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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Land Bank, pastors to talk about targeting Flint demolitions
Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com By Ron Fonger | rfonger1@mlive.com
on July 03, 2013 at 8:01 AM, updated July 03, 2013 at 8:02 AM
FLINT,MI -- Pastors from the city's north side plan to make their case for targeting millions in new federal funds for demolition in neighborhoods with the most abandoned homes in a meeting with Genesee County Land Bank officials today, July 3.
"Why not focus on the areas of our city with extreme blight?" said the Rev. Reginald Flynn, president the North Flint Reinvestment Corp. and pastor of Foss Avenue Baptist Church. "We know we have to eliminate blight" before those areas can change.
Flynn is among pastors expected to meet with Genesee County Treasurer Deb Cherry, who said officials with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority want to make demolishing abandoned homes in stabilized neighborhoods a priority.
"I think that this is part of the direction from MSHDA," Cherry said. "I'm looking forward to the meeting . We want to work with everyone. Pastor Flynn and all the churches are all a part of that."
Michigan this month won approval to spend roughly $100 million in federal funds to demolish vacant buildings in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Pontiac and Saginaw -- enough to take down 1,600 to 2,000 structures in the Flint area.
Cherry, who also serves as chairwoman of the Land Bank Board of Directors, said last month that the program would target demolitions in stabilized neighborhoods first.
Flynn, in an open letter published this week by MLive-The Flint Journal, said he wants local officials to reconsider that pecking order because most demolition is needed in areas north of the Flint River -- in areas that can't be considered stable.
"I think the Land Bank is doing a great job," Flynn said. "I just think the priorities are wrong."
Cherry said the number of homes targeted for demolition in more stable neighborhoods is relatively small but did not immediately have an estimated number.
"(This program) will have an impact throughout the city," she said. ""The number of homes in the stabilized areas is pretty small. I think a lot of the areas (Flynn) is concerned about will be addressed.
"I hope we can (demolish) up to 1,800 homes ... I'm hopeful this is the beginning of getting the whole city cleared" of abandoned houses.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:03 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Guest view of Reginald Flynn: Focus demolition funds in most blighted neighborhoods
MLive/Flint Journal opinion By MLive/Flint Journal opinion
on July 01, 2013 at 7:03 AM, updated July 01, 2013 at 7:19 AM
By the Rev. Reginald Flynn
I read with great interest excerpts from an online live chat hosted by MLive-Flint Journal concerning the Genesee County Land Bank's plans to use federal funds to eradicate Flint-area blight.
The purpose of this open letter is to address public comments pertaining to the distribution of federal funds earmarked for Flint, and publicly petition the Genesee County Land Bank to invest those federal funds into our city's most economically distressed neighborhoods.
First, I'd like to congratulate the Genesee County Land Bank and U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee for the anticipated acquisition of $20-$25 million in federal demolition funds. This will be a tremendous opportunity to eliminate severely blighted areas in Flint neighborhoods. Your tireless efforts and great success in securing state and federal blight elimination funds are commendable.
However, I appeal to the Genesee County Land Bank to reconsider the decision to first allocate federal blight elimination funds to already stabilized neighborhoods, as stated in the live chat: "We will be prioritizing Land Bank-owned properties based on first demolishing in stabilized neighborhoods and then working toward the most blighted areas." You further commented, "The key reason for demolishing blighted properties is crime reduction."
The highest rates of crime, foreclosures, abandoned residential homes and vacant commercial properties are located in Wards 1 and 3 (the far northwest and northeast areas of Flint). The blight is so devastatingly widespread that these neighborhoods were selected by The Center for the Study of Social Policy as one of five national Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP) grantees in which the Genesee County Land Bank and city of Flint are key cross-sector partners. A federally-funded collaborative of many local and federal agencies, the BNCP initiative focuses on neighborhoods where there have historically been institutional barriers to creating viable revitalization plans, and that struggle with issues such as concentrated poverty, high rates of crime, community safety and inadequate access to quality housing.
Consequently, as a Building Neighborhood Capacity Program partner, I appeal to you and the Genesee County Land Bank Board of Directors to eliminate the institutional barriers to reinvestment and revitalization that has so adversely impacted Flint's hardest hit and most severely neglected neighborhoods. I, furthermore, appeal to your sense of justice, fairness and equality in the allocation of resources to our most vulnerable neighborhoods.
Thank you for the service and sacrifice rendered in the fulfillment of our collective hope and promise to ensure all Flint neighborhoods have a fair chance to prosper. When this is accomplished, those of us who live and work in north Flint will "Imagine a Flint" that will reach its fullest potential by giving hope to those neighborhoods and residents that need it the most.
The Rev. Reginald Flynn is president of North Flint Reinvestment Corp. and pastor of Foss Avenue Baptist Church. |
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Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:23 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Everyone should read the comments from Reverend Flynn's letter. The majority of the writers hold very negative and unwarranted views of all north end residents.
Interestingly, Valtwin's comments echoed those I hear daily in the north end. He told Flynn sorry but your areas are not part of the Master Plan. Valtwin (a gamer name) predicted that north end area would be cut off and services terminated so that shrinking could commence, So much for "community input" and transparency.
The most negative commenter jriley5000 repeatedly attacks the character and morals of all who live in the north end. jriley5000 rails about children having children as if all north end girls are being promiscuous and having babies out of wedlock.
Not all north end residents are "people of poor circumstances" who prove themselves unemployable. Nor is the north end blight the result of the poor character of the residents living there. And the residents not only take care of their own trash, they pick up the trash of those who come from other areas to dump because they don't want pay the tipping fees at the landfill.
Jriley5000 has never watched a neighborhood clean up in action. When challenged by ic23b, jriley5000 resorts to referencing the north end as a F**cking War zone.
Sadly I am told the distorted views of jriley5000 are echoed in the comments of so many of those with decision making policy.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Wed Jul 03, 2013 4:17 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:44 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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ic23b responded to jriley5000 by noting that the residents living near downtown did not demolish the abandoned homes in their neighborhoods, not did the residents take on restoring groups of homes and build new homes. These functions were taken on by government and quasi-government agencies using tax payer dollars.
ic23b noted that most occupied north end homes were trash free except for those owned by the land bank,ic23b forgot about the abandoned REO (real estate owned) and bank owned properties.
Even reporter Kris Longley reminded jriley5000 about the economic conditions, such as the mortgage crisis and recession that led to decreased tax revenues. She neglected to omit the effect of "reverse redlining" that was so prevalent in flint' north end and other minority areas,
Leah Fitzgerald proposed that demolition money should only go to areas close to downtown and major streets leading to downtown. She received support from several other commenters and Burtonguy. |
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Wed Jul 03, 2013 12:57 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint community members push Land Bank to use demolition money in areas that need it most.
Giacomo Bologna | gbologna@mlive.com By Giacomo Bologna gbologna@mlive.com
on July 03, 2013 at 5:00 PM
FLINT, MI -- City and state officials, members of the Genesee County Land Bank and about 15 church pastors and community members met at the Land Bank offices on Wednesday, June 3, to address community concerns that federal funding to demolish blighted structures won't be used in the areas that need it most.
Since 2004, the city of Flint has demolished 2,800 abandoned homes, but there still are 4,000 blighted structures on the city and Land Bank's demolition lists, according to a presentation by Land Bank. The city of Flint is trying to get $20-$25 million of approximately $100 million recently awarded to Flint and four other cities in Michigan for demolishing blighted houses.
With that $20 to $25 million, Land Bank's tentative proposal calls for the demolition of about 2,000 structures. Christina Kelly, a lead planner with the Genesee County Land Bank Authority, said no rules on exactly how the money must be spent have come from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority yet.
"The state hasn't officially issued its guidelines, so we've been in this unusual place where they want a plan," Kelly said. "We don't feel comfortable saying here's the plan when we don't even know clearly what the state's guidelines are and what we can do."
Still, Kelly said the Land Bank received general criteria through multiple conference calls.
That criteria was discussed in a slideshow presentation Kelly gave to the group Wednesday, July 3. Under two slides labeled "Proposed Criteria for HHF Strategic Demolition," the criteria for a structure to be demolished includes if it is in a "stable neighborhood," if it's in a redevelopment area, if it is nearby a "major road, school or community center," or if it's deemed dangerous by law enforcement.
According to a statement from Michele Wildman of MSHDA, however, the $100 million in federal money is not going toward "stabilized neighborhoods," but is supposed to "stabilize neighborhoods.
"Since the dollar amount is limited, we want to first focus on blighted areas in neighborhoods that are at a tipping point -- areas where we can tear down one house and prevent seven homeowners from losing their homes," Wildman said in a statement. "This will have an immediate impact on those neighborhoods, where abandoned homes, blight and safety concerns have drained property values."
Flint resident Brian Larkin, the associate director in the state's office of urban initiatives, was on hand to answer questions regarding the criteria coming from the state government. Larkin said that focusing on these tipping-point neighborhoods where property values are decreasing and blight is increasing will stop the spread of decaying neighborhoods.
He said that neighborhoods targeted through these funds are often near schools or have working street lights and can turn at-risk neighborhoods away from brink.
But community members pastors present argued that the demolitions shouldn't take place in neighborhoods that are already stable.
The meeting was organized after Land Bank Executive Directive Doug Weiland reached out to the Rev. Reginald Flynn, president the North Flint Reinvestment Corp. and pastor of Foss Avenue Baptist Church, Flynn said. At the meeting, Flynn presented a series of questions that he and some of those present had discussed before the meeting.
"My hope is that this won't be perceived as an attack on the Land Bank, that's not where my heart is," Flynn said.
While he said he was grateful for the meeting, Flynn spoke against the idea of securing "tipping point" neighborhoods and said the neighborhoods in the most dire condition should be addressed first.
"Our suggestion would be to consider starting on the inside and working your way out," Flynn said. "Particularly with the areas and communities that are already devastated by crime and extreme levels of blight."
Flynn said he recognized that it's hard for the Land Bank to do anything with the money if MSHDA is opposed to it, but he asked that the Land Bank use all the influence it has to change MSHDA's prioritization of neighborhoods.
While the hands of Land Bank are tied by MSHDA in how they use the demolition funds, that didn't stop those present from voicing concerns that demolition funds aren't focusing enough on areas outside of downtown Flint.
City Councilman Bernard Lawler said he's heard of senior citizens in his ward, Ward 5, afraid of sitting on their porches, and who "sleep in the basement because of the gunfire.
"We can develop downtown and surrounding downtown and I'm all for that, but Flint would not prosper until we reduce the crime in this community because it will always have a stigma of the high crime."
Pastor Jeff Hawkins has had two sons killed in Flint and he said he was recently in the West Flint neighborhood where one son had been slain. The assailant, Hawkins said, came from behind an abandoned building in the West Flint neighborhood.
Hawkins, like many other community members present, stressed that these abandoned houses in areas not considered stabilized or tipping points, are and will continue to be sources of crime.
"I understand about trying to keep issues from coming to the other areas, my question in the midst of that: So do we just keep crime in certain areas?" he said, adding that if eliminating crime is the top priority, then those most blighted, most dangerous areas should be addressed first.
While Land Bank's plan — which Kelly emphasized was only a draft and subject to change — focuses on demolishing structures within "tipping point" neighborhoods, Land Bank's plan includes 100 "emergency demolitions" outside of the targeted neighborhoods.
These 100 structures would be hand-picked from areas of extreme crime, she said.
In an interview after the meeting, Flynn said targeting those 100 houses is a step in the right direction, but that the plan overall "doesn't do enough for the North side."
Kelly, in an interview after the meeting, called using funds for 100 "emergency demolitions" outside of the targeted neighborhoods was "pushing the limit" of what MSHDA would allow Land Bank to do with the money. |
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Wed Jul 03, 2013 4:18 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Stabilizing neighborhoods was the original intent of the NSP funding. Flint and the land bank have used it for Smith Village and spending $170,000 oh revamping houses to sell for under $30,000. Can anyone really believe the money will be spent wisely this time.
This is from the federal government on NSP funds:
Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) - HUD
http://www.hud.gov/nsp/The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) was established for the purpose ... homes and residential properties, the goal of the program is being realized.
Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grants
Introduction
The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) was established for the purpose of stabilizing communities that have suffered from foreclosures and abandonment. Through the purchase and redevelopment of foreclosed and abandoned homes and residential properties, the goal of the program is being realized. NSP1, a term that references the NSP funds authorized under Division B, Title III of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA) of 2008, provides grants to all states and selected local governments on a formula basis.
NSP2, a term that references the NSP funds authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the Recovery Act) of 2009, provides grants to states, local governments, nonprofits and a consortium of nonprofit entities on a competitive basis. The Recovery Act also authorized HUD to establish NSP-TA, a $50 million allocation made available to national and local technical assistance providers to support NSP grantees.
NSP3, a term that references the NSP funds authorized under the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act) of 2010, provides a third round of neighborhood stabilization grants to all states and select governments on a formula basis. |
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Wed Jul 03, 2013 4:29 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Plans allow residents to 'Imagine Flint' on a smaller scale
Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com By Dominic Adams | dadams5@mlive.com
on July 03, 2013 at 7:30 PM
Imagine_Flint_sub_area_plans.jpgThere will be eight sub-area plans that zoom in on small areas throughout the city during Flint's master planning process. There will be community workshops in the next three weeks to work on these plans. Dominic Adams | MLive.com
FLINT, MI – Residents have a chance in the next few weeks to help decide how land is used in eight different “sub-areas” in Flint.
The city is in the midst of creating a new master plan, dubbed “Imagine Flint.”
Beginning Tuesday, July 9, workshops will focus on creating eight plans that are aimed at smaller areas throughout the city.
The times, dates and locations of the meetings include:
•University Avenue: Noon to 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, July 9, Kettering University campus center, 1700 University Ave., will focus on streetscape, mobility and public spaces around Hurley Medical Center, Kettering, McLaren and Atwood Stadium.
•Central Saginaw corridor: 3 to 5 p.m, Wednesday, July 10, GCCARD building, 601 N. Saginaw St., will focus on downtown links for walkable neighborhoods.
•South Saginaw corridor: 6 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 10, International Academy of Flint, 2820 S. Saginaw St., will focus on reconnecting an interrupted corridor.
•Welch & Dupont: 4:30 to 6 p.m., July 17, Salem Lutheran Church, 2610 Martin Luther King Ave., will focus on small scale commercial and mixed land use.
•Dort Highway & Delphi East: 7 to 8:30 p.m., July 17, Eastwood United Methodist Church, 3312 Whittier Ave., will discuss using the area as an employment node because of the easy access to Interstate 69 and railroads.
•Eastside adjacent to Flint River: 6 to 7:30 p.m., July 18, Asbury United Methodist Church, 1653 Davison Road, will discuss green innovation and reusing vacant land for urban agriculture and green infrastructure.
•Pierson Road corridor: 10 to 11:30 a.m., July 30, Northend police mini station, 4535 Martin Luther King Ave., will focus on traditional commercial corridor development.
•North Saginaw corridor: 5:30 to 7 p.m., July 30, Hamilton Health Center, 2900 N. Saginaw St., will discuss becoming a community services cluster because Berston Field House, Broome Cener, Job Corps, Oak Business Center and Hamilton Communty Health are there.
Food will be provided at each event. Register at imagineflint.com.
Around 200 people attended a land use workshop on Tuesday, July 2.
Dominic Adams is a reporter for MLive-Flint Journal. Contact him at dadams5@mlive.com or 810-241-8803. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. |
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Thu Jul 04, 2013 6:52 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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•Welch & Dupont: 4:30 to 6 p.m., July 17, Salem Lutheran Church, 2610 Martin Luther King Ave., will focus on small scale commercial and mixed land use
The city promotes this area but recently two large commercial moving vans took everything from the Flint Area Enterprise Community building and moved it to City Hall. Some furniture was purchased with federal money and some given to Flint by the previous bank.
Last edited by untanglingwebs on Thu Jul 04, 2013 12:48 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Thu Jul 04, 2013 6:56 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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North Saginaw corridor: 5:30 to 7 p.m., July 30, Hamilton Health Center, 2900 N. Saginaw St., will discuss becoming a community services cluster because Berston Field House, Broome Center, Job Corps, Oak Business Center and Hamilton Communty Health are there.
The Oak Business center has been undergoing extensive remodeling. Yet vandals and thieves recently destroyed the air conditioning units on the roof . Then they accessed the building through the roof and kicked in the doors of the tenants and destroyed the vending machine. The insurance appraiser has been out, but nothing has been repaired. Should tenants get a lawyer and place their money in escrow.
The city has policies in place against discrimination and conflicts of interest. The City of Flint administration and the Oak Business center board have allowed maintenance and management of the center to be undermined. All Board members of agencies that meet in the facility should be apprised of the policies and the impact of reverse discrimination. Also any board member should not vote on a contract if a family member is to be employed by the successful bidder. Bribery?
In the past Greg Eason allowed sweetheart rental deals to his friends and that practice needs to end. I remember when the accounting firm required the city pay for rental space in the facility for the impound lot. Well the city ignored that practice for years with the Land Bank and actually allowed Land Bank personnel to get away with some questionable and possibly illegal practices. Now the Land bank is supposedly paying rent for the facility. But are they paying full cost or a special rate? |
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Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:11 am |
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