A federal grant will fund temporary jobs for 400 residents in Flint, Mich., helping the city recover from the lead water crisis that is keeping 100,000 people from being able to drink their tap water.
Labor Secretary Tom Perez announced Wednesday afternoon that up to $15 million would be available for temporary jobs and job training through a National Dislocated Worker Grant. Of that $15 million, $7.5 million will be made available immediately.
Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat, said the money would fund 400 jobs initially, which means $18,750 for each job recipient. The jobs will focus on transportation, warehousing and logistics such as helping distribute bottled water.
“This is a very, very important part of being able to support and create opportunity to rebuild Flint,” Stabenow said.
In April 2014, a state emergency manager appointed by Snyder signed off on a symbolic vote from the Flint City Council to change the city’s water source. The move aimed to cut costs by requiring the city to take its water from the Flint River instead of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department while a new pipeline was built to connect the city to Lake Huron.
The Flint River water, however, was so acidic that it caused the lead pipes bringing water from the city’s cast iron mains into homes to corrode. Lead leached off the pipes and into the drinking water throughout the city.
The state and the federal government have declared a state of emergency, and Flint residents are not able to drink the water coming out of their taps.
A state report released Wednesday said the state government caused and bungled its response to the crisis.
The funding will go to the city of Flint to fund jobs distributed by local work agencies. Flint residents will have first priority for the jobs, Perez said.
In a call with reporters, Perez said the rest of the funding could be used to invest in developing new skills for workers for future jobs.
“Government broke down and now we have an even greater responsibility to build [Flint] back up,” he said.
Flint’s congressman, Rep. Dan Kildee, said the funding was important because it will give Flint residents a mental lift.
The eastern Michigan city has a 9.7 percent unemployment rate and the median salary is about $24,000 per year. It’s been crippled for decades by economic stagnation and neglect, and many in the city have seen the lead water crisis as an opportunity to rebuild.
Kildee acknowledged that many in Flint have called for jobs rebuilding the city to employ Flint residents. He said the Labor Department was a positive first step.
“Nobody is better positioned to fix the problems in Flint than the people in Flint,” he said.
