People found living without heat, water in Flint - ABC 12 – WJRT – Flint, MI

(01/31/13) - A horrific discovery was made inside of two Mid-Michigan homes.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Department raided two homes and found people living without heat and water.

And that's not the worst of it. It's a story you'll only see on ABC12 news at 6 p.m.

Not only were at least eight people living in freezing homes, but raw sewage was leaking inside of their basement.

Our cameras were rolling as the Genesee County Sheriff's department raided both houses, just north of downtown Flint Thursday.

One house is on Prospect Street - the other is on 7th Avenue. Both are located in Flint.

Sheriff Robert Pickell says both homes are owned by the same person.

According to Pickell, he was renting out rooms to eight mentally challenged people. They were paying up to $400 a month to live in those conditions. Pickell says they were under the care of a licensed social worker.

The rooms were run down, there was no heat, and they were roach-infested.

"This may be just the tip of the iceberg, where people are living in a community that, you know, they are challenged, it is cold inside, other room freezing cold, dirty, roaches, just bad," Pickell said.

We've learned that both houses have been condemned.

Sheriff Pickell says the case will go to the prosecutor's office to determine whether the owner will be charged. That could depend on if the homes are deemed to be boarding houses or adult foster care facilities.

The eight people who lived in houses were taken for McLaren for treatment.