For many decades now, challenge has been a way of life for residents and communities throughout the Mahoning Valley.

Ever since the region’s signature steel industry died nearly five decades ago and 50,000 good-paying steel industry jobs were lost in a heartbeat, struggles have abounded.

Those struggles largely have been grounded in subtraction, measured in major job losses, severe population declines, massive home demolitions and debilitating reductions in tax revenue for communities throughout Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties.

In recent years and particularly in recent months, however, those math tables have begun to turn. Yes, challenges remain, but many these days are rooted in addition, measured in substantial job growth and real and anticipated population gains.

Need proof? Here’s proof:

● The Youngstown Innovation Hub for Aerospace and Defense, announced amid much fanfare by Gov. Mike DeWine this spring, will be developed in downtown Youngstown and focus on transforming the region into a global center for additive manufacturing. It aims to create over 400 jobs and generate $161 million in annual economic impact locally.

● Kimberly-Clark recently committed $800 million for a massive manufacturing campus in Warren and Howland townships. It is projected to create at least 500 jobs.

● Then just this month, Foxconn’s Lordstown plant was sold with Foxconn reportedly still in the driver’s seat to enlarge it with a focus on the sizzling-hot artificial information industry as a hub for AI server and cloud-computing hardware production.

In addition, in their path will follow support industries, and the trend of small-business growth shows no sign of slowing. For example, the number of minority- and women-owned businesses has doubled in both Youngstown and Warren since 2022, according to the Greater Ohio Policy Center.

In order to meet those needs, the area most likely will need to import skilled workers, workers who also will need to set up roots near their new workplaces. That in turn will accelerate the slow population growth the Valley has been enjoying the past two years.

Research firm MacroTrends reported earlier this summer that the immediate Youngstown-Warren region’s population in 2024 was 353,000, a net increase of 1,000 residents from 2023, and it has welcomed an additional 1,000 residents in the first half of 2025.

As those major ventures noted above and others gain steam, we’re confident those population numbers will balloon even more significantly. As a result, communities must seriously prepare now for such growth — particularly as it relates to adequate infrastructure and affordable housing.

As for infrastructure, well-kept roads, adequate water supplies, efficient sewage systems and reliable public transportation networks can make or break success in attracting new businesses and residents.

To their credit, many Valley jurisdictions have invested in ongoing massive infrastructure improvements. Those that have not should take inventory and remediate any potential trouble spots. In most cases, public and private grants make those tasks much more affordable.

As for housing, work toward improving the quality, accessibility, affordability and attainability of home ownership in the Valley clearly will be critical. Lucky for us, the Valley has a solid foundation upon which to grow.

Earlier this year, the Youngstown / Warren Regional Chamber unveiled a comprehensive regional housing strategy aimed at growth and affordability. It later formed a 24-member Housing Council to help jump start such growth. It outlines recommendations to stabilize and strengthen the Valley’s housing market through collaborative and coordinated efforts among economic development agencies, governments, nonprofit groups, the private sector and other stakeholders.

Perhaps nowhere in the Valley are the signs of residential growth more visible than in Youngstown. Sixteen new homes are now under construction and Joe Koch Construction, a member of the housing council, is working with both the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. and the Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership to complete 50 additional houses this year.

As they do, we hope all invested in ensuring maximum but controlled growth keep in mind the needs for all types of housing, from luxury units to those serving low- and moderate-income workers.

Rental developments also must not be ignored. A recent survey indicated the dire need for such housing, noting that for every 100 rental units available in the Valley, 132 potential renters are vying for them.

None of these tasks will be a cakewalk. But Jim Kinnick, executive director of the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments and a key partner in the Valley’s housing growth initiative, put it, “We are excited to have this blueprint for action.”

Or as Alison Goebel, director of the GOPC, lauded, “Our research indicates that private, public, and philanthropic partners are ready to roll up their sleeves and that the region has what is needed to strengthen and revitalize the area’s housing market.”

That success now rests in the hands of community leaders and their allies that also include local, state and federal housing development incentive programs.

We’re confident regional stakeholders have the expertise, the resources and the will to pass its challenging new test of addition to the Valley’s long-term economic vitality.