WARREN — John Demmler attacks the issue of housing on a personal level.

The president and CEO of 7 17 Credit Union was raised in Appalachia and reared in simple living conditions.

“I grew up in a two-room trailer with no running water, and so I really, really have this desire to kind of devote my career to improving housing throughout Ohio,” Demmler said in an interview earlier this year.

On Tuesday, the credit union executive presented 7 17’s continued expansion of its housing efforts during the Good Morning, Warren! gathering at Warren G. Harding High School’s new wellness center.

Demmler, who chairs the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber’s Housing Council, presented the credit union’s latest offerings to an audience of 250.

The first targets credit union employees considering a home purchase.

A 7 17 employee looking to buy a home in Trumbull County is eligible for a 1% mortgage rate discount through the credit union. A home purchased within the city limits of Warren, where the credit union was formed, can receive a 2% mortgage rate discount, down to the applicable federal rate.

Demmler highlighted additional benefits to Warren city buyers. The credit union will waive a number of associated fees dealing with application, loan origination, credit report, processing and documents, appraisal and title insurance.

He also announced that the employees affiliated through its 1,100-plus workplace partners program can receive the same mortgage fee waivers if a home is purchased in Warren.

“We’ve got to break down the barriers of home ownership, and one of those barriers is the ability to just accumulate enough for both your downpayment and to pay all of those closing fees,” Demmler said.

He pointed to his early 20s, when he bought his first home.

“I saved up for the down payment, and I get to the closing, and you just have thousands and thousands of dollars of fees that the banks are charging,” he said. “And I couldn’t wrap my head around, at the time, how a bank could make that much money on one transaction, and it was such a barrier for me, drained my savings, and it kind of sat with me my whole life.

“And when we look at the housing struggles that we have here in the region, I wanted to just take one of those barriers and remove that for all of our employers.”

Using the purchase of a $130,000 home as an example, the credit union CEO said borrowers can save $3,500 on average.

“We also wanted to take that employer program and encourage other employers in the area to do something similar for their employees, to help attract and retain employees to the region, but also to retain employees for the employers,” Demmler said.

“So companies that sign up with 7 17 to offer credit union products and services to their employees, we’re offering all of those companies a mortgage promotion.”

Earlier this year, the city of Youngstown appointed the credit union to administer three housing programs formed with a combined $13 million in American Rescue Plan funds.

One program holds $2 million and is earmarked toward landlords making housing renovations. The $3 million program is for residential facade upgrades.

“It’s important to have some type of program to help landlords bring their homes back up to code and fix the exteriors and make them more pleasant,” Demmler said.

The third program, with $8 million in federal funds, will be geared toward interest rate reduction on homes.

“Our mission as a credit union is to help people live better lives financially and support the communities we serve,” Demmler said. “And I can’t think of a better way to do that than to focus on housing strategies in the Valley.”