Work toward improving the quality, accessibility and attainability of housing in the Mahoning Valley has begun by a 24-person board affiliated with the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
The Chamber’s Housing Council was created to align with the Mahoning Valley Regional Housing Strategy.
Members include:
· Jason Altobelli, Realtor, Altobelli Real Estate
· Ian Beniston, Executive Director, Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation
· Krista Beniston, Planning Manager, Western Reserve Port Authority
· Floyd E. Cline II, Commercial Mortgage Loan Officer, Huntington National Bank
· John Demmler, President & CEO, 717 Credit Union
· Tony DiTommaso, Senior Representative, Carpenters Local 171
· Gregory Ensley, Vice President, Commercial Banking Team Leader, Farmers National Bank
· Lena Esmail, Owner & CEO, QuickMed
· Tricia Ferry Frate, Executive Vice President, VEC, Inc.
· Debora Flora, Executive Director, Mahoning County Land Reutilization Corp.
· Roberta Hiller, CEO, Youngstown Columbiana Association of Realtors
· Tricia Howe, Executive Officer, Home Builders & Remodelers Association of the Valley
· Ryan Kelly, CEO, Pantheon
· Joseph Koch Jr., Vice President, Koch Construction
· Mark Lamoncha, President & CEO, Humtown Products
· Erik Liber, Owner, HSH Drywall
· Jeff Magada, Executive Director, Flying High
· Kareem Maine, Plant Director, Ultium Cells
· Matt Martin, Executive Director, Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership
· Moshood Martins, Business Owner & Investor
· John Masternick, President, Windsor House
· Justin Mondok, Director of Planning & Development, Eastgate Regional Council of Governments
· Doug Rende, President & CEO, Shapes Unlimited
· Don Thomas, President, Platz Realty
“Not only is the cost of homes rising, but so too are taxes, including property taxes, both of which are creating huge challenges for homeownership. We also need to build our neighborhoods back up, so we need to find ways to improve the quality of existing homes, develop new units and make it easier to attain housing for a growing local workforce,” said Brenda Linert, Director of Community Impact for the Regional Chamber.
Recently, Linert attended the 3rd annual Housing Summit at the Ohio Statehouse. The one-day conference Feb. 20, put on by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, included a series of discussions to highlight the opportunities and the challenges facing the state’s housing supply, accessibility and affordability to meet growing workforce needs.
Topics at the conference included Housing and Tourism, National Trends in Housing, creating a YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) movement in Ohio and a legislative and policy discussion on housing.
Released in January, the Mahoning Valley Regional Housing Strategy outlines recommendations to stabilize and strengthen the Valley’s housing market through collaborative and coordinated efforts among economic development agencies, governments, nonprofit groups, the private sector and other stakeholders.
The Regional Chamber, seeing the need for abundant and suitable housing for a growing workforce in the Valley, stepped in to create the Housing Council of its Board of Directors and other members to work together to enhance quality, accessibility and attainability of local housing. It will focus on improving existing stock, developing new residential spaces and leveraging available resources.