On January 31, Flint Area Congregations Together (FACT), PICO's new affiliate in Michigan, held its first public action meeting at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church. At this high-energy meeting attended by more than 100 people, residents gave powerful testimony about how their solid residential neighborhood is being eaten away at by blight, abandoned properties, and foreclosures. This meeting was the first step in what FACT clergy and leaders expect to be a long-term campaign aimed at revitalizing the city of Flint and the surrounding region.

The Genesee Land Bank, City Councilwoman Jackie Poplar, and the Flint Police agreed to work with Mt. Carmel to address abandoned homes in the area of Cloverlawn and Home and to increase police presence in the community. Unfortunately, city administration officials did not accept an invitation to attend the action meeting. 

Mt. Carmel leaders emphasized that with city finances tight and foreclosures on the rise, Flint needs more, not less, code enforcement.  Media reports are that eight of the nine building inspectors working for this city were recently laid off.  

Led by Rev. James E. Kennedy, FACT leaders pledged to continue to press city and county officials to work together to clean and seal a large vacant apartment building on Pierson Road and to eliminate all of the blighted houses in the area from Pierson to Home, Clio to Dupont, so that stabilization of this area can be a model for the entire city.

Media coverage:
Rev. Kennedy speaking on ABC 12 News story about the impact of these layoffs on the community and the Mt. Carmel FACT public action meeting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT2h_6Ju0CM

Churches work together to revitalize Flint neighborhoods

Photos from the event:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flintfact/show/