SitemapSince 2020, two major cities in Mahoning and Trumbull counties have seen a drop in vacant housing, according to a report recently released by The Raymond John Wean Foundation. Wean Foundation president Jennifer Roller said this is only one of the encouraging trends highlighted in the research compiled by the Greater Ohio Policy Center.
“We first commissioned these reports three years ago to inform our funding strategies in community revitalization and economic and educational opportunities,” Roller said. “We are sharing it more broadly so that our grantees and partners may also benefit from having accurate and consistent information from vetted sources.” The research from Greater Ohio Policy Center is designed to provide a view of today’s Warren and Youngstown as they compare to the rest of Trumbull and Mahoning counties, as well as the state of Ohio.
Alison Goebel is the executive director of the Greater Ohio Policy Center. “We are extremely encouraged by the progress in the Mahoning Valley,” Goebel said. “At the same time, the data indicated that the Wean Foundation’s mission of empowered residents creating a more equitable Mahoning Valley is needed now more than ever.”
Housing, entrepreneurship bright spots in Youngstown
In Youngstown, the percentage of vacant housing stock has declined by 8% since 2010. The number of vacant structures stood at just over 10% in 2023, compared to almost 19% in 2010. According to the report, in 2025, vacancy rates are much lower in Youngstown, Mahoning County, Trumbull County and the rest of the state for a variety of reasons, including: Millions of dollars allocated to demolition Effective landbanks that have removed and prevented blight, Increased code enforcement ,Relief and support programs that have kept at-risk owners in their homes.
Housing, entrepreneurship bright spots in Warren
In 2010, more than 16% of the housing stock was vacant. The new reports show that the number of housing units in Warren that are considered abandoned and vacant have declined by 46% since 2020. Now there are just over 1,200 units or 6.47% of Warren’s housing stock classified as vacant. Matt Martin is the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership’s executive director. Martin said much of the drop in vacancy rate in Warren and Trumbull County is the result of over a decade of remediating blight by the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership, the Trumbull County Land Bank along with the city of Warren, Trumbull County, and other municipalities, townships and villages. He said they’ve collectively been prioritizing renovation and home ownership while also utilizing demolition and land use to stabilize neighborhoods. “Similar efforts in Youngstown and Mahoning County include Youngstown Neighborhood Deveopment Corp., the Mahoning County Land Bank and government partners,” Martin wrote. “Both communities are now experiencing a push for new housing, with all of these same organizations playing a role in that effort.”
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