SitemapThe Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber has launched a Housing Council to help improve the quality, accessibility and attainability of housing in the Mahoning Valley. The 24-person board was created to align with a Valley housing strategy, a news release states. The housing strategy, released in January, outlines recommendations to stabilize and strengthen the Valley’s housing market through collaborative and coordinated efforts among economic development agencies, governments, nonprofit groups, the private sector and other stakeholders. “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,” said Brenda Linert, director of community impact for the Regional Chamber. “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.” The Regional Chamber’s new Housing Council will focus on improving existing stock, developing new residential spaces and leveraging available resources.
Members of the board are:
Jason Altobelli, real estate agent at Altobelli Real Estate.
Ian Beniston, executive director of the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Krista Beniston, planning manager at the Western Reserve Port Authority.
Floyd E. Cline II, commercial mortgage loan officer at Huntington National Bank.
John Demmler, president and CEO of 717 Credit Union.
Tony DiTommaso, senior representative of Carpenters Local 171.
Gregory Ensley, vice president, commercial banking team leader at 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 Bank.
Roberta Hiller, CEO of the Youngstown Columbiana Association of Realtors.
Tricia Howe, executive officer for Home Builders & Remodelers Association of the Valley.
Ryan Kelly, CEO of 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 of Windsor House.
Justin Mondok, director of planning and development for Eastgate Regional Council of Governments.
Doug Rende, president and CEO of Shapes Unlimited.
Don Thomas, president of Platz Realty.
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