Youngstown ARP spending

Youngstown spent its $82,775,370 ARP allocation in the following categories:

• Neighborhood and economic development: $27,538,965

• Council members’ projects: $14 million

• Parks and public facilities: $10,649,903

• Health and wellness: $10,028,258

• General fund revenue replacement:

$10 million

• Public works: $7,240,233

• Crime prevention: $2,868,011

• Youth and seniors: $450,000

YOUNGSTOWN –Youngstown was gifted with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help the community through its $82,775,370 American Rescue Plan allocation, and the city put the money to great use, Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said.

“We did very well with the funding,” Brown said. “I’m pleased. We hit the areas in need. The citizens told us, ‘We want these as our priorities,’ and we provided funding for those priorities.”

Overall, the funding paid for 107 projects, said Finance Director Kyle Miasek.

The city spent $35,073,961 of the ARP allocation through the end of 2024 and has until Dec. 31, 2026, to pay out the rest for the encumbered projects, Miasek said.

“We met with constituents to get a pulse of what our community was looking for with these funds,” he said.

Miasek added: “We’ve met the commitments. We used these funds to make a difference in the community. These were important to the community. We’ll use all of the money over the next two years.”

Brown said: “Once citizens see the work happening, they’ll be very pleased with the spending.”

At the top of the list is neighborhood and economic development, which received $27,538,965 – one-third of the ARP dollars received by the city.

“That’s been one of our top priorities,” Brown said. “In the second or third quarter, you’re going to see it shaping up. In the next year, you’ll see homeownership in the city. That’s my main focus – people having access to affordable, quality housing.”

The city selected the 717 Credit Union to administer three housing programs, totaling $13 million, to improve Youngstown’s housing stock.

The largest program is $8 million for the new construction and / or rehabilitation of quality affordable housing with the other efforts being $3 million to provide up to $10,000 in low-interest loans to qualified homeowners to improve and update the exterior of their houses and $2 million in a revolving loan fund for landlords to make renovations, repairs and / or address housing code violations.

John Demmler, 717’s president and CEO, said in December that the $8 million program, called Youngstown Affordable Loan Program, is being parlayed into $35 million worth of discounted mortgage financing.

Those participating would get a 2% rate reduction and not have to pay closing costs, with 717 paying those fees.

To begin development, 717 is creating a $5 million revolving commercial development fund to be used to rehabilitate vacant downtown buildings into residential condos, build homes on empty lots and develop neighborhoods. After renovation or construction, the units would be sold to individual buyers and the funds recuperated to be invested in additional projects.

The $3 million program, called Residential Facade Program, provides 1% interest loans of up to $10,000 for five years or a dollar-for-dollar match up to $10,000 to qualifying homeowners in the city to improve and update the exterior of their homes and address any cited or potential code violations.

The intent of the program is to stabilize and increase the value of homes in Youngstown.

Eligible improvements include house painting, installation or replacement of shutters or awnings, window replacements, sidewalk or driveway replacements, siding replacement, step replacement or repairs and garage repairs.

The $2 million Landlord Revolving Loan Fund allows property owners to borrow up to $50,000 per single-family property and up to $100,000 for multi-unit houses at 2% interest for up to five years.

The money permits landlords to make renovations, repairs or address housing code violations.

The program requires landlords to maintain the property for five years and not increase rent to current tenants during the same time frame. A sale would require the landlord to repay the loan immediately.

The city also selected Huntington Bank to administer its $5 million At Home in Youngstown.

Expenses covered under the program include a $10,000 maximum for down payments and closing costs and up to an additional $15,000 limit for energy-efficient upgrades to windows, furnaces and hot water tanks after a house is purchased.

Other neighborhood and economic development ARP allocations included $3,050,000 for residential roof replacements, $2,972,465 to demolish vacant properties and a $2 million small business revolving loan fund.

OTHER PRIORITIES

Other priorities for the ARP funding were parks and public facilities, health and wellness, public works projects, crime prevention and assistance programs for youth and seniors.

City council agreed to set aside $10 million to the general fund for revenue lost during the COVID-19 pandemic.

City council agreed in April 2023 to give $14 million to its members – $2 million each – for community projects.

ARP funding for the city’s parks and public facilities is $10,649,903 for more than 25 recreational locations in Youngstown. Also, more $2 million from the council’s $14 million went for park improvements.

Of the $10,028,258 for health and wellness, $3,968,716 went towards a three-year contract, that started Jan. 1, 2023, with Emergency Medical Transport to provide ambulance service in the city; $2,466,448 went towards the hiring of four community health workers, a supervisor and an epidemiologist; and $1,411,757 towards the purchase of a new 100-foot ladder truck for the fire department’s downtown station.

The largest expenditure under the $7,240,233 in ARP funds allocated for public works projects was $5 million for a federally-mandated Mill Creek interceptor sewer upgrade study with $1,215,272 to replace lead pipes in a West Side neighborhood.

The city set aside $2,868,011 for crime prevention programs with $1,284,301 to buy body cameras and tasers for police officers and $1.5 million for the design of a proposed safety campus.

The city spent $450,000 for youth and senior programs.