Razing limits for city faulted


By David Skolnick

Many East and North Side neighborhoods aren’t eligible to receive demolition funds from this federal program.

YOUNGSTOWN — The city will demolish about 500 structures this year with the $2.7 million it’s receiving from the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

Though appreciative of the money, particularly because financial problems would have all but eliminated the city’s demolition program, city officials say there are structures with a greater need for demolition than some of those that will be demolished.

The problem, they say, is the restrictive nature of the federal program.

The federal program is designed to invest money in neighborhoods that have experienced high foreclosure rates in the last 18 to 24 months, Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams said.

“But we have long-standing systemic problems in the city,” he said. “When the steel mills closed [in the late 1970s and early 1980s], there was no program to help us out. We could use that money to demolish houses that have been vacant for 30 years.”

The city is required to use certain percentages of the $2.7 million for administration costs as well as for property acquisition and rehabilitation.

That leaves $1.3 million for demolitions.

That’s enough for the demolition of about 500 structures, said Bill D’Avignon, the city’s community development agency director.

The federal program requires those demolitions to be in areas with a high percentage of recent housing foreclosures, D’Avignon said Monday at a council community development agency committee meeting.

That means most neighborhoods on the city’s East and North sides with a large number of houses identified for decades by the city as needing to be demolished aren’t eligible for funding.

“People have been waiting for years to have houses torn down” and this money can’t help them, said Councilwoman Annie Gillam, D-1st.

Only 15 houses in her ward, which includes downtown and small portions of the lower East and South sides, are eligible for stabilization program funds even though there are 202 structures in that ward on the city’s demolition list.

About one-third of the houses to be demolished are on the city’s South Side.

The restriction on what structures can be demolished is a “huge, huge problem,” Williams said.

The 500 or so houses to be demolished need to come down, he said.

“But there is a more practical use for the money in Youngstown,” Williams said. “We have houses damaged by arsons, kids playing in vacant houses, illegal activities in some of these properties. This money could help our ability to take care of those issues. This is too restrictive for cities like Youngstown. We’d like some flexibility.”

City council had postponed a vote March 30 on appropriating the $2.7 million at its March 30 meeting wanting to discuss the issue further. Its community development agency committee met Monday with Williams, D’Avignon and CDA officials to talk about the funding.

The committee is recommending the full council approve the plan at its next meeting, April 15.

By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use.

» Accept
» Learn More