Federal funds will pay for demolition of 500 city houses


April 15, 2009 at 10:10p.m.

Federal funds will pay for demolition of 500 city houses

YOUNGSTOWN — About 500 dilapidated houses in the city will be demolished in a few months, thanks to money from the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

Tthe U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding has specific requirements for the program’s use, said Mayor Jay Williams and William D’Avignon, the city’s community development agency director.

Neighborhoods that have experienced high foreclosure rates in the last 18 to 24 months are eligible for the funds. A large percentage of the city’s eligible neighborhoods are on the city’s South Side.

Also today, the Ohio Housing Finance Agency announced the city would receive a $200,000 grant to create a new zoning code that would comply with the Youngstown 2010 citywide redevelopment plan.

For the complete story, read Thursday’s Vindicator or Vindy.com