Youngstown mayor justified in blasting funding decision

Youngstown mayor justified in blasting funding decision

It should come as no surprise to Gov. Ted Strickland that Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams is lashing out at the state for shortchanging his city in the allocation of federal dollars meant to address housing problems.

Just three months ago, after Youngstown had received $2.7 million from the state in federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds, city officials and community activists made it clear that the allocation was a drop in the bucket.

And, they offered evidence to back up their contention, foremost of which is the 14.7 percent housing foreclosure rate in Youngstown — the highest of the large cities in Ohio.

Then, there are the large number of vacant and blighted structures that need to be torn down. The price tag to deal with this persistent and growing problem: $10 million.

Thus, after the city was informed that it would receive what amounted to a pittance under the program administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the reaction was clear: Thanks — but we need a lot more to take care of the myriad problems plaguing our neighborhoods.

As Eva Ladson, a North Side resident who lives on Crandall Avenue in a neighborhood filled with vacant homes put it, “We are grateful for the $2.7 million. But what we’ve received is like putting a Band-Aid on an open surgical wound.”

The disappointment at Youngstown’s receiving less than any other city was tempered somewhat by the fact that the state still had $116.9 million from the feds to allocate. Mayor Williams and others asked the Strickland administration for at least $2 million — even though $8 million to $10 million would have be entirely justified.

But even the city’s low balling its request failed to pass muster with the state.

No supplemental allocation

Williams was informed late last week there would not be a supplemental allocation for Youngstown under the neighborhood stabilization program. The reason: “The federal government created a formula that places cities like Youngstown ... at a distinct disadvantage,” said Keith Dailey, the governor’s spokesman.

The mayor isn’t appeased.

“This is absolutely outrageous,” Williams said. “It’s an absolute affront to the city.”

It’s more than an affront; it’s indefensible. Regardless of the reason for Youngstown’s being passed over, neither the federal nor state governments can ignore reality. The money is designed to facilitate demolitions, housing rehabilitation, the purchase of foreclosed properties, offer down payments and closing-costs to low- and moderate-income home buyers, and create land banks in areas hit hard by rising foreclosures and declining property values.

To suggest that Akron, which received $8.6 million three months ago and has now been approved for another $3 million more, is more deserving than Youngstown is nothing more than bureaucratic nonsense. Akron’s foreclosure rate is 10.3 percent.

Cleveland and Dayton also received additional funds.

Mahoning and Trumbull counties will get $2.9 million and $2.1 million, respectively, while the city of Warren is marked for $1.5 million. A like amount is being split between Columbiana and Carroll counties.

Mayor Williams does not want to take money away from the counties and the other communities, but he rightly believes that Youngstown was just as deserving, if not more so, than the recipients identified last week.

He has been assured by the governor’s office that every attempt will be made to find some funding for the city next year, but as he rightly points out, given the state’s dire financial condition, there isn’t a great deal of discretionary money available.

For that reason, we believe this area’s two congressmen, Tim Ryan and Charlie Wilson, should work with HUD to include Youngstown in this round of funding.

Ryan and Wilson, both Democrats, should also work with the Democratic Gov. Strickland to identify other sources of money.

Mayor Williams has a meeting scheduled with state officials in early January. He deserves some good news then.