Hope VI project gets consultants' approval

The consultants were pleased with the quality of Arlington Heights homes.

By SARAH POULTON

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Consultants from Abt Associates Inc. visited the Youngstown Metropolitan Housing Authority this week to assist and advise their Hope VI project.

Megan Shutes, Hope VI coordinator, said they visited for three days and were helpful. They seemed pleased with the progress that YMHA is making with Arlington Heights, the Hope VI development on the city's North Side, she said.

The development was created through a major grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to renovate distressed public housing, Shutes said. Until 2003, YMHA could get only HUD's demolition grant, she said. Now that it has obtained a revitalization grant, it can move the project forward toward completion, she said.

YMHA has already made progress with the home-ownership portion of Hope VI, and is beginning the process of constructing the rental portion, she said.

While the construction is in progress, Community Supportive Services is helping future residents adjust to their new environment. Former residents of the Arlington Heights area will get the first opportunities for the rental property, Shutes said.

Higher standards

She added that residents must comply with higher standards to live in Arlington Heights than other YMHA developments. They must pass a credit check and a criminal background check. CSS will be working with the preference group to make sure they are prepared for the terms of their lease and expectations of living at Arlington Heights.

"We're interested in people coming here and making it a great community," Shutes said. "It's been a great experience. We're trying to make it more like a neighborhood than a development."

Overall, the consultants said they were pleased with how Hope VI's professional community coordinators have been working and relating with CSS clients.

Hope VI began sending out a monthly newsletter to all CSS residents with information regarding various services and community news, to keep them up-to-date and on the same page, Shutes said.

On time

Michael Krause, YMHA director of human resources, agreed that things are progressing on schedule. He said they are also pleased with the quality of construction of the homes.

"Their job is to make sure we're doing our jobs," Krause said. "They are here to assist us and to ensure we meet HUD's expectations.

Eugenia Atkinson, YMHA executive director, said she's proud and excited about the accomplishments made with the Hope VI program. She drives through that neighborhood at least two or three times a week, and is astounded every time, she said.

"I'm really excited about the progress, as well as the quality," Atkinson said. "I can hardly wait to see the finished product. I think it's going to be a very nice neighborhood."

Shutes said the next step is to possibly dovetail the Hope VI program with other programs offered by YMHA, such as the family self-sufficiency program. She said that the two programs would complement each other and that should be considered in the future.

spoulton@vindy.com