FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) – The Genesee County Land Bank Authority is launching the 22nd year of its Clean & Green program, which engages community groups to combat blight across Flint.
The program runs from April through September with 70 community groups committed to maintaining more than 3,400 vacant properties around the city. An official kickoff event is scheduled for Friday morning.
Groups including block clubs, school groups, churches, nonprofits and neighborhood associations mow and cleanup vacant lots every three weeks. They receive a stipend for maintaining at least 25 properties per three-week period.
“We are incredibly proud of the Clean & Green program. We could not do this work alone,” said Michael Freeman, executive director of the Genesee County Land Bank.
“This program is a shining example of the dramatic difference we can all make in our community by working together. We are grateful to all of the participating community groups and local residents who lend their support,” Freeman said.
Over the last two decades, Clean & Green groups have completed more than 360,000 vacant property mowings and boarded up hundreds of homes, representing more than $17 million in value to the community.
Research from the University of Michigan’s Youth Violence Prevention Center shows Clean & Green areas see 30% fewer assaults and 40% fewer violent crimes overall, along with reductions in youth gun violence and child abuse.
The Genesee County Land Bank has invested more than $7.5 million in the program over the past 21 years.
“Cleaning up trash, mowing lawns, boarding up vacant homes, and beautifying each block makes much more than a cosmetic difference – it makes our community safer, increases property values, and creates a more inviting atmosphere that encourages continued investment and growth,” Freeman said.
The 2026 Clean & Green program is supported through grant funding from the Ruth Mott Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Prevention Research Collaborative based at the University of Michigan.