Neighborhoods

The city of Youngstown has lost more than 100,000 residents in the last half-century, and a new population report sees more losses on the way.

Youngstown Mayor John McNally said the population shift in the city can easily be seen in the daily newspaper.

“You look at the obituary pages and those are filled up on some days. You look at the birth notices and it gets smaller and smaller as you go along,” McNally said.

And Youngstown continues to see people migrating out. The Urban Institute projects the city will lose another 6,000 residents by 2030. The five-county region could lose 75,000 – one out of every 10 people gone.

Thomas Finnerty with the Center of Urban Studies at Youngstown State University said the population shift is a warning to the region.

“Place who thought they were safe, who thought they were immune are not immune,” Finnerty said. “

The silver lining is that being set between Cleveland and Pittsburgh gives the Valley an opportunity in the technology center.

“Being able to set up your own tech stuff, but being able to go to Carnegie Mellon or go into Case University and get input from them. We have an advantage there that we are right in the middle,” Finnerty said.

Even if he can add jobs, McNally recognizes the city will continue to lose people, which may shrink the physical size of Youngstown.

“You have to talk about closing off streets that are no longer occupied. You have to able to shut off water and sewer lines to residential neighborhoods that are not filled with population anymore,” McNally said.

Reports show the city has been demolishing aggressively, taking down more than 2,500 buildings in the last decade. McNally said he will continue to push for more as vacant buildings become eyesores in the community.

Monday, February 2, 2015

YNDC is offering FREE workshops for individuals interested in learning more about do-it-yourself home maintenance.

Each course will be held in the Community Workshop located directly behind YNDC’s office building at 820 Canfield Road. Parking is available at 822 Billingsgate Avenue.

HOME WEATHERIZATION: Thursday, February 19th, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

BASIC PLUMBING AND ELECTRICAL: Thursday, April 30th, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Please call 330.480.0423 to reserve your seat.

http://yndc.org/programs/economic-development

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation has been approved as an Adopter of the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling, a set of guidelines for quality homeownership and counseling services. 

Adoption of the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling shows that an organization is dedicated to providing a high level of quality and professionalism that current and future homeowners can recognize and expect. High standards encourage excellence and help guide professional conduct and decision-making in the field. To learn more about the National Industry Standards for Homeownership Education and Counseling, click here. 

Youngstown State University students and volunteers began their tax preparation program Saturday.

For the students, tax season means helping the community with their returns, from 1099 to W-2. Saturday was the first of nine events where anyone can come in for free assistance on income taxes.

“The first person didn’t bring last year’s return with her, which is a lot easier for to do it if they bring last year’s return. We were still able to do it, no problem,” said Carla May, YSU student.

Dr. Raymond Shaffer with the Lariccia School of Accounting and Finance said it makes sense to get help when filing returns. He said mistakes such as a birth date or social security can kick out a tax return. Also, the Affordable Care Act has changed how some returns are figured.

YSU students Maria Bukovinsky said those who need to consider their health insurance this year will get a form from the government.

“If you have coverage through the Marketplace, the government should send you a from 1095 that you should be bringing in while you get your taxes done,” Bukovinsky said. “If they had coverage for the entire year, it is a lot easier. If they only had coverage for three months for four months, then it gets a little more complicated.”

Shaffer says to only start working on tax returns once all the forms from 2014 are in.

“Don’t try to rush into things if you don’t think you have all your information. Just gather all your information and make sure everything is reported, and just take your time and work through it. That is the biggest thing,” Shaffer said.

Items needed included:

• Social security card, photo ID
• Wage and earnings statements (Form W-2) from all employers
• Interest, dividend and investment/stock sales statements (Forms 1099)
• A copy of last year’s tax return if available and other relevant information about income and expenses.
• If you are not sure whether it is needed, bring it!

Assistance is offered every Saturday through April 11 at YSU’s Williamson Hall, 221 North Hazel Street, every Saturday through April 11. Walk-ins are welcome. For more information or to make an appointment, call the Lariccia School of Accounting and Finance at 330-941-2507.

To see the full story from WYTV, click here.

Monday, February 9, 2015

On Saturday, February 7th, YNDC participated in the financial fair at the Super Saturday event sponsored by the Mahoning County Financial Stability Partnership and VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) at YSU's Williamson College of Business. 

IRS-certified volunteers provided free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to individuals on a first come-first serve basis throughout the day. Representatives were also in attendance from Apprisen, Compass Family and Community Services, United Way, the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Community Legal Aid Services, MCTA/Ohio Means Jobs (OMJ), Talmer Bank & Trust, Home Savings & Loan, Farmers National Bank, Associates School Employees Credit Union (ASECU), YWCA, Catholic Charities, YMHA, Access Health Mahoning Valley, Veteran Services, and Eastern Ohio Education Partnership.

Monday, February 9, 2015

The Powerstown Neighborhood Action Team continues to meet and has made significant progress in improving the neighborhood over the past year.

Since the Powerstown Neighborhood Action Plan was completed, collaborative efforts have resulted in the following:

• 86 properties have been inspected by code enforcement;

• 23 properties are now slated for demolition by the Mahoning County Land Bank or City of Youngstown;

• 7 properties have achieved code compliance;

• 56 properties continue to move through the code enforcement process;

• 3405 Lenox was donated by The Home Savings and Loan Company, renovated, and sold to a first time homebuyer;

• 3402 Lenox has been acquired by the City of Youngstown and will be renovated;

• The Seventh Ward Citizens Coalition was awarded a $15,000 grant from the Youngstown Foundation to complete neighborhood improvements;

• Lots of Green 2.0 supported the development of the Pointview Children and Families Garden;

• Two workdays were held in 2014 with residents, community groups, and YSU students and resulted in the clean up of more than 15 properties.

Team Powerstown has more exciting work and improvements planned for throughout 2015. Please stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to get involved.

Monday, February 9, 2015

YNDC has begun predevelopment work on The Clearmont, a historic four unit apartment building constructed in 1928 at the corner of Glenwood and Clearmont Avenues.

The predevelopment work includes a market study, engineering, and architectural work to fully renovate the property as apartments. The predevelopment work is funded through the generous support of the Finance Fund. Stay Tuned.

Two members of the Youngstown City School District Academic Distress Commission are out, replaced by new appointees.

Brenda Kimble, school board president, sent letters Monday to Susan Moorer and Betty Greene, the board president’s appointees to the commission, thanking them for their service and telling them that new representatives were being named.

Ron Miller, who was director of the former Youngstown Area Urban League, and the Rev. Kenneth Simon of New Bethel Baptist Church are the new members.

“In the 2014 Academic Plan, State Superintendent [Richard] Ross suggested that the district broaden its community connection in helping the district meet its educational goals,” Kimble’s letter said. “We, as the board of education, have made a decision to appoint new representatives from the community this year.”

The Vindicator obtained copies of the letters and Kimble’s email to Superintendent Connie Hathorn’s secretary by making a public records request to the school district. Kimble directed that a reporter must complete a written public records request form to get a copy.

According to Ohio’s Public Records Law, commonly called the Sunshine Law, however, such requests need not be made in writing.

“A person need not make a public records request in writing, or identify him or herself when making a request,” the 2014 Sunshine Law manual says.

Both former commission members are invited in Kimble’s letters to the Feb. 24 school board meeting where they will be recognized for their service.

Kimble’s email to Hathorn’s secretary says: “... please alert Dr. Hathorne (sic) that tis (sic) letter is going out today ... Doc is suppost (sic) to have a celebration for them.”

There are five academic distress commission members — two appointed by the school board president and three by the state superintendent of public instruction.

Neither Moorer nor Greene could be reached for comment.

Joffrey Jones, commission chairman, believes both served the commission well. Greene had been a member since the commission’s 2010 establishment, and Moorer was appointed in 2011.

“I’m disappointed,” Jones said. “I’m sure they appointed good people, but Susan and Betty were good commission members. They took the work seriously. They asked good questions. They came prepared. They were excellent commission members and I hate to see them go.”

At the school board’s regular meeting Tuesday, the board approved a resolution supporting the city’s application for nearly $400,000 from the Ohio Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School program to improve the infrastructure surrounding Taft Elementary School.

The board also accepted a $2,500 donation from the India Association of Greater Youngstown to create a scholarship fund for Youngstown Early College students to take summer courses. Neena Bansal, the 2014 association president, is a teacher at YEC.

To read the full story at Vindy.com, click here.

People from all across the country bought vacant and foreclosed properties in Youngstown during the housing bubble of the 2000s.

Now, after the crash and during the long recovery, those absentee owners have walked away from their land. 27 Investigates reporter Amanda Smith pored over hundreds of land records and found these owners don’t pay taxes, or keep up the houses.

Up to 15 percent of the land in Youngstown is owned by people who will never live in the city or even visit, while local people and organizations are stuck cleaning up the mess.

The Parkway Tower, when first built, was a celebration of wealth and luxury in city living. Now, it’s just another eyesore owned by an out-of-town investment firm.

The building is empty. Windows are smashed. Instead of renting the 30 or so apartments, the owners closed the building and rented the roof space out for cell phone towers.

Seeing the building sit empty is angering those who have to live next to it.

“It’s just a shame that a structure of this quality and this size is allowed to fall into disrepair in this neighborhood. It really just brings the whole neighborhood down. It’s too large a structure to let it go,” neighbor Bob Piloli said. “Either fix it up or get rid of it, get rid of the building and give it to someone who can fix it up.”

Mayor John McNally says the city has been in contact with the ownership group of the tower, which is based in Brooklyn, but now has an Ohio-based attorney.

They’ve been told to invest money in the building and bring the taxes up to date. As of Tuesday, the group owes $35,604.65 on the building, which includes penalties and interest.

A foreclosure notice was sent out by the prosecutor’s office last week. They’re waiting on a response from the owners.

Unlike many other the out-of-town owners, the city was recently able to bring the owners of Parkway Tower in for a meeting.

“They made the efforts to travel here to Youngstown to talk to us,” McNally said. “They know that we really want to see some movement on that building this year.”

WKBN tried to reach someone connected with the investment firm. The last number listed for them was out of service, and six emails didn’t lead to any answers.

“We were trying to track down the owner of a house right on Glenwood,” Ian Beniston of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation said. “We called places in Canada, places around here. But we finally found the guy, he’d died in December and he lived in Hungary. He was living in Budapest.”

The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp helps identify absentee owners, and clean up the properties. Finding the owners of the land is the first step in getting blight torn down or rehabilitated. And it can be the hardest part.

“The challenge of making contact. And when you’re dealing at the scale that you’re working with here in Youngstown, of hundreds if not thousands of properties where this could be the case, it’s so time consuming,” Beniston said.

To see the full story from WKBN, click here.