Press Releases

A Youngstown Neighborhood Cleans Up Its Act

The Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative was one of two organizations (MVOC and Youngstown Business Incubator) from the City of Youngstown named 2008 Community Impact Awards by the Dominion Foundation. Thirteen non-profit organizations from across northern Ohio were selected as award winners from over 100 award
submissions. The awards were bestowed on organizations with an "unselfish desire and relentless drive to reshape
the social climate in our neighborhoods and communities…".

The Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative received the award for its work in the Idora Neighborhood on the southwest side of Youngstown. With assistance from professional community organizers from the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative, residents of the Idora Neighborhood were able to develop and grow a neighborhood association. The level of civic engagement in the neighborhood dramatically increased and today the Idora Neighborhood Association has over two hundred members.

The Idora Neighborhood Association launched an ongoing Corner Store Campaign in August 2008 to address
"corner stores" on Glenwood Avenue. Criminals were taking over the community and James London and the Idora
Neighborhood said "Enough is enough." According to London, "It is easier to buy crack than a fresh tomato on the
southwest side of Youngstown."

The Corner Store Campaign gave something for the neighbors to be hopeful about and showed people could take back their neighborhood. The MVOC and Idora Neighborhood Association are grateful to receive this award.

For more information, please view the related article from Inside Business Magazine. (pdf)

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 neighborhood actions and campaigns. For more information please visit www.mvorganizing.org.

Youngstown neighborhood cleans up its act (pdf)
State Senate Recognition from Senator Joe Schiavoni (pdf)

Results of city-wide vacant property canvassing as well as details of the new Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation will be released.

Contact: Phil Kidd, MVOC (330) 743-1196 C (330) 519-8712 phil@mvorganizing.org

YOUNGSTOWN – A coalition of federal, state, city and county officials as well as community and faith-based leaders will conduct a press conference organized by the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative on Thursday January 22nd 11am at City Hall to unveil details of a comprehensive vacant property and community development strategy geared toward neighborhood stabilization and restoration in the City of Youngstown.

Thursday’s meeting will include the results of the city-wide vacant property canvassing which enlisted over 150 area leaders and citizens in an effort to indentify and rate each vacant structure and parcel of land in the city of Youngstown. Notable findings from the data include the city’s total percentage of vacant land which stands at 36.4%, two and a half times the national average of 15.4% (Brookings). Perhaps even more compelling is the city’s abandoned structure-to-citizen ratio, which, per 1,000 inhabitants, stands at 61.8 or 23 times the national average (2.63).

Given this compelling data, a number of initiatives are being developed to address the situation in targeted neighborhoods throughout the city. A critical component is the development of a city-wide community development corporation (Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation), details of which will be released publically Thursday.

The YNDC is being developed to provide the community with a high capacity and multifaceted organization staffed by talented and experienced professionals of a national scale. The YNDC’s portfolio of featured initiatives will include: foreclosure prevention, housing rehabilitation and development, home maintenance assistance, community greening, and neighborhood marketing.

The MVOC will also work hand in hand with the YNDC to effectively lobby for sufficient resources to undertake these strategic and innovative community development activities. The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is intended to be a "sister project" to the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative. The two organizations will work together and in collaboration with government and other organizations or institutions involved in urban revitalization activities to begin the process of collectively rebuilding the social and physical fabric of neighborhoods across the City of Youngstown.

Mayor Jay Williams will also provide an update on status of the landlord registration ordinance as well as discussion of a strategic demolition policy to be adopted by City Hall.

Other press conference agenda items will include:

• Status of alternative funding by the State of Ohio for neighborhood stabilization efforts in Youngstown as well as announcement of meeting date with Lt. Governor Lee Fisher by State Senator Joe Schiavoni;
• Overview of Congressman Tim Ryan’s Urban and Suburban Communities Regeneration Act legislation by Press Secretary Pat Lowry;
• Overview and initiatives contained in the newly released Youngstown/Mahoning County Vacant Property Initiative by Commissioner John McNally;
• East Side Organizing Project foreclosure prevention testimonial by beneficiary and City of Youngstown employee Erica Jackson;

Overview and update regarding the MACK Properties Problem Landlord Campaign.

For more information, please contact the MVOC at (330) 743-1196.

Vacant Properties Press Conference (press release) (pdf)

Vacant Properties Press Conference Agenda (pdf)

MVOC Citywide Vacant Properties Survey Results (pdf)

Fisher to come to Youngstown to discuss state resources for addressing vacant properties

Contact: Phil Kidd, MVOC (330) 743-1196 C (330) 519-8712 phil@mvorganizing.org

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 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.

For more information, please contact the MVOC at (330) 743-1196.

ODOD Meeting Summary (Press Release) (pdf)

Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation Summary (pdf)