YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – The city of Youngstown is helping people with suspended licenses get back on track.
“Licensed to Success” is a program designed to help those who are trying to get their license back after being suspended.
“We got funding to remove that cycle of fines they have. You get a fine, you keep getting a fine, it keeps coming up, it keeps growing, you get caught in that cycle,” said Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown.
Brown explained how it may be difficult for a person who has a suspended license to pay off their fines and court fees if they don’t have transportation to and from work. Then, if they decide to drive while suspended, they risk new fines and a longer suspension, thus creating a cycle.
“We’ve been able to remove those barriers, pay those fines off, get them reinstated, get them back on track, and now they’re ready for the workforce,” Brown said.
In 2021, Youngstown was granted $10,000 in DollarWise Innovation Grants from the DollarWise Economic Mobility Campaign. Seven cities in the U.S. received the grant, including Youngstown.
The funds will be used to help suspended drivers pay off fines, cover the cost of training classes and other barriers to licensure.
Brown says they will keep the program going as long as they have the funds to do so. They hope to receive additional funds to be able to expand it further.
In the video below, a Youngstown resident shares his experience with the program and how it helped him.
The program is available for Youngstown residents who are currently working or actively seeking employment or vocational training.
Anyone interested in finding out more information on how to apply can call Flying High Inc. at 330-797-3995 or the Community Initiative to Reduce Violence at 330- 742-8779, and ask about the License to Success program.