director, Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative.

WHO: The Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative (MVOC) is a broad-based community organizing initiative established in March of 2008. The primary focus of the MVOC is to unite groups throughout the community (churches, neighborhood groups, schools, etc.) to work together to increase the quality of life in urban neighborhoods in the Cities of Youngstown and Warren, Ohio. The MVOC seeks to begin about the process of neighborhood change through leadership development, research and policy work, and neighborhood actions and campaigns.