NLIHC staff took the United for Homes (UFH) campaign on the road for the first statewide tour from October 1 through October 4. NLIHC President and CEO Sheila Crowley and Outreach Associate Joseph Lindstrom visited eight Michigan communities in three days, meeting with local housing and homeless advocates and conducting several interviews with local print and broadcast media. Extensive use of social media took news from the tour nationwide.The tour made stops on Flint, Midland, Traverse City, Reed City, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, and Royal Oak before culminating with a UFH presentation in Detroit at the NACEDA Annual Summit. The tour was held in conjunction with NLIHC Michigan state partners the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition and the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM). In addition to presenting the UFH proposal to fund the National Housing Trust Fund with revenue raised from reform of the mortgage interest deduction, NLIHC staff and event participants discussed the effects of the federal government shutdown and sequestration on housing and homeless programs and other safety net programs. An increase in homelessness among families with children and an acute shortage of affordable rental housing were constant themes. Advocates were also very familiar with and gave high praise to NLIHC data on housing need.Read more about the Michigan UFH road trip on NLIHC’s blog at: http://nlihc.wordpress.com