Here are the highlights from the Flint Journal:

The stop in Flint kicks-off his Michigan tour, which also includes stops in Saginaw, Lansing, Pontiac, and Detroit Wednesday and Thursday. He's to attend a legistative engagement rally at noon Thursday at the steps of the Capitol in Lansing.

"There is a national crisis as it relates to the number of foreclosures across this country and Michigan is at the forefront largely due to lenders who take advantage of those who are already struggling," stated Jackson in a prepared release. "We want to put the power back into the hands of the every day citizen who is simply trying to hold on to his or her part of the American dream."

The Michigan housing authority has proposed two assistance programs to assist Michigan residents who are facing foreclosure: ARM Assist Refinance, which helps residents who are in an adjustable rate mortgage obtain a fixed rate loan; and Rescue Refinance Program, which assists residents who are delinquent and have no mitigating options. Both programs have been endorsed by Granholm, who has urged the Legislature to introduce and pass enabling legislation.

The Rev. Lewis Randolph, pastor at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, said Jackson has been to his church a number of times before and it's always an honor to have him, especially on such an important issue.

"No one has come forward in my congregation to say their home is in foreclosure," said Randolph, president of Concerned Pastors for Social Action.

"But I'm sure some are having problems making their monthly payments and are embarrassed to say their home is in foreclosure because of the problems they are having in their lives. But I would pray that none are experiencing foreclosure in our congregation or in other congregations in our city."

There are a number of root causes for the foreclosure crisis Michigan is currently experiencing, but from our perspective, affordability is the key issue here.

The bottom line is that quality housing is simply out of reach for too many Michigan families. Many consumers (with a little help from predatory lenders) thought sub-prime mortgages were a great way to buy the home of their dreams. Unfortunately, this just glossed over the fact that Michigan (and the rest of the country, for that matter) lacks an adequate supply of quality housing that consumers can actually afford.

In this tough economy, how can we expect families to send their children to college, save for retirement, pay for healthcare or even engage in "normal" consumer activity (buying and selling goods) when they have to deal with these sky-high mortgage payments? Clearly, this foreclosure crisis is not fostering an atmosphere for economic recovery, which Michigan so desperately needs right now.

This just brings us back to our favorite phrase from the spring:

HOUSING = JOBS

More affordable housing means more investment for our state, which means more jobs and a speedier economic turnaround for Michigan. It's a simple equation that many have ignored for far too long.

While Michigan's foreclosure crisis is very real and certainly cause for concern, the silver lining is that it will bring attention to affordable housing issues and be a catalyst for change.