SAGINAW, MI — Congressman Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, played an important role in securing $11.2 million to help demolish 950 blighted homes in Saginaw. The first six of those homes were demolished on Monday, Oct. 14.

Kildee admitted that the blight elimination project, funded through the federal Hardest Hit fund, is only a beginning to efforts to encourage development and redevelopment in Saginaw.

"But with no first step, there can be no second step," he said. "The one thing we know for certain is that if there is opportunity for redevelopment or new development that opportunity will skip Saginaw by if the city is not ready for it. One of the ways to clear the way for redevelopment is by eliminating blight and abandonment."

Saginaw's funding stems from $100 million from the Troubled Asset Relief Program that the U.S. Treasury in July 2013 allocated from its Hardest Hit Fund to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Originally, the funds were set aside exclusively for mortgage relief.

Kildee said he tackled the Hardest Hit fund in an effort to point federal resources at the places, like Flint and Saginaw, that need them most.

"Many of the programs designed to help urban American are not suited for cities with significant population loss," he said. "The goal was trying to align the Hardest Hit programs with the needs of these cities."

Funding the demolition of 950 blighted homes in Saginaw, which city and county leaders estimate is about half of the city's abandoned structures, is designed to accomplish a few different goals.

Kildee said downsizing the number of homes will get Saginaw closer to its demand for housing and can clear the way for potential redevelopment.

"We have to clean up the mistakes of the past to allow these markets to reset," he said.

In addition, Kildee pointed out the benefit to members of the community by not having blight sticking out of their neighborhoods like a sore thumb.

"The people in these neighborhoods won't have to stare at abandoned houses anymore," he said.

Kildee said that fewer abandoned buildings will also likely reduce the pressure on city firefighters. Acting Chief Christopher Van Loo agreed.

"It takes away an opportunity," Van Loo said. "Arson is a crime of opportunity, and it takes away the opportunity."

Once the houses are gone, Kildee said, the work is just beginning for cities like Flint and Saginaw.

"What cities need to do is to think carefully about how they design themselves and redesign themselves," he said. "The most important thing for land use is for the land to be used for some intentional purpose. It's a planning challenge for cities. But there are cities that have done well with this and have designed interim uses for open space, actually something pleasing to the eye."

Kildee said his work is by no means done in seeking federal help to get Michigan's struggling cities back on their feet.

"What I'm fighting for is much stronger support of the redevelopment of our cities," he said. "That's the battle. And this is the first step."

Kildee said he wants to see continued support of programs like the Community Development Block Grant, which he could see communities using to pursue ideas for creative land use.

Gov. Rick Snyder announced on Aug. 20 how $100 million in federal Hardest Hit funds would be allocated to five Michigan cities. Detroit, Grand Rapids, Flint, Pontiac and Saginaw are using the money to demolish blighted homes.

The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County Land Bank filed a cooperative application requesting $22 million of the funds and received about half that request in its nearly $11.2 million award.

Local officials in Saginaw plan to use the funds to demolish about 413 publicly owned properties, which they expect to use up about $4.5 million of the grant. The remainder will be set aside to purchase and demolish another about 537 properties that now are privately owned. Each property in Saginaw is also budgeted to receive a $750 maintenance stipend meant to fund care of the empty property itself after the blighted structures are removed.

Altogether, the $100 million in Hardest Hit Funds allocated to Michigan will pay for the demolition of some of the more than 78,000 vacant and abandoned homes estimated to exist in Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Pontiac and Saginaw.

Mark Tower covers local government for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-284-4807, by email at mtower@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.