Genesee County Land Bank releases annual review highlighting homeownership, blight elimination

Flint, MI — The Genesee County Land Bank Authority (GCLBA) has released its fiscal year review, highlighting its home sales and demolition efforts throughout 2023.

In its review, the GCLBA states that in fiscal year FY 22/23 (which ended on Sept. 30, 2023), it demolished 150 properties, renovated six homes, sold 32 commercial properties, 265 homes, and 325 residential lots.

GCLBA Executive Director Michael Freeman told Flint Beat that the numbers are encouraging, but his team has since accomplished even more in their ongoing effort to demolish blight and encourage increased homeownership in Flint.

“As of Friday (Dec. 1), 376 properties have been abated, and 310 properties have been knocked down,” Freeman said, adding that a brownfield plan for the GCLBA to build 16 new townhomes near Hurley hospital was also passed by Flint City Council just last week.

“You can’t rebuild a community just by tearing it down,” Freeman explained of that project, which represents the GCLBA’s first ground-up development project since its founding in 2004. “You have to put something back and reintroduce new development into the community.”

The FY 22/23 review also showcases additional promising numbers — including over 800 vacant structures boarded, 194.5 tons of garbage cleared and 62,000 vacant lots mowed by Land Bank and Clean & Green crews — but Freeman said he’s aware he and his organization still have a long way to go in building trust and strong relationships within the Flint community.

“For so many years there’s been disinformation and misperceptions about the land bank, and I’m working diligently to get as much information out in as many different ways as possible,” he said. “I don’t know that we’re meeting, we’re connecting with everybody we need to and being physically in the field. I need to do more of that.”

The director noted he also hopes to continue making headway on the thousands of demolitions the GCLBA has planned with millions in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and grant money.

He said he views this work as both a social and environmental justice promise to Flint residents.

“Residents who have been marginalized or disenfranchised will now be able to live in nice, clean neighborhoods and safe neighborhoods,” he said of the demolitions. “Because the studies have all shown us that when you remove blight and deal with the issues of abandonment, that these are safer neighborhoods. They’re better neighborhoods.”

The annual review also addresses blight in the form of illegal dumping, which the land bank calls “a major problem” throughout the city.

So, in August of this year, the land bank partnered with the Michigan Youth Violence Prevention Center (MI-YVPC) on dumping prevention solutions for Flint neighborhoods.

According to the review, through that program, the GCLBA was able to clear over 150 lots at 30 dumping “hot spots” throughout the city. Crews also installed cameras, boulders and other prevention measures and reported that as of Sept. 30, “we have not seen repeat dumping on any of the cleaned and improved lots.”

You can view the Genesee County Land Bank’s full FY 22/23 review here.