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Master planning group gets sobering statistics
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- By Kate Cole
- Wednesday, March 07, 2012
- Hits: 449
The master plan steering committee March 6 heard some sobering statistics about what is happening in the city from Doug Weiland, director of the Genesee County Land Bank. Alicia Kitsuse, a C.S. Mott Foundation representative, brought a more upbeat prediction of Flint's future.
Weiland compared what happened to Flint in the last decade to Hurricane Katrina.
"What happened here was like a slow moving hurricane that destroyed much of the city's population and economic base in a 50-year time period. Katrina moved faster but didn't destroy the city's economic base. They rebuilt their city," Weiland said.
He contrasted rebuilding after Katrina with Flint's recent demolitions.
Weiland said if the city were to grow to its previous population of more than 200,000, it would need to find companies to create jobs.
According to Weiland, Genesee County had a net population loss of 139,000 people in 10 years. Flint lost more than 94,000 people or 38,000 households since 1960.
"That's a lot of brain drain," Weiland said.
The 2010 census shows that Flint has a total 42,000 households with only 24,000 of them living in owner-occupied housing. The other 18,000 households are renters.
The Land Bank owns 6,836 properties in Flint (12 percent of the parcels), but does not own an entire block. Some city blocks have just a couple of homes, but relocating those homeowners is another problem the city will have to tackle soon.
Weiland fears that many more properties will be foreclosed on because of the drastic drop in property values. People all across the country are walking away from homes they purchased because they owe more than the home is worth.
"In 2005 the average selling price for houses was $59,900. In 2010 the average selling price was $15,000," Weiland said.
Weiland said the Land Bank is rehabilitating homes at between $80,000 to $100,000, but are selling that home for $25,000 through the federal stimulus program.
"When the worst home on the block becomes the best home on the block the entire neighborhood's property values increase," Weiland said.
Kitsuse told the group that while the housing situation is deteriorating there is some upbeat news.
"We're not alone. There are many cities across the nation who are facing similar situations," Kitsuse said.
She referred members to the book, Reinventing America's Legacy Cities — Strategies for Cities Losing Population, by the American Assembly.
According to Kitsuse, the term "legacy cities" refers to the rust-belt Midwest cities like Detroit, Flint and Youngstown, Ohio.
"These cities bring a lot of assets into the present," Kitsuse explained. "They have bedrocks of infrastructures."
Some other assets that legacy cities have are export capacity, strong global trade networks, clean energy capacity for research and manufacturing and a wealth of universities and colleges, both public and private, to drive innovation.
Another plus Kitsuse cited was that the city recently chose to reinvent their planning department.
"We need to understand how we got to where we are," Kitsuse said. "Then we can begin our fact-based planning."
Mayor Dayne Walling introduced Megan Hunter, chief planning officer.
Hunter told members that she has 10 years planning experience, both long range and current. She recently moved from Los Angles where she developed plans for the downtown and community redevelopment affordable housing.
She said she was here to guide the planning process and help the community to build a vision.
"Everyone's voice will be heard," Hunter promised.
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