
Roughly 8,000 people got the notice warning of tax liens from the Flint Treasury Department. (Screenshot)
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Roughly 8,000 people got the notice warning of tax liens from the Flint Treasury Department. (Screenshot)
The city of Flint, where the pipes have still not been fixed and the water crisis is ongoing, is threatening to place tax liens on people's homes for non-payment of water bills, according to a local news source.
NBC affiliate 25News reported Tuesday that more than 8,000 people have received notice from the city that they are "at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure if they don't pay up on their water bills" by May 19.
"We have to have revenue coming in, so we can't give people...water at the tap and not get revenue coming in to pay those bills," Al Mooney of the city's Treasury Department said to the outlet.
Melissa Mays, a Flint mother and water activist, told the station of the notice: "I got scared, for probably the first time since this all started this actually scared me." Mays plans to "go against what she believes" and pay the $900 she owes in order to ensure she doesn't lose her home, 25News reports.
As Common Dreams reported in late April, three years after the crisis began, Flint still does not have clean water. Residents must purchase filters to reduce the lead in their water, and the city says it will be three more years before all of the city's lead pipes are replaced.
In March, the state of Michigan ended a program that reimbursed residents for most of their water costs in the wake of the lead crisis, and in April, the city began shutting off water service to residents with past due bills.
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
The city of Flint, where the pipes have still not been fixed and the water crisis is ongoing, is threatening to place tax liens on people's homes for non-payment of water bills, according to a local news source.
NBC affiliate 25News reported Tuesday that more than 8,000 people have received notice from the city that they are "at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure if they don't pay up on their water bills" by May 19.
"We have to have revenue coming in, so we can't give people...water at the tap and not get revenue coming in to pay those bills," Al Mooney of the city's Treasury Department said to the outlet.
Melissa Mays, a Flint mother and water activist, told the station of the notice: "I got scared, for probably the first time since this all started this actually scared me." Mays plans to "go against what she believes" and pay the $900 she owes in order to ensure she doesn't lose her home, 25News reports.
As Common Dreams reported in late April, three years after the crisis began, Flint still does not have clean water. Residents must purchase filters to reduce the lead in their water, and the city says it will be three more years before all of the city's lead pipes are replaced.
In March, the state of Michigan ended a program that reimbursed residents for most of their water costs in the wake of the lead crisis, and in April, the city began shutting off water service to residents with past due bills.
The city of Flint, where the pipes have still not been fixed and the water crisis is ongoing, is threatening to place tax liens on people's homes for non-payment of water bills, according to a local news source.
NBC affiliate 25News reported Tuesday that more than 8,000 people have received notice from the city that they are "at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure if they don't pay up on their water bills" by May 19.
"We have to have revenue coming in, so we can't give people...water at the tap and not get revenue coming in to pay those bills," Al Mooney of the city's Treasury Department said to the outlet.
Melissa Mays, a Flint mother and water activist, told the station of the notice: "I got scared, for probably the first time since this all started this actually scared me." Mays plans to "go against what she believes" and pay the $900 she owes in order to ensure she doesn't lose her home, 25News reports.
As Common Dreams reported in late April, three years after the crisis began, Flint still does not have clean water. Residents must purchase filters to reduce the lead in their water, and the city says it will be three more years before all of the city's lead pipes are replaced.
In March, the state of Michigan ended a program that reimbursed residents for most of their water costs in the wake of the lead crisis, and in April, the city began shutting off water service to residents with past due bills.