Evicted Summary

"Eviction is not just a condition of poverty; it is a cause of poverty." - Matthew Desmond

1: Evictions are becoming alarmingly commonplace in America.

Eviction is no longer a rare event in American cities. Each year, millions of people are displaced from their homes, with eviction rates ballooning far beyond those of previous decades. During the Great Depression, landlords rarely evicted tenants, as it would spark community outrage. The social stigma against evictions was so strong that large protests could erupt in support of the displaced.

Now, the dynamic has shifted. Eviction has become almost routine, and cities like Milwaukee exemplify the trend—one in eight tenants faced eviction there within three years. Housing studies show that urban areas today process tens of thousands of eviction cases annually. Census data also fail to capture informal evictions, where tenants are removed without court involvement.

One key reason for this increase is the lack of affordable public housing and housing assistance. Only one in four Americans eligible for housing aid receives any, forcing families to fend for themselves in an inflated rental market where falling behind on rent is treated as a personal failure.

Examples

• Milwaukee saw one in eight tenants face eviction within three years.
• In 2012, New York City managed nearly 80 eviction cases daily.
• During the Great Depression, evictions resulted in large public protests, such as in the Bronx in 1932.

2: A growing affordability gap is leaving low-income tenants vulnerable.

Over the past two decades, rents have risen while wages have stagnated or declined. Between 2001 and 2014, rents increased on average by seven percent, yet incomes fell nine percent. Today, many low-income households must spend upwards of 50 percent—and in some cases, 70 percent—of their earnings just to keep a roof overhead. This leaves little left for food, medical care, or emergencies.

Unemployment also exacerbates housing insecurity. In cities like Milwaukee, the closure of manufacturing plants left many Black families with no steady income streams. For those relying on welfare benefits, the monthly amount barely suffices to cover rent, let alone basic necessities. Whenever an unexpected expense arises, eviction looms as an inevitable consequence.

Take the example of Lamar, a disabled veteran who received an extra welfare check by mistake. He used the money for school supplies for his kids, only to have the government demand repayment. The resulting financial shortfall led directly to his eviction, despite his attempts to barter and sell food stamps.

Examples

• Harvard studies show rent increases of seven percent paired with nine percent declines in income between 2001 and 2014.
• Over half of low-income households allocate more than 50 percent of income to rent.
• Lamar’s welfare overpayment led to his eviction despite his efforts to catch up.

3: Landlords often prioritize profits over tenant safety.

When tenants fall behind on rent, landlords commonly use this as leverage, prioritizing income over ensuring safe living conditions. Sherrena Tarver, one landlord in Milwaukee, illustrates this mindset. After a fire claimed the life of a tenant’s child due to a lack of working smoke detectors, her main concern was avoiding financial or legal responsibility—not the tenant’s tragedy or her own negligence.

Landlords like Tarver and Tobin Charney profit by exploiting low-income renters. Charney earns $400,000 annually from run-down trailers, investing minimal funds in maintenance. For tenants, the constant threat of eviction silences complaints about repair issues, leading to unsafe environments and deteriorating living standards.

The housing imbalance is further compounded by tenants’ lack of legal power. Most cannot afford lawyers to contest unfair treatment, allowing landlords to rent poorly maintained homes without consequence.

Examples

• Sherrena Tarver wasn’t held accountable for a fire-related child death in her building.
• Tobin Charney profits from poorly maintained trailers while tenants barely make ends meet.
• Tenants fear filing complaints due to intimidation and eviction threats.

4: Racial segregation fuels housing exploitation.

Milwaukee provides a revealing snapshot of how the rental market exploits Black tenants. Segregation dictates who gets access to better housing, and black neighborhoods bear the brunt of poverty and neglect. In eviction court, 75 percent of tenants summoned are Black—even though they represent a smaller proportion of the population.

Black women, particularly those raising children, face heightened discrimination. They account for only nine percent of Milwaukee's population but experience 30 percent of evictions. Their role as single mothers often reduces their housing options further, as landlords view them as financial risks.

Landlords also deliberately steer families into areas with fewer resources and more disrepair. White tenants in trailer parks demonstrated this dynamic by expressing relief that they don’t have to live in predominantly Black neighborhoods, underscoring racial resentment even among low-income groups.

Examples

• Seventy-five percent of tenants in Milwaukee’s housing court are Black.
• Black women make up 9% of Milwaukee's population but experience 30% of evictions.
• Historical and systemic racism limits options for Black tenants in urban housing.

5: The vicious cycle of eviction devastates families and magnifies poverty.

Evictions do more than displace people—they create lasting instability. Mothers evicted from their homes often suffer from long-term depression. Children, meanwhile, face disruptions in their education and social lives. This transitory lifestyle prevents people from forming lasting support networks or saving money.

Evictions also perpetuate poverty. Those affected must scramble to pay for storage, replace possessions, and find new housing. The financial strain often leads to job loss, as the stresses of displacement interfere with work performance.

Families pushed out of one home often end up in neighborhoods with even fewer opportunities, deeper poverty, and higher levels of crime. Each eviction cements their isolation from society’s safety nets.

Examples

• Mothers who face eviction report years of depression symptoms.
• Housing instability increases job-loss risk by 15 percent.
• Displaced families often end up in poorer and more dangerous neighborhoods.

6: Unsafe housing forces difficult compromises.

To survive, low-income tenants often go to desperate lengths. Selling food stamps, pirating electricity, or skipping meals become commonplace. These financial measures underscore the mismatch between housing affordability and the resources available to struggling families.

Dangerous housing conditions become an inevitability. Tenants hesitate to report structural safety concerns, fearing eviction or retaliation from landlords more focused on rent collection than maintenance.

Children also bear these consequences. Their physical safety and mental stability are undermined when homes lack heat or functional appliances, forcing families to live in perpetual hardship.

Examples

• Families sell food stamps at half-price to cover rental gaps.
• Tenants fear eviction if they report broken plumbing or heating systems.
• Kids navigating housing instability face health risks and poor school attendance.

7: Housing discrimination creates impossible choices.

Current laws fail to protect certain vulnerable groups, such as single mothers. The Fair Housing Act prevents explicit racial discrimination but doesn’t address family size or non-marital parental status, leaving many tenants unprotected.

Landlords use this loophole to exclude families with children from larger properties, perpetuating overcrowding. Mothers feel forced to accept unsafe apartments to avoid homelessness.

The lack of tenant advocacy amplifies power imbalances. Only 10 percent of tenants summoned to eviction court have legal representation, and most feel too overburdened to even attend.

Examples

• The Fair Housing Act doesn’t safeguard single moms from unfair treatment.
• Tenants without lawyers lose to landlords 90 percent of the time in court.
• Many tenants don’t show up to court hearings out of hopelessness or job conflicts.

8: Evictions harm mental and community health.

The stress of losing a home produces ongoing trauma for families. Evicted mothers face depression, while community connections erode as people move frequently. Children suffer academically and socially from the constant instability.

Worse yet, unstable housing reduces participation in broader society. People are less likely to vote, volunteer, or invest in community projects when their own status feels precarious. Neighborhoods become fractured by transience.

Lastly, the fear of eviction deters tenants from calling for help, such as in domestic violence situations, when they risk becoming homeless by alerting authorities.

Examples

• Depression rates spike among evicted mothers.
• Eviction increases a family’s risk of ongoing poverty and isolation.
• Calls to police for emergencies lead landlords to evict low-income tenants.

9: Housing vouchers offer hope for systemic change.

Other countries, like Great Britain and the Netherlands, use housing voucher programs to ensure that everyone, regardless of income, can afford adequate shelter. These systems cap tenants' rent costs at 30 percent of income, with vouchers covering the balance.

Such programs stabilize families, enabling them to focus on work and personal development without sacrificing basic living standards. Critics often argue that vouchers disincentivize employment, but studies show this concern is largely unfounded.

A similar policy in the U.S. could transform lives by granting households a guarantee of safe and affordable housing.

Examples

• The Netherlands’ Housing Allowance program benefits a third of tenants.
• Great Britain’s voucher system has improved housing security for low-income families.
• Studies show little to no reduction in work hours among voucher recipients.

Takeaways

1. Support policies advocating universal housing vouchers to reduce poverty and eviction rates.
2. Engage with organizations that provide pro bono legal aid to tenants facing evictions.
3. Educate communities about their housing rights and the societal impact of stable homes.