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Shrink to Survive? Rust Belt City Bulldozes Homes
ABCNews -- Three homes, 824 Stockdale Street, 4034 Trumbull Avenue and 1538 Garland Street are all located in Flint, Mich., and all share the same fate. In an act of residential triage, Genesee County, which includes Flint, has been knocking down the city's vacant homes at an astounding rate -- often up to four a day. "We'll collapse this [house] down onto the ground in about 15 minutes, 20 minutes," said Kevin Muma, a foreman on the wrecking team. "It doesn't take long at all." Flint, a blue-collar city in the Rust Belt, was once home to several thriving General Motors plants that helped build a strong work force here. But as the automaker declined and cut tens of thousands of jobs, Flint residents started leaving too; the city's population has...
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11.24.09 - Updated 4:36am ET
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