MIDDLETOWN, OH – A southwest Ohio community will receive new federal resources to revitalize and update downtown buildings. U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the City of Middletown will receive a $1 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to start the first phase of a downtown rehabilitation project.

“This financing will help the City of Middletown redevelop the downtown—creating construction jobs, attracting other businesses, and boosting revenue for the city,” Brown said. “Everyone benefits from this investment: rehabilitating vacant and abandoned buildings will drive more business downtown, support property values, and increase economic growth.”

Brown worked to secure the loan guarantee that will allow the city to purchase and vacant buildings to house job training and retail sites, bringing more business to downtown Middletown. One of the buildings will be leased to Cincinnati State Technical and Community College (CSTCC), which is partnering with more than 30 local businesses to train current employees and unemployed workers for new and advanced careers.

HUD’s Section 108 Loan Guarantee Assistance Program allows local governments to take loans from private investors to boost economic development, stimulate job growth, and improve public facilities. 

Despite Ohio’s 7.2 percent unemployment rate, many employers in emerging industries—including solar energy, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare—struggle to find workers to fill job vacancies. That’s why Brown introduced the Strengthening Employment Clusters to Organize Regional Success (SECTORS) Act, which would help ensure that Ohioans have the skills to qualify for new, good-paying positions and that businesses can hire from a local, skilled workforce. Brown’s legislation tailors workforce development to the needs of regional industry, allowing more workers to receive placements and attracting more businesses to a given region. The bill would organize stakeholders connected to a regional industry—businesses, unions, education and training providers, and local workforce and education system administrators—to develop plans for growing that industry.

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