First Flint Settlement Payments Begin as Legal Process Moves Forward

December 27, 2025

Nearly a decade after Flint, Michigan switched its water source to the corrosive Flint River without proper treatment, settlement payments have finally begun reaching affected residents. Administrators approved approximately 26,000 claims and started distributing the first wave of roughly 7,000 property damage payments in mid-December 2024, with nearly 3,000 payments issued by late December. The water crisis, which began in April 2014 when cost-cutting measures led to untreated river water leaching lead from aging pipes, disproportionately affected Flint's majority-Black population in what was officially termed environmental injustice.

Who is affected

Approximately 26,000 approved claimants in Flint, Michigan
Residents who owned or occupied property served by the Flint Water Treatment Plant between April 25, 2014 and November 16, 2020
Children who were 6 years and under during the crisis (receiving 64.5% of settlement funds)
Children ages 7-11 (10% allocation), ages 12-17 (5% allocation)
Adults with eligible injuries (15% allocation)
Flint's majority-Black population (56.7% Black alone according to U.S. Census Bureau)
Business owners with loss claims (0.5% allocation)

What action is being taken

Settlement administrators are approving claims and issuing payments
The payment portal is operating for claimants to select payment methods
Payments are being distributed through direct deposit, Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, or in-person check pickup at the Clio Road distribution center
As of December 23, 2,854 payments have been issued

Why it matters

This settlement represents a formal acknowledgment and attempt at compensation for what was officially classified as environmental injustice against Flint's majority-Black community. The water crisis exposed vulnerable populations, particularly young children, to lead poisoning—a neurotoxin with no safe exposure level that causes developmental delays and learning and behavioral problems. The case illustrates how emergency management and cost-cutting decisions imposed on residents without their control can have devastating health consequences, making it a critical example of governance failures and racial inequality. The settlement cannot reverse the health damage already done, particularly to children exposed during critical developmental periods, but provides financial recognition of harm caused by decisions residents did not make.

What's next

Health claim payments are expected to begin in the future (specific timeline not provided)
These health payments will cover eligible injuries for adults and children and represent the majority of settlement categories and dollars

Read full article from source: Michigan Chronicle