SitemapThe Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber has launched a local Housing Council aimed at finding ways to improve the region’s housing stock. The council will work toward “improving the quality, accessibility and attainability of housing in the Mahoning Valley,” according to a news release from the 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. We also need to build our neighborhoods back up, so we need to find ways to improve the quality of existing homes, develop new units and make it easier to attain housing for a growing local workforce,” said Brenda Linert, director of Community Impact for the Regional Chamber.
Recently, Linert attended the third annual Housing Summit at the Ohio Statehouse. The summit highlighted opportunities and challenges facing the state’s housing supply and affordability. Local leaders collaborated on a regional housing strategy, which was released in January. The Chamber, seeing the need for more housing to support the area’s workforce, stepped in to create the Housing Council.
Members of the council include the following:
Jason Altobelli: Realtor, Altobelli Real Estate
Ian Beniston: Executive Director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation
Krista Beniston, planning manager for the Western Reserve Port Authority
Floyd E. Cline II, commercial mortgage loan officer, Huntington National Bank
John Demmler, president and CEO of 717 Credit Union
Tony DiTommaso, senior representative, Carpenters Local 171
Gregory Ensley, vice president of Commercial Banking Team Leader, Farmers National Bank
Lena Esmail, owner and CEO of QuickMed
Tricia Ferry Frate, executive vice president of VEC, Inc.
Debora Flora, executive director of the Mahoning County Land Reutilization Corp.
Roberta Hiller, CEO of the 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 of Koch Construction
Mark Lamoncha, president and CEO of Humtown Products
Erik Liber, owner of HSH Drywall
Jeff Magada, executive director of Flying High
Kareem Maine, plant director at Ultium Cells
Matt Martin, executive director of the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership
Moshood Martins, business owner and investor
John Masternick, president, Windsor House
Justin Mondok, director of planning and development for the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments
Doug Rende, president and CEO of Shapes Unlimited
Don Thomas, president of Platz Realty
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