YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Land Bank recently secured $500,000 in state funds to demolish houses and commercial buildings next year.

The land bank also is in line for more dollars to support potentially hundreds of additional demolitions in the next several years, officials say.

“The end of Youngstown’s inventory of vacant, abandoned, unsafe and beyond-repair housing is in sight,” said Debora Flora, executive director of the land bank.

“The initial funds will allow us to raze about 40 houses,” she said.

The Ohio Department of Development will oversee the Ohio Building Demolition and Site Revitalization grant program, as established by the state Legislature when the biennial budget was adopted in June. The land bank is awaiting the completed rules and regulations from ODOD and the official opening of the program by year’s end.

The land bank and its partners believe that, after many years of demolitions, Youngstown is about 800 demolitions away from clearing its inventory of beyond-repair housing.

Vacant homes in the city beyond that target can likely be repaired and would not be appropriate for demolition, Flora said.

“The city will be able to shift its focus and resources to housing renovation as safe, affordable housing becomes an even more critical need due to the pandemic,” she said.

Beyond Youngstown, the Land Bank foresees the need for 200 residential demolitions throughout the county. Campbell, Sebring and other communities can significantly reduce, if not eliminate, their inventories with proof of matching funding.

“As the program opens up towards the end of the year, we have the opportunity to request additional funds to complete 1,000 demolition projects if matching dollars are secured,” Flora said,

Initial demolitions are expected to start in the first quarter of 2022, Flora added. She expects the land bank to submit its request for additional funds in the same time frame and know by mid-2022 how much will be available for additional demolition.