Livonia, Roseville, Royal Oak and St. Clair Shores are among the first 15 Michigan cities to share more than $7.5 million in grants that will fix or demolish almost 400 foreclosed or abandoned homes and help low-income homebuyers with down payments, Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced this week.

The first round of Neighborhood Stabilization Program grants will be spent on repairing 116 homes and demolishing 276 others across the state. Over the next six to nine months, additional NSP grants for the state could total as much as $22 million.
 
Also receiving the grants are Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Bay City, Benton Harbor, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, Port Huron, Saginaw, and Wyoming. Funding applications from Dearborn Heights and Farmington Hills are still under review.
 
How far will the grants be stretched in the four Metro Detroit cities? The $1.6 million will save 42 blighted properties to be resold and help 15 needy families buy homes.

•  Livonia will receive $591,250, targeting 15 properties its eastern and southern sectors. The money will be spent repairing nine foreclosed homes to flip or rent out, demolishing six homes and rebuilding, and helping five homebuyers with down payments.
• Roseville will receive $500,000 that will address 19 properties in the neighborhoods between 10 mile and 14 mile. Five abandoned homes will be purchased and flipped, 14 derelict houses will be demolished to promote redevelopment, and five homebuyers will get down payment aid.
•  Royal Oak will receive $250,000 that will upgrade five properties. The grant will buy and upgrade two foreclosed homes to resell, demolish three vacant homes and contribute to five homebuyers’ downpayments.
• St. Clair Shores will use its $250,000 to buy and spruce up three foreclosed homes for resale.