He Rebuilt His Flint Home… Then the City Left Him Living Next to This

FLINT, Mich. — A Flint homeowner says he is being forced to live next to a burned-out property that has sat untouched for months, raising safety concerns and frustration over what he describes as a lack of response from city officials.

The home next door was destroyed by fire on Christmas Eve 2025 and remains a debris-filled lot, with no fencing or cleanup efforts in place, according to the resident, who identified himself as David.

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“They let it burn out completely to this pile of rubbish,” David said. “They left it with no orange netting, no nothing.”

David said he purchased his own home through the Genesee County Land Bank about three and a half years ago and has spent significant time and money restoring it after it had been abandoned and stripped down to its frame.

“I decided to invest in Flint and see what I could do,” he said.

Despite his efforts, David said conditions next door have made it difficult to feel safe. He described ongoing issues including trash, rodents and people entering the property, as well as a recent incident in which he said he was threatened while confronting individuals removing scrap materials.

“They threatened to burn the house down,” he said, adding that Flint police did not respond after multiple calls.

David said he ultimately contacted the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, which responded quickly.

The property, he said, had been vacant prior to the fire, with unclear ownership between private parties and previous land bank involvement.

He said he has repeatedly contacted city departments, including the blight office, in an effort to have the site cleared.

“I’ve called the city, the land bank, the blight office, multiple people,” David said. “Nothing’s ever been done or even been attempted to be done.”

The conditions pose a particular concern for families in the neighborhood, he said, noting that children live nearby and that the ground around the burned structure appears unstable.

“This is not safe,” he said.

David questioned city priorities, pointing to routine street sweeping while larger issues like abandoned and damaged properties remain unresolved.

“We got money to buy street sweepers and sweep the streets,” he said. “Can we get some dumpsters, some help?”

City officials have not publicly responded to the specific complaints raised in this case.

Blight and abandoned properties have long been a challenge in Flint, where population decline and economic hardship have left thousands of structures vacant over the years. Local leaders have implemented demolition and cleanup programs, but residents say gaps remain.

For David, the situation underscores broader concerns about the city’s future.

“I don’t believe it until I see it,” he said when asked whether he has hope conditions will improve.