House-proud in 'new suburb'

By ROGER G. SMITH
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- To Rufus Hudson, the 82 new low- and moderate-income homes on the East Side are about children.
The four-bedroom, two-bath homes will give children new, clean, safe places to grow up with their own rooms and back yards, said the 2nd Ward city councilman.
That's why Megan came to mind when it was time to name one of the streets.
Megan was Hudson's first-born daughter who died of sudden infant death syndrome at three months.
The new homes on Megan Circle and a few other streets celebrated Monday are a testament to the city's future, Hudson said.
"I think it will create a new sense of pride," he said.
Three nonprofit agencies built the $11 million, 68-acre development off state Route 616 about three miles north of U.S. Route 422.
About development
The development is designed like a suburban neighborhood, with winding sections of street that curves into a circle at the end.
Construction started last summer near Route 616 with Community Housing Options Involving Cooperative Efforts, or CHOICE, building 27 homes.
Jubilee Urban Renewal Corp. followed with another 27. Common Wealth Inc. built the final 28.
There are plans for a second phase of about two dozen more homes, said Pat Rosenthal, Common Wealth executive director.
The homes cost about $130,000 to build and largely were financed by selling government tax credits to investors to raise cash.
The homes must be rented out for 15 years, after which the occupants have the option to buy at typically lower than market rates because of the original subsidy.
About 20 of the homes will rent at market rates of about $550 per month, said Phil Smith, executive director of CHOICE.
The rest are for families that meet income guidelines; the rents will vary. Families of four with annual incomes of about $30,000 and under should qualify, Smith said.
Most of the homes are already occupied and the newest should be filled by December, said Mark Whipkey, development director at Common Wealth.
Why the high demand
Demand is high because of the location and setting, he said. Many East Side residents need quality, affordable housing, he said. Plus, the suburbanlike arrangement is unique to the city.
"It's a different product. I think that's the big draw," Whipkey said.
Hudson referred to the "new suburb within the city limits" as filling a housing gap on the East Side. The hope is that services such as retail will follow when businesses realize the demand is there, he said.
More such developments in the city are unlikely, however.
The city, which provides funds to nonprofit builders, instead is focusing on concentrations of new or renovated housing in neighborhoods.
The Youngstown 2010 plan calls for creating a mix of housing and income types in certain spots. Such an approach is less expensive than extending and maintaining new roads, sidewalks, sewers and other services, said Jay Williams, director of the city Community Development Agency.
The East Side development, planned four years ago, fit a need, he said. Now that such a housing type is available, the city probably won't be backing any similar efforts in the near future, he said.
"You won't see three or four or five more of these," Williams said.
rgsmith@vindy.com