Struthers outlines 8‑home pilot with state funds, county land‑bank help; nonprofit to administer
Loading...
Summary
Councilors and staff described a housing rehabilitation and new‑build pilot using state funding and county land‑bank properties to produce eight homes; a nonprofit will administer applications and resale rules under state guidelines.
City officials, staff and several outside partners described a planned housing pilot that would use an awarded state grant and Mahoning County land‑bank properties to build or rehabilitate houses in Struthers.
Council members said the city applied for a larger pool of money but was awarded a smaller amount; meeting materials and discussion referenced figures in the transcript around $2.7 million (transcript numbers included both “2,700,000” and “2,750,000”), and staff said the award will fund eight homes in the initial round rather than the ten originally proposed. Officials said the program will be administered by a nonprofit partner and that the city and county land bank will contribute properties from an existing inventory. “We have properties that are in the city land utilization. We have properties that are in the Mahoning County land utilization,” a council speaker said, describing which lots the city intends to use.
Why it matters: City leaders said the program aims to get more occupied, owner‑occupied housing back into the market while targeting homes to workforce groups and using resale rules to preserve affordability. Officials noted the program’s administrative complexity — income limits, resale rules, financing and appraisal issues — and said the nonprofit administrator will screen applicants, manage sales under program rules and handle default provisions.
Program design details discussed at the meeting include: • Inventory: Officials said the city has more than 60 properties in its pipeline and that eight properties were chosen for the initial round because they have fewer elevation and site constraints. Staff described plans to replat some small lots (for example, combining two 35‑foot frontages into a single buildable lot) to meet minimum lot requirements. • Priorities: Staff said the nonprofit will give special attention to applicants who are city employees in public‑safety and education roles (examples given included police, firefighters and teachers) but stressed that applications must meet the program’s income and loan requirements. • Financing and resale: Officials said buyers must obtain financing to purchase the homes; county appraisal and tax assessments will reflect local comparables rather than construction cost. Meeting participants discussed whether the program’s financing could accept FHA or VA loans to broaden buyer eligibility; that detail will be handled during underwriting. • Timeline and administration: Staff said construction is expected to begin in April (project-specific timelines still depend on procurement and developer schedules) and that a Monday meeting was scheduled to finalize contract details between city staff, the nonprofit and county partners.
Participants also discussed zoning and lot-size constraints that affect how many homes can be built per parcel. Staff described a minimum square-footage requirement in the city’s residential ordinances (meeting discussion referenced 6,500–7,000 square feet as the ballpark minimum used in recent planning); councilors suggested adjustments — including replatting and examining tiny‑home standards — to maximize buildable lots while preserving neighborhood character.
Next steps: Staff said they will finalize contract and program administration details with the nonprofit and county land‑bank, bring an agreement back to council for authorization and continue to assemble additional property parcels for future rounds. No ordinance or final contract was approved at the meeting; officials said they will return with contract documents and clarified program guidelines for council approval.
