Officials say they anticipate more foreclosures and abandonment of property in Flint because of the city's crisis with lead-tainted water.
Lucille James of the Genesee County Land Bank told the Michigan Civil Rights Commission during a Thursday hearing that the organization expects the number of foreclosed properties to increase.
Real estate experts say the housing market is feeling the effects of the crisis, but The Flint Journal reports studies are needed to back up that observation.
Flint resident E. Yvonne Lewis expressed her concerns during the hearing, saying she's raised three children in Flint and decided to stay in the city.
It was the second hearing by the commission amid the crisis.
The commission is exploring whether residents of the majority black city have faced racial and ethnic discrimination.
