Housing starts

Effective Compassion: Charity helps families begin new lives in low-cost homes | Anthony Mator

FLINT, Mich. — Michael Moore buffs know Flint, Mich., as the setting of his 1989 documentary, Roger and Me, which criticized former General Motors CEO Roger Smith for closing several plants and cutting thousands of jobs in the birthplace of the world's largest automaker. Since the film's production, the Flint GM payroll has plummeted from 50,000 to 15,000, while the population has dropped from about 141,000 in 1900 to 124,000 in 2000.

Now, community leaders like Genesee County Habitat for Humanity hope to spur a comeback by cleaning up abandoned properties, constructing new buildings, and driving away crime. For 16 years, the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International has constructed affordable houses and offered 20-year, no-interest mortgages.