Abandoned homes, empty neighborhoods, plunging property values... the tangible effects of the foreclosure crisis.

"Michigan's economy has hurt a lot of people, foreclosures have hurt a lot of people," Lynn Martinez of the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition said.

But help is on the way in the form of federal dollars.

The US Department of Housing and Urban Development allotted billions of dollars nationwide to assist communities in buying and redeveloping vacant and abandoned homes.

"These funds will help us deal with vacant structures that have fallen into a state of distress," said Bob Johnson, director of the Lansing Department of Planning and Neighborhood Development.

Lansing will receive $6 million.

"This is real help, right now and we need it," Mayor Virg Bernero said.

The city expects to spend about $50,000 per home, which means more than 100 homes will be revamped.

"It won't solve the problem, but it allows us to get a good start," Bernero said.

Most of the project money will go to fixing up foreclosures and repairing neighborhoods, but at least some of it will be used to get people back in their own homes.

As part of the government's guidelines,,, the city can help with down payment assistance and loans.

"We can help people get into fixed rate mortgages," Martinez said. "We can help neighborhoods and we can put people back to work."

Which some say makes this project a win-win for neighbors and for communities.