Youngstown, Ohio has had quite a drop in population due to the the latest foreclosure develops and the loss of the steel industry in their town. Many homes have been left vacant and the city had hoped to relocate residents in the more deserted areas, in order to try and make aesthetic and community improvements to the areas, such as tearing down abandoned sections to make parks, etc. While they would have to spend money for these renovations they would also gain money as they also want to close off some parts of the city entirely, thus no longer having to budget money for area maintenance.

The city had planned on moving around 100 residents with a $50,000 incentive offer for each resident. This would allow them to be able to purchase and move to a new home in a more populated area of the city. However, the city has encountered one major problem; many of the residents do not want to move. The residents are very attached to their neighborhoods and/or homes. Of the half dozen contacted so far, only one has agreed to move but her move has been put on hold due to illness. Rufus Hudson, a resident who is declining said, "I'm East Side born and East Side bred and when I die, I'll be East Side dead,..We love our side of town. The same people who watched me grow are watching my children grow."

City planners still hope to convince the occupants to move, and are planning to either wait it out and see if the occupants change their minds, or to potentially also offer to pay off any small mortgage balances owed in the $20,000-$30,000 range.