Land Bank Wins Grant to Build 19 New Homes

The Mahoning County Land Bank and its partners will build new homes on 19 of its vacant lots, thanks to a $5 million grant announced last month by the Ohio Department of Development. 

The properties, all acquired through tax foreclosures, include 16 lots in Youngstown and one each in Campbell, Sebring and Struthers.

“We’re proud to win big in the statewide competition for these grant funds,” said Debora Flora, executive director of the Land Bank. “Among the applications for these funds though the Welcome Home Ohio program, ours had an edge because we and our partners had both qualifying sites and qualified potential buyers identified. 

“We also have a track record for success through the home development cycle, including siting, planning, building, and selling to qualified buyers.”

The Welcome Home Ohio program addresses the state’s housing shortage by encouraging new housing development and rehabilitation. 

The homes will be made available to qualified buyers with incomes at or below 80 percent of the area’s median income. 

Smaller grants for projects in Struthers, Leetonia and East Palestine were also announced last month. Read more in this WFMJ-TV Channel 21 News story.

The same requirements apply to six new homes and six renovated homes being built through a $2.4 million Welcome Ohio grant approved in May 2024. The new homes will be on lots owned by the Land Bank on Mineral Springs Avenue, near Mill Creek Park in Youngstown. Developers recently broke ground for those new homes.

Photo: These open lots on the corner of Bonnie Brae Avenue and Rogers Road near Lanterman’s Mill in Youngstown are among the building sites.