Introduction
Matthew Desmond's "Evicted" provides a sobering and eye-opening look at the housing crisis facing America's poor. Through extensive on-the-ground research in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Desmond reveals the devastating impacts of eviction on individuals, families, and communities trapped in a cycle of poverty. The book follows eight families struggling to keep a roof over their heads, as well as two landlords who profit from the dire situation. With vivid storytelling and rigorous analysis, Desmond exposes how eviction perpetuates poverty and argues that stable housing should be considered a basic human right.
The Eviction Epidemic
A Growing Crisis
Eviction has become shockingly commonplace in low-income neighborhoods across America. Each year, millions of people are forcibly removed from their homes after falling behind on rent. In Milwaukee, one in eight renters faced eviction over a three-year period. Other major cities see similarly high rates, with housing courts processing dozens or even hundreds of eviction cases daily.
This represents a dramatic shift from earlier eras. Even during the Great Depression of the 1930s, evictions were relatively rare and often met with community resistance and public outcry. Today, they have become an accepted part of life for the urban poor.
Causes of the Crisis
Several factors have contributed to the current eviction epidemic:
Rising rents and falling incomes: Over the past two decades, rents have steadily increased while wages for low-income workers have stagnated or declined. Many poor families now spend over 50% of their income on housing, leaving little for other basic needs.
Loss of manufacturing jobs: Cities like Milwaukee have lost tens of thousands of stable, well-paying factory jobs since the 1970s. This has left many inner-city residents, especially African Americans, struggling with unemployment or low-wage work.
Insufficient public housing: Only about 1 in 4 families who qualify for housing assistance actually receive it due to limited funding and long waitlists. The vast majority of poor renters receive no government help with housing costs.
Predatory landlords: Some landlords exploit vulnerable tenants, neglecting repairs and safety issues while threatening eviction to maintain control. The fear of losing housing makes tenants reluctant to complain about hazardous conditions.
The Human Toll
Eviction inflicts severe trauma on individuals and families. It often leads to:
- Loss of possessions and important documents
- Disrupted education for children who must change schools
- Job loss due to the stress and instability of eviction
- Worsening physical and mental health
- Damaged credit and rental history, making it harder to find future housing
The constant threat of eviction creates a state of stress and insecurity for poor renters. Even minor setbacks or unexpected expenses can trigger a downward spiral into homelessness.
Exploitation in the Low-Income Housing Market
Profiting from Poverty
Desmond reveals how some landlords have turned poverty into a profitable business model. By acquiring cheap properties in poor neighborhoods and minimizing maintenance costs, they can extract high rents relative to property values.
For example, trailer park owner Tobin Charney makes $400,000 a year from his 131 dilapidated mobile homes. Landlord Sherrena Tarver drives a luxury SUV and takes Caribbean vacations while her tenants struggle to eat after paying rent.
These landlords often neglect basic repairs and safety issues. After a fire killed a baby in one of her units, Tarver's main concern was whether she'd face legal liability or have to refund rent.
Targeting Vulnerable Groups
Certain demographics face higher risks of eviction and exploitation in the housing market:
African Americans: In Milwaukee, 75% of tenants summoned to housing court are black, despite making up only 40% of the city's population. Racial discrimination limits housing options for black renters.
Single mothers: Women with children face additional barriers in finding housing. Many landlords are reluctant to rent to families with young kids, forcing them into smaller, more expensive units.
The poorest renters: Those with the lowest incomes often end up in the worst housing conditions, as they have no other options. Some landlords specifically target tenants receiving government benefits.
Power Imbalance in Housing Courts
When disputes arise between landlords and tenants, the deck is stacked heavily in favor of property owners:
- 90% of landlords have legal representation in housing court, compared to only 10% of tenants
- Many tenants don't show up to court hearings, often because they can't afford to miss work
- Judges tend to side with landlords, viewing eviction as a straightforward matter of contract law
This imbalance makes it extremely difficult for tenants to contest unfair evictions or substandard housing conditions through legal channels.
The Cycle of Poverty and Eviction
A Downward Spiral
Eviction doesn't just result from poverty - it also causes and perpetuates it. Desmond describes how eviction can send families into a devastating downward spiral:
An eviction forces a family to quickly find new housing, often in an even worse neighborhood with higher crime rates.
The eviction goes on their record, making it harder to find decent housing in the future. Many landlords automatically reject applicants with prior evictions.
Belongings are often lost or put in storage, forcing families to spend money replacing essential items.
Children must change schools, disrupting their education and social connections.
The stress and instability frequently leads to job loss, worsening the financial situation.
Mental health suffers, with many evicted mothers showing symptoms of clinical depression.
This cycle makes it incredibly difficult for families to ever gain a stable foothold and climb out of poverty.
Constant Insecurity
Even for those who manage to avoid eviction, the constant threat creates a state of stress and instability. Poor renters must constantly weigh difficult trade-offs:
- Pay rent or buy food?
- Risk complaining about unsafe conditions or stay quiet to avoid angering the landlord?
- Call the police during a domestic dispute or avoid drawing attention that could lead to eviction?
This chronic insecurity takes a major psychological toll and makes it hard for people to invest in their homes, neighborhoods, or long-term planning.
Community Impacts
High eviction rates don't just harm individual families - they destabilize entire communities. When residents are constantly cycling in and out of neighborhoods, it becomes difficult to form the social bonds and collective efficacy needed for a thriving community.
Churches, schools, and local organizations struggle to maintain consistent engagement. Neighbors are less likely to look out for each other or work together to address local issues. This creates a vicious cycle where unstable communities lead to more poverty and evictions.
The Need for Housing Reform
Housing as a Human Right
Desmond argues that stable housing should be considered a fundamental human right, as essential as food or healthcare. A home provides the foundation for all other aspects of life - work, education, health, family stability, and community engagement.
Other developed nations like the UK and Netherlands provide much more robust housing assistance to low-income citizens. The US needs to reconsider housing policy as integral to addressing poverty and inequality.
Expanding Housing Vouchers
One potential solution Desmond proposes is a universal housing voucher program. This would work similarly to food stamps, with low-income families receiving vouchers to cover housing costs above 30% of their income.
Benefits of this approach could include:
- Giving poor families more choice in where to live, rather than being confined to substandard housing
- Reducing concentrated poverty by allowing more economic integration
- Providing landlords with a stable source of rental income
- Freeing up household money for other essential needs
While critics worry this could reduce work incentives, studies of existing voucher programs have found minimal negative effects on employment.
Other Potential Reforms
In addition to vouchers, other policy changes could help address the eviction crisis:
- Increasing funding for public housing and subsidized affordable housing construction
- Strengthening tenants' rights and eviction protections
- Providing free legal representation to low-income tenants in housing court
- Implementing rent control or stabilization policies in high-cost cities
- Addressing racial discrimination in housing through stronger enforcement of fair housing laws
Profiles of Eviction
To put a human face on the eviction epidemic, Desmond follows several individuals and families struggling with housing insecurity in Milwaukee. Their stories illustrate the complex factors that lead to eviction and its devastating impacts:
Arleen
A single mother of two boys, Arleen has moved over 20 times in a few years. After being evicted for calling 911 when her son was having an asthma attack, she ends up in a run-down apartment with no furniture. Despite working multiple jobs, she can never quite catch up on rent.
Scott
A former nurse who became addicted to opioids after an injury, Scott finds himself living in a trailer park after losing his license. He struggles to find work with his criminal record and eventually faces eviction when he can't make rent.
Lamar
A double amputee veteran, Lamar scrapes by on disability payments while caring for his two teenage sons. When an accounting error leads to an extra welfare check one month, he buys his kids new shoes - only to fall behind on rent when forced to repay the money.
Sherrena
A former schoolteacher turned landlord, Sherrena owns dozens of units in Milwaukee's poorest neighborhoods. While she sometimes shows compassion to tenants, she ultimately prioritizes profit over their wellbeing.
These personal narratives humanize the statistics and show how easily anyone can fall into the eviction trap. They also reveal the impossible situations many poor renters face as they try to maintain stable housing.
The Role of Race and Discrimination
Segregation and Substandard Housing
Desmond highlights how racial segregation concentrates evictions in predominantly black neighborhoods. Milwaukee remains one of the most segregated cities in America, with stark divides between white and black areas.
This segregation allows landlords to exploit black tenants who have limited housing options:
- Properties in black neighborhoods are often in worse condition but still command high rents
- White renters are shown better units that aren't offered to black applicants
- Black tenants are less likely to complain about unsafe conditions for fear of eviction
Disproportionate Impact on Black Women
While eviction affects all demographics, black women face the highest risk:
- In Milwaukee, black women make up 9% of the population but 30% of evicted tenants
- 1 in 5 black women in the city face eviction, compared to 1 in 12 Hispanic women and 1 in 15 white women
Factors contributing to this disparity include lower wages, higher rates of single motherhood, and discrimination from landlords.
Generational Effects
The concentration of evictions in black communities has long-lasting impacts:
- It perpetuates the cycle of poverty by repeatedly uprooting families
- It makes it harder to build generational wealth through homeownership
- It reinforces negative stereotypes about black renters
Addressing racial disparities in housing is crucial for tackling broader issues of inequality and segregation in American cities.
The Trauma of Eviction
Psychological Impacts
Being forcibly removed from one's home inflicts severe psychological trauma, especially on children. Evicted families often experience:
- Anxiety and depression
- PTSD symptoms
- Feelings of shame and failure
- Loss of sense of home and stability
Studies have found that mothers who experience eviction show much higher rates of depression, with effects lasting for years. The constant stress of housing insecurity takes a major toll on mental health.
Physical Health Consequences
Eviction also has negative impacts on physical health:
- Disrupted medical care and lost access to regular doctors
- Increased rates of hypertension and other stress-related conditions
- Higher risk of food insecurity and malnutrition
- Greater exposure to environmental hazards in substandard housing
Children who experience frequent moves due to eviction show higher rates of developmental and behavioral issues.
Community Trauma
Beyond individual families, high eviction rates inflict trauma on entire communities:
- Neighbors live in fear of being the next to be evicted
- Social ties are constantly disrupted as people cycle in and out
- Community institutions struggle to maintain consistent engagement
- The sight of evictions becomes a constant, demoralizing presence
This collective trauma makes it difficult for poor communities to build the social cohesion needed to advocate for change.
Policy Failures and Potential Solutions
Inadequate Existing Programs
Desmond argues that current housing assistance programs are woefully inadequate:
- Public housing serves only a small fraction of eligible households
- Housing vouchers have years-long waitlists in most cities
- Low-income housing tax credits produce too few units to meet demand
Meanwhile, the majority of housing subsidies go to affluent homeowners through the mortgage interest deduction.
The Case for Universal Vouchers
A universal housing voucher program could dramatically reduce evictions and homelessness. Benefits could include:
- Giving poor families more choice in where to live
- Reducing concentrated poverty in urban areas
- Providing landlords with a reliable source of rental income
- Freeing up household funds for other essential needs
While expensive, Desmond argues this would be more cost-effective than dealing with the social costs of eviction and homelessness.
Other Potential Reforms
Additional policy changes that could help address the eviction crisis:
- Guaranteeing legal representation for tenants in housing court
- Sealing eviction records after a certain time period
- Implementing just cause eviction laws
- Funding emergency rental assistance programs
- Increasing affordable housing construction
The Need for a Broader Movement
Truly addressing America's housing crisis will require a mass movement on the scale of the civil rights era. Desmond calls for:
- Reframing housing as a basic human right
- Building coalitions between tenants, homeowners, and landlords
- Pressuring politicians to prioritize housing policy
- Changing cultural attitudes about poverty and eviction
Without sustained pressure from an organized movement, policymakers are unlikely to take the bold action needed to ensure housing for all.
Conclusion
"Evicted" shines a powerful light on one of the most pressing yet overlooked issues facing America's poor. Through meticulous research and compelling storytelling, Matthew Desmond reveals how eviction perpetuates poverty, exacerbates racial and economic inequality, and inflicts lasting trauma on families and communities.
The book makes a convincing case that stable housing must be viewed as a basic human right and that bold policy action is needed to address the eviction epidemic. While the problem can seem overwhelming, Desmond offers hope that solutions are possible if we muster the political will to implement them.
Ultimately, "Evicted" is a call to action for Americans to confront the housing insecurity that undermines the nation's values of opportunity and upward mobility. By putting a human face on the eviction crisis, Desmond compels readers to see this not as someone else's problem, but as a moral issue that affects us all. Only by guaranteeing safe, affordable housing for all can we truly live up to our ideals as a just and equitable society.