By Matthew Desmond
Although Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American
City by Matthew Desmond introduces us to a number of families living on
the edge of poverty in Milwaukee, the stories he tells us can be true of any
city. Whether we are reading about Arleen, the single mother, Scott, the caring
nurse with a drug addiction, Lamar who looks after the neighbourhood kids or Vanetta,
a young woman with an upcoming first offence trial, they are all connected by
their housing situation.
One of their connections is a common landlord, either
Sherrena, a
former teacher turned real estate investor or Tobin, owner of a
Milwaukee trailer park with a questionable reputation.
Each of these families lives in one of the buildings or
trailers owned by Sherrena or Tobin, and each struggles to pay the rent on
their meager income. For example, 88 percent of Arleen’s income goes towards
rent, leaving little left over for anything else like food, clothing,
transportation, heat, or medication for her son’s asthma. Each of the families we meet is in a similar
situation which leaves little wiggle room for anything.
These individuals live in fear of eviction. A person with
an eviction on their rental record can find it difficult to impossible to find
other housing of any kind. Despite being evicted for failure to pay rent, any
complaint to the housing board, too many calls to 9-1-1, too many people in a
unit, can all lead to an eviction. Each
of these reasons serves to perpetuate the unsafe living conditions of the
tenancies. Eviction is so common that the landlords plan their vacations to
ensure they are back in town by the first of the month, as rent collection is a
face to face affair, as most tenants don’t have bank accounts and eviction
notices are handed out in person.
Reading these non-fiction accounts, we can see how a lack
of stable, safe housing overshadows the lives of these families, making it near
to impossible to find a job, attend school, or care for one’s children. This
Pulitzer Prize winner is not necessarily a happy story, but it is one that
needs to be told.
For
other popular reading suggestions check out Richmond Public Library's Web site
at www.yourlibrary.ca/goodbooks/.
By humanizing the data, he proves that stable housing is the essential foundation—without which employment, education, and health become nearly impossible to maintain voya financial reviews
ReplyDeleteThis was a fascinating read; I learned so much about this topic. Protek Drywall Richmond, BC
ReplyDeleteEvicted by Matthew Desmond is such a powerful and eye-opening book. It does an incredible job of showing how housing insecurity affects every part of a person’s life—work, health, education, family stability, and dignity. By following real families and landlords, the book turns statistics about poverty into deeply human stories that stay with readers long after the last page. It’s one of those books that sparks meaningful discussion about fairness, policy, and compassion in our communities. A reading space or book club focused on impactful titles like this could feel even more inviting with custom made neon lights
ReplyDeleteor modern LED Neon Signs featuring inspiring quotes or literary themes to create a warm atmosphere for thoughtful conversations.
This sounds like such a powerful and thought-provoking read. A custom neon light featuring an inspiring quote about hope, resilience, or “Home Matters” could create a meaningful and cozy atmosphere for a reading corner or book club discussion inspired by Evicted.
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