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Blight Elimination - A Critical First Step in Revitalization Efforts Across Michigan |
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Written by Rick Steele
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Wednesday, 11 July 2007 |
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A Messsage from Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
The Cities of Promise is an initiative that aims to re-develop our communities and reduce poverty in cities that are experiencing devastating conditions due to declining population, extreme poverty, loss of industry and jobs, crumbling infrastructure and blighted neighborhoods.
Today, we are announcing MSHDA’s commitment to fund up to $25 million over the next four years toward blight elimination in the eight Cities of Promise. The eight cities are Benton Harbor, Detroit, Flint, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Muskegon Heights, Pontiac and Saginaw.
The blight elimination program has several goals which will reduce unsafe neighborhood conditions and make neighborhoods more attractive. These goals include: improving neighborhood safety for children, substantially increasing the number of blighted residential structures demolished in each of the cities through strategic demolition activities, increasing income and skills of homeless persons in the cities, increasing the use of deconstruction (salvaging/recycling usable materials) in place of and/or in conjunction with demolition to remove unwanted structures and rebuild communities and increasing the use of holistic market-based neighborhood revitalization plans tied to the neighborhoods where blight is being addressed with MSHDA funds.
The blight elimination program is the critical first step in these revitalization efforts across Michigan. Jobs created through this program will provide opportunities for training and employing homeless persons.
MSHDA is a quasi-state agency that provides financial and technical assistance through public and private partnerships to create and preserve safe and decent affordable housing, engage in community economic development activities, and address homeless issues. MSHDA’s loans and operating expenses are financed through the sale of tax-exempt and taxable bonds and notes to private investors, not from state tax revenues. For more information on MSHDA programs and initiatives, visit the Web site at www.michigan.gov/mshda.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 July 2007 )
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