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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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Feds pouring $37 million in grants into foreclosure-ravaged Flint to help neighborhoods
By Kristin Longley | Flint Journal
January 17, 2010, 9:00AM
FLINT, Michigan — Will an unprecedented $37 million be enough to give Flint a sorely needed facelift?
The federal government is pouring a staggering amount of money into the city in an attempt to revitalize a city ravaged by foreclosures and an astonishing rate of abandonment.
In addition to the $25 million neighborhood stabilization grant announced this week, the federal government has given the city almost $12 million over the past three years to knock down houses and revitalize neighborhoods.
“The city of Flint has a tremendous need,” said Flint Mayor Dayne Walling. “Some of the highest rates of foreclosure in the country are here, but this investment also shows there’s confidence from federal and state levels.”
Perhaps a sign of the foreclosure crisis’ devastating impact on Flint, Walling said the city received more cash per capita from this most recent award than Detroit, which has seven times the population of Flint.
The $25-million award is the largest single award that Flint has ever had access to for neighborhood stabilization, former county Treasurer Daniel T. Kildee has said.
The stimulus grant will be divided between the city and the Genesee County Land Bank to be used for demolishing and rehabilitating foreclosed homes.
The amount to each has not yet been decided, city officials said.
Walling said the dollars will be focused on four parts of the city where mortgage and tax foreclosures are high: an area bounded by Carpenter, Pierson, Clio roads and Dupont Street; an area bounded by Carpenter and Pierson roads, Dort Highway and Saginaw Street; an area around the Delphi complex, east of Dort Highway; and the University Avenue corridor area, including Hurley Medical Center.
Walling said conservative estimates show the city expects to renovate at least 100 homes in the target areas and demolish at least another 250 over the next three years.
The neighborhood stabilization grants can also be used for property acquisition.
Flint City Council members have criticized the way federal grant funds have been spent in the past.
A recent project allocated $500,000 to rehabilitate seven houses in one city neighborhood.
Flint resident Nayyirah Shariff has said the city has a history of focusing on Carriage Town, and she hopes more neighborhoods will see grant funding.
“Is there a strategy to withhold funds (from other neighborhoods)?” she said.
City Council President Delrico Loyd, who represents some of the targeted areas, said he hopes the funds are used to clean up the most abandoned neighborhoods in the city.
“Getting the money is a wonderful thing, but we need to make sure it’s spent right,” he said. “We need to tear down some blighted homes.
“Then residents of the north end will be happy they finally have some of the results as it relates to demolitions that they’ve been looking for.”
Tracy Atkinson, of the city’s community and economic development department, said up to 10 percent of the funding can be used on demolitions.
As of this fall, the city had about 1,100 on its demolition “to do” list, with about 300 of those being emergencies, officials said.
Atkinson said the administration will work with neighborhood associations in the targeted areas on how to spend the funds, she said.
“Every neighborhood and block has its own unique combination of challenges,” Walling said. “Every area is different.”
Journal staff writer Ron Fonger contributed to this report.
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:30 am |
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Derrick1965
F L I N T O I D
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| Eashoo I believe that Carriage Town needs to be restored, I drive through there all the time between colleges. It has the most unique homes,buildings that are in this city. Don't you just love the bitter people in this town? |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:42 am |
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Derrick1965
F L I N T O I D
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| Nayyirah Shariff is a bitter person, most folks can't stand her. |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:43 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| Nayyirah Shariff was ACORN and may still be. She will be working to help the Land Bank and City gather the lists of residents for their forums. She is on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit formed by Walling. |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:46 pm |
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Adam
F L I N T O I D
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| Derrick, Nayyirah lives in the 3rd ward. Have you been in the 3rd ward? If I lived in the 3rd ward I'd be bitter too. The 3rd ward is kind of like the proverbial "red-headed-step-child" of the city of Flint. It appears the city is ready to finally "put the 3rd ward out of its misery" but some residents aren't quite ready for that. So there may be some token protests led by people like Nayyirah as the demolition and "green-spacing" ramps up and the "St. John's" project is finally completed. |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 1:11 pm |
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FlintCityMole
F L I N T O I D
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| Well then she must be a scum bag, ACORN people are dangerous! |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:11 pm |
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FlintCityMole
F L I N T O I D
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I think she is a ACORN member Derrick, i think she helped OBAMA and Walling get elected.
quote:
Derrick1965 schreef:
Nayyirah Shariff is a bitter person, most folks can't stand her.
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:13 pm |
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FlintCityMole
F L I N T O I D
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NAYYYIRAHH stated at a city council meeting St. John Neighborhood was a black neighborhood. That is NOT true, it was a neighborhood filled with all kinds of people. Actually more non blacks than blacks, lots of polish,jewish, arab.
quote:
Adam schreef:
Derrick, Nayyirah lives in the 3rd ward. Have you been in the 3rd ward? If I lived in the 3rd ward I'd be bitter too. The 3rd ward is kind of like the proverbial "red-headed-step-child" of the city of Flint. It appears the city is ready to finally "put the 3rd ward out of its misery" but some residents aren't quite ready for that. So there may be some token protests led by people like Nayyirah as the demolition and "green-spacing" ramps up and the "St. John's" project is finally completed.
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:14 pm |
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LakeWoman50
F L I N T O I D
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Wait just one second here, i had family living up in that part.
quote:
FlintCityMole schreef:
NAYYYIRAHH stated at a city council meeting St. John Neighborhood was a black neighborhood. That is NOT true, it was a neighborhood filled with all kinds of people. Actually more non blacks than blacks, lots of polish,jewish, arab.
quote:
Adam schreef:
Derrick, Nayyirah lives in the 3rd ward. Have you been in the 3rd ward? If I lived in the 3rd ward I'd be bitter too. The 3rd ward is kind of like the proverbial "red-headed-step-child" of the city of Flint. It appears the city is ready to finally "put the 3rd ward out of its misery" but some residents aren't quite ready for that. So there may be some token protests led by people like Nayyirah as the demolition and "green-spacing" ramps up and the "St. John's" project is finally completed.
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:52 pm |
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LakeWoman50
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
FlintCityMole schreef:
Well then she must be a scum bag, ACORN people are dangerous!
you are a racist |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 2:52 pm |
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nayyirahshariff
F L I N T O I D
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hello this is nayyirah shariff and i have a few clarifications to share. if you attended flint city council this past monday and listened to my comments, then you will have a clear understanding of what my comments were pertaining to.
For those of you who weren't there here is a brief history....
The City of Flint's Department of Community and Economic Development posted on their website a Request for Proposal for projects funded under its HOME Investment Partnership program. The HOME program is funded by HUD. The Deparment of Community and Economic Development designated that the funds would be spent only in Smith Village and Carriage Town.
I have formally lived in Smith Village and Carriage Town. I wouldn't have an issue if this was the first year these areas were receiving funds, but both of these areas have been receiving federal funds for several years at the expense of the rest of the city.
I never said St. Johns was a black neighborhood, I said the St. John's neighborhood was the heart of the African American community. St. Johns was home to African Americans and immigrants. If you studied the history of that community (and I have) there was disinvestment before Buick City and I-475 came. Homeowners couldn't get loans, their homes fell into disrepair, and the property values were driven down, making it cheaper to drive out residents. I also wanted to know if that was the long range plan this time around.
As to the other stuff.....
Yes I have worked for ACORN. I also work for the University of Michigan. I care about the disenfrainchised and invisible members of this community and if that makes me bitter, so be it. Since the young people are the future of this community, I try to integrate them to whatever I am doing.
Since I prefer working in the community than responding to forum posts, if you have any more questions or concerns you can call me at 810.610.3681. We can sit and have coffee and get to know one another.
I am really not bitter. |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 3:37 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
Nayyirah Shariff ... is on the Board of Directors of the nonprofit formed by Walling.
Which one? |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:38 pm |
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care4flint
F L I N T O I D
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If only more Flint Community people could go to City Council Meetings and were willing to offer positive comments, and did as much community work as Ms Shariff, what a wonderful Community we would have.
Ms Shariff is has been open, positive and transparent at Flint City Council meeting, what a good role model for us all. |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 4:45 pm |
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LakeWoman50
F L I N T O I D
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thank you for responding.
quote:
nayyirahshariff schreef:
hello this is nayyirah shariff and i have a few clarifications to share. if you attended flint city council this past monday and listened to my comments, then you will have a clear understanding of what my comments were pertaining to.
For those of you who weren't there here is a brief history....
The City of Flint's Department of Community and Economic Development posted on their website a Request for Proposal for projects funded under its HOME Investment Partnership program. The HOME program is funded by HUD. The Deparment of Community and Economic Development designated that the funds would be spent only in Smith Village and Carriage Town.
I have formally lived in Smith Village and Carriage Town. I wouldn't have an issue if this was the first year these areas were receiving funds, but both of these areas have been receiving federal funds for several years at the expense of the rest of the city.
I never said St. Johns was a black neighborhood, I said the St. John's neighborhood was the heart of the African American community. St. Johns was home to African Americans and immigrants. If you studied the history of that community (and I have) there was disinvestment before Buick City and I-475 came. Homeowners couldn't get loans, their homes fell into disrepair, and the property values were driven down, making it cheaper to drive out residents. I also wanted to know if that was the long range plan this time around.
As to the other stuff.....
Yes I have worked for ACORN. I also work for the University of Michigan. I care about the disenfrainchised and invisible members of this community and if that makes me bitter, so be it. Since the young people are the future of this community, I try to integrate them to whatever I am doing.
Since I prefer working in the community than responding to forum posts, if you have any more questions or concerns you can call me at 810.610.3681. We can sit and have coffee and get to know one another.
I am really not bitter.
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:18 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Dr. M.L. King Jr.
With that said I must speak up.
First of all I do not know Nayyirah Shariff and I was at the city council meeting. She did a fine job speaking out about problems in her neighborhood. Never once did she say anything about St. John's neighborhood being a black only neighborhood. If we all worked together towards the common goal we would be much better off as a city. Unfortunately people in this town love to tear people apart, chew them up and spit them out. This type of behavior further divides our city when a majority of us are wanting to bring people together. I am very impressed with Nayyirah Shariff and her passion for our city, lets all work together towards the common goal.
I will not let some people on here pick on someone when its not warranted. Keep up the good work Nayyirah!!!
quote:
FlintCityMole schreef:
NAYYYIRAHH stated at a city council meeting St. John Neighborhood was a black neighborhood. That is NOT true, it was a neighborhood filled with all kinds of people. Actually more non blacks than blacks, lots of polish,jewish, arab.
quote:
Adam schreef:
Derrick, Nayyirah lives in the 3rd ward. Have you been in the 3rd ward? If I lived in the 3rd ward I'd be bitter too. The 3rd ward is kind of like the proverbial "red-headed-step-child" of the city of Flint. It appears the city is ready to finally "put the 3rd ward out of its misery" but some residents aren't quite ready for that. So there may be some token protests led by people like Nayyirah as the demolition and "green-spacing" ramps up and the "St. John's" project is finally completed.
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_________________
Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Sun Jan 17, 2010 5:31 pm |
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