Youngstown mayor, MVOC officials meet today with HUD rep in D.C.

Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams and members of the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative were to meet late today with Ron Sims, the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The meeting, in Washington, D.C., is part of an ongoing effort of nine communities to help secure about $32 million in federal stimulus funds for housing demolitions, rehabilitation and property acquisition efforts in the Mahoning Valley.

The communities involved are: Youngstown, Warren, Niles, Girard, Campbell, Struthers, Lowellville, Newton Falls and McDonald.

“If we want to see these resources come to the Valley, we have to organize,” said Kirk Noden, MVOC’s executive director.

HUD is expected to decide by the end of this month which communities will receive funds from this $1.93 billion program.