LAND BANK PARTNERSHIP BACKGROUND In May 2009 Career Alliance made funds available through Mott Community College for the Genesee County Land Bank to hire 60 displaced and unemployed workers to perform various tasks. Including blight control, housing deconstruction, minor renovation of old homes, urban gardening and more.
LAND BANK PARTNERSHIP BACKGROUND The workers that were hired had varied work and life experiences. Some were relatively unskilled younger people with little or no consistent work experience while others had modest building trade skills but had been displaced from their jobs due to the economy
LAND BANK PARTNERSHIP BACKGROUND Some were ex-offenders who were referred to us through the Michigan Prisoner Re-entry Initiative (MPRI). All are making a difference.
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES The Land Bank and City of Flint agreed to work together in a cooperative blight control and weed abatement program.
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES City of Flint would do weed abatement in 7 service areas and the Land Bank would service 14 areas.
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES The Land Bank developed a roving complaint crew to respond to citizen complaints in various areas of the city while a larger crew of workers methodically attacked the agreed upon service areas
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES In 2010, the Land Bank agreed to service all 21 areas effectively the entire city.
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES Abated weeds and trash on abandoned property in Flint (approximately 20,000 parcels)
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES Coordinated with community members to cultivate over 100 urban gardens
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES Removed over 1,500 tons of trash from blighted properties and are currently removing up to 12 tons of trash per day in Flint.
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES Assisted in renovating about 50 Land Bank owned houses
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES Provided regular home maintenance on nearly 100 Land Bank rental properties
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES Boarded and secured approximately 200 homes
Abated weeds and trash on over 500 parcels in Genesee, Mt. Morris and Flint Townships and the City of Burton
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES Workers received training on safe and proper use of various types of equipment
LAND BANK OPPORTUNITIES Inspected and photographed over 1,000 newly acquired Land Bank properties
MESSAGE FROM URBAN GARDEN COORDINATOR-ROXANNE ADAIR I am the Urban Gardening Coordinator at the Land Bank and I am very proud to say we have over 65 functioning community gardens on our property. Theft isn't much of a problem when you engage the community. This is what our city needs! not mine and yours... but ours! If you think its a good idea, come out and support us, if you think its the worst thing this city could do, come out and at least give us an opportunity to change your mind. These meetings are all about communication! Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world, indeed its the only thing that ever has" -Margaret Mead Roxanne Adair Urban Gardening Coordinator - Genesee County Land Bank for more information on adopting a vacant lot to be gardened and the technical support available please call (810) 257-3088 or visit us at 452 S. Saginaw Street 2nd floor. 2 doors down from the Lunch Studio.
EDIBLE FLINT GARDEN TOUR 2009 Everyone's invited to come take a free bite out of Flint on Sept. 1, during the first-ever Edible Flint Food Garden Tour.
EDIBLE FLINT GARDEN TOUR 2009 It's a tour-deforce for a new local food gardening network that's working to transform neighborhood s and improve health by using some of the city's thousands of vacant residential lots to produce fresh, affordable, healthy and chemical-free food.
EDIBLE FLINT GARDEN TOUR 2009 The tour included: Urban Youth Community Outreach's Andrew Lilly Garden, Applewood Initiative's demonstration garden, East Piper Street Block Club Garden, Harvesting Earth Educational Farm, Home Avenue Neighborhood Vegetable Demonstration and Teaching Garden, Mission of Hope Garden Living sculpture garden at the Flint Farmers' Market.
EDIBLE FLINT GARDEN TOUR 2009 The Edible Flint group has been a driving force in encouraging city zoning changes that would make urban farming easier, such as allowing hoop greenhouses as a conditional use and permitting chickens, goats and bees to be raised inside city limits with neighbors' consent.
OUTCOMES On Jan. 26 the Genesee County Land Bank Board of Directors unanimously approved to allow Roxanne Adair, 27, and Joanna Lehrman, 25, both of Flint to lease 16 lots from the Land Bank with an option to purchase the land after five years.
FLINT JOURNAL ARTICLE FEBRUARY 2011 Calling Them Out: Flint needs more efforts like urban farms for changing cityscape Published: Thursday, February 10, 2011, 6:58 AM By Editorial Board The Flint Journal The Flint Journal Vision and follow-through. Those are two of the characteristics needed on all fronts to pull Flint and other urban areas back from the brink. It appears Roxanne Adair, 27, and Joanna Lehrman, 25, have both. We commend these women for their plan to take nearly two acres of vacant land near the I-69/I-475 interchange and use it to expand the Flint River Farm. Their idea is to use organic farming practices to grow such crops as strawberries, carrots, bell peppers and peas. The fresh fruits and vegetables will be sold at the Flint Farmer s Market, perhaps as soon as June. It makes our mouths water just to think about it. The women took their idea to the Land Bank and last month got the green light from its board of directors. They will lease the 16 vacant lots on Beach Street between 12th Street and Willington Avenue for a buck a year, with an option to buy the land within five years. A price has not been determined. It s hard to see a downside here.
ROXANNE ADAIR LAUNCHED HER OWN BUSINESS This is land that otherwise could be a magnate for illegal dumping. As part of the farm, the lots not only will be maintained, they will be viable and productive. The land will be an asset to the neighborhood and greater community rather than a burden on it. Urban farming is not the answer to all that ails Flint or other urban centers. No one is advocating that every vacant lot in the city and Flint has about 3,000 of them be turned into a berry patch or corn field. But as the reimagining of Flint commences, ideas that explore new and alternative uses for vacant land and sparsely populated neighborhoods are most welcome. Indeed, there are not enough of them. What will Flint look like in five years? What will it look like in 10? If more young pioneers such as these women step forward with their ideas, the answer may be something we all can embrace
OUTCOMES Year Round Needs. The need for these workers is not just seasonal. First, a great deal of outdoor work may be done throughout the year trimming hazardous tree limbs, removing overgrowth and chipping the resulting spoils can be done even in the winter. However, since the Land Bank owns some 1800 residential and commercial structures we have need year round for work in everything from home renovation to boarding and securing to deconstruction and salvage of re-usable materials from structures prior to demolition.
OUTCOMES Equipment Needs. Grants have been secured from the CS Mott and Community Foundation in excess of $100,000 for supplies and equipment to assure that this blight abatement work continues. In addition, the Land Bank has used another $100,000 to purchase equipment and supplies to support the program.
OUTCOMES Workers Finding Home Ownership Opportunities. Because of the Land Bank s unique position in handling tax reverted properties, we have been in a position to help 12 of our stimulus workers find housing. Three workers currently rent homes from the Land Bank Nine are either buying homes on land contracts or have options to buy Land Bank homes.
OUTCOMES Additional Training Our plans include sending workers to various certificate programs at Mott Community College for specific skill training. To allow worker skills improvement. Also allowing us to cost-effectively renovate homes for sale or rental as affordable living spaces.
ADDITIONAL PLANS Assuming the continuation of funds for the next year or more, the Land Bank plans to continue the above activities, work in cooperation with Habitat for Humanity and Goodwill on a housing deconstruction program, work with a Community Foundation MPRI grant to expand urban agriculture activities, and work with Mott Community College to continue the vocational training for various workers.