LORAIN COUNTY, Ohoi — Lorain County is hoping to give more families an opportunity at homeownership. During a press conference Thursday, county, state and several city leaders announced a grant that will kickstart an initiative to build more affordable homes for working-class residents.
“We just need more families, more homes. I’m tired of looking at vacant lots and empty houses,” said Lola Moye, who lives in Central Lorain.
She said her family currently rents because they’ve had trouble finding affordable homes. She and others told News 5 they think the neighborhood has ample space to replace vacant lots with family homes.
“I think we’ve got some good potential if they fix the neighborhood up, I really do,” said Michael Toney.
The view from his porch features the sprawling former Stove Works industrial site. The city has been working with the county land bank and securing state funding to remediate the blight and eventually develop the property.
There are similar plans for the now vacant lot where the former Polish Club once sat.
Both sites were mentioned by Lorain Mayor Jack Bradley during Thursday’s press conference.
“By building four houses at the old Polish club, that’s going to be able to be a catalyst for building houses at the old Stove Works property,” said Bradley.
He joined city leaders from Elyria, Lorain and Oberlin, Lorain County Commissioner Marty Gallagher, State Rep. Gayle Manning (R-Avon) and others to announce a joint effort to build more affordable housing.
“What you see up here, we collaborated, all of us together, to start this program off,” said Gallagher, who is also the chair of the Lorain County Land Bank.
The county and three communities are joint recipients of a $902,000 grant from the Welcome Home Ohio program. The initiative, which is administered by the Ohio Department of Development, provides funding for the construction of new affordable homes.
All three cities said they’re seeing limited opportunities for working-class families to purchase homes in their communities.
“The affordable housing for working class families was the thing that we’re missing the most,” said Dawn Culvert, the assistant director for Elyria’s Economic Transformation and Business Services.
The work will be headed by developer Community Building Partners and the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity.
“The prospective homebuyers are employed, they have credit, they are contributors to the community. They’re really in need of housing,” said Joseph Recchie, CEO of Praxia Partners, which runs Community Building Partners.
John Litten, the president and CEO for the Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity, added, “You’re able to turn what it a $70,000 or $80,000 grant towards a home into over $200,000, maybe $300,000 in economic development in the construction process and the work that’s going to go into it, not to mention that you’re bringing a new homeowner into your community.”
Gallagher said other communities that have participated in the Welcome Home Ohio program have seen a return of $13 for every $1 invested into new housing.
“It’s not only benefiting the person that may end up in the home, it’s benefiting the whole community,” said Manning.
Neighbors like Moye said they’d like to see more affordable options so they can realize the dream of homeownership.
“My own garden, I could throw my own barbecues back in it… I’d love it,” she said.
Others said they’d like to see the investment sooner rather than later.
“I hope so. That would be nice, especially out there,” said Toney, gesturing to the vacant lot near his home. “That would be nice.”
Lorain County is also working on a comprehensive housing study and action plan. A community health assessment, county strategic action plan and neighbor feedback identifying housing as a top need were the impetus for the study.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
