Addressing Predatory Land Contracts at City Hall

Members of ACTION and neighborhood leaders attended the Youngstown City Council’s Committee on Community Planning and Economic Development meeting at City Hall to press for a citywide adoption of an ordinance addressing predatory land contracts. Rose Carter and Craig Gilchrist spoke at the meeting to explain the dangers of predatory lending and illustrate how large, out-of-state companies like Vision Property Management and Harbor Portfolio prey on low-income and communities of color in Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley. A draft of the ordinance was presented to the committee, but Atty. Nicole Alexander, Youngstown Senior Assistant Law Director, said the legislation would need to undergo revision in order to better protect citizens and the City from legal recourse before it can be forwarded to City Council. ACTION members and the Committee on Community Planning and Economic Development settled on aiming to have a final draft of the legislation ready by October at the latest.