Matthew Desmond, a sociologist at Princeton University, authored Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, a Pulitzer Prize-winning exploration of housing inequality and eviction’s impact on low-income families, set against Milwaukee’s 2007-2008 financial crisis backdrop.
1.1. Who is Matthew Desmond?
Matthew Desmond is a renowned American sociologist and urban ethnographer, currently a professor at Princeton University. He is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, which explores housing inequality and eviction. Desmond’s work combines deep ethnographic research with statistical analysis, offering a vivid portrayal of poverty’s cycles. His research has significantly influenced public discourse on housing and economic inequality, earning him recognition as a leading voice in contemporary social science.
1.2. Overview of “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City”
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City is a nonfiction book by Matthew Desmond, published in 2016. Set in Milwaukee during the 2007-2008 financial crisis, it examines the lives of low-income families and landlords, revealing how eviction exacerbates poverty. Through ethnographic research, Desmond combines personal narratives with statistical data to expose systemic inequalities, highlighting eviction as a cause of poverty rather than a consequence, and advocating for housing reform to address this pressing social issue.
1.3. The Pulitzer Prize and its significance
Evicted received the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2017, recognizing its profound impact on public understanding of poverty and housing inequality; This prestigious award underscored the book’s role in sparking national conversations about eviction and its systemic causes. The Pulitzer Prize solidified Desmond’s work as a seminal contribution to sociological literature, influencing policy debates and advocacy efforts aimed at addressing affordable housing crises across the United States.
The Setting of the Book
Evicted is set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the 2007-2008 financial crisis, exploring the housing struggles of low-income families in one of America’s poorest cities.
2;1. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the backdrop
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serves as the primary setting for Evicted, illustrating the harsh realities of urban poverty. The city’s struggling neighborhoods, marked by racial segregation and economic decline, provide a vivid backdrop for Desmond’s exploration of housing insecurity. Through its diverse communities, Milwaukee represents the broader American experience of displacement and inequality, making it a compelling location to study eviction’s impact on low-income families during the 2007-2008 financial crisis.
2.2. The 2007-2008 financial crisis and its impact on housing
The 2007-2008 financial crisis exacerbated housing instability, particularly for low-income families. Subprime lending practices and subsequent foreclosures devastated neighborhoods, reducing affordable housing options. Desmond highlights how this economic downturn intensified eviction rates, pushing vulnerable populations deeper into poverty. The crisis underscored the fragile relationship between economic stability and housing security, leaving many families in Milwaukee and beyond struggling to maintain stable living conditions.
Key Characters and Their Stories
Evicted centers on eight families and their landlords, showcasing diverse struggles with poverty, eviction, and survival in Milwaukee. Their stories reveal the human cost of housing insecurity.
3.1. Arleen Belle and her family
Arleen Belle, a single mother, faces repeated evictions with her sons Jori and Jafaris. Struggling with poverty and poor living conditions, they move through shelters and unstable housing, highlighting the cyclical nature of homelessness. Desmond’s portrayal captures the resilience and vulnerability of a mother trying to provide for her children amidst systemic neglect and limited resources, illustrating the human cost of eviction and housing insecurity.
3.2. Crystal Mayberry and her struggles
Crystal Mayberry, a young woman with an IQ of 70, faces extreme instability and eviction. Her story reveals the intersection of poverty, disability, and exploitation. Mayberry’s volatile behavior and limited resources exacerbate her housing insecurity, making her a vulnerable tenant. Desmond’s narrative highlights her resilience amid constant displacement, underscoring how systemic failures trap individuals like her in cycles of poverty and homelessness, with little support or understanding from landlords or social services.
3.3. Lamar Richards and his challenges
Lamar Richards, a double amputee, faces immense adversity in maintaining stable housing. Despite his physical limitations, he attempts to earn rent through handyman work for his landlord, Sherrena Tarver. His resilience is evident, yet his efforts often fall short, leading to eviction. Richards’ story underscores the harsh realities of poverty and disability, where systemic barriers and lack of support perpetuate instability, making it nearly impossible to escape the cycle of homelessness and financial strain.
3.4. The Hinkston family’s plight
The Hinkston family, consisting of eight members, struggles to survive in a cramped Milwaukee duplex. Their limited income and overcrowded living conditions exacerbate their challenges. Despite their efforts to make ends meet, they face frequent threats of eviction. The family’s story highlights the dire consequences of poverty, inadequate housing, and the lack of social support, illustrating how systemic issues perpetuate cycles of instability and hardship for large, low-income families in urban areas.
3.5. Pam Reinke and her family
Pam Reinke, living in Tobin Charney’s trailer park, faces eviction alongside her husband and four children. Struggling with financial instability, Pam’s situation worsens due to her husband’s unemployment and her own health issues. Despite efforts to find stable work, the family is repeatedly displaced, showcasing the harsh realities of poverty and the limited options for low-income families in Milwaukee. Their story underscores the emotional toll of eviction and the fragility of their existence.
3.6. Scott Bunker’s journey toward stability
Scott Bunker, a former drug addict, is one of the few characters in Evicted whose life takes a turn for the better. After facing eviction and personal struggles, Scott finds stability by securing a steady job and improving his living situation. His story highlights resilience and the possibility of recovery, offering a rare optimistic note amidst the broader narrative of poverty and displacement in Milwaukee, as documented by Matthew Desmond.
The Role of Landlords
Landlords in Evicted are often portrayed as exploitative figures, prioritizing profit over tenants’ well-being, contributing to the cycle of poverty and housing instability in Milwaukee.
4.1. Sherrena Tarver: A portrait of a landlord
Sherrena Tarver, a Black female landlord, owns rental properties in Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods. Her business model relies on exploiting tenants, often charging exorbitant rents for substandard housing. Despite her tough exterior, Desmond reveals glimpses of her humanity, showcasing the moral complexities of her role. Tarver’s actions highlight the harsh realities of urban poverty and the often exploitative nature of low-income housing markets, where landlords prioritize profit over tenant welfare.
4.2. Tobin Charney: The business of eviction
Tobin Charney, a white landlord, operates a trailer park in Milwaukee’s South Side, where eviction is a routine business practice. His tenants, often struggling with poverty, face harsh conditions and limited empathy. Charney’s approach reflects the broader systemic issues of exploitation in low-income housing, where landlords prioritize profit over tenant well-being. His role in the eviction process underscores the economic and moral complexities of housing inequality, as documented by Desmond.
Themes Explored in “Evicted”
Evicted explores the eviction crisis, cyclical poverty, exploitation of low-income tenants, and the legal system’s role in perpetuating inequality, highlighting systemic failures and human resilience.
5.1. The eviction crisis in America
Evicted reveals eviction as a pervasive issue in America, once rare but now common, disproportionately affecting low-income families and minorities. Desmond illustrates how evictions destabilize communities, perpetuating poverty cycles and limiting upward mobility. The crisis is exacerbated by insufficient affordable housing, landlord exploitation, and weak tenant protections, leaving vulnerable populations in a relentless cycle of displacement and economic hardship.
5.2. Poverty and its cyclical nature
Desmond explores how poverty is not merely a static condition but a self-perpetuating cycle. Eviction often initiates or deepens poverty, as families lose stability, face increased housing costs, and struggle to regain housing security. The book highlights how eviction disrupts employment, education, and health, trapping individuals in a cycle of destitution. This cyclical nature underscores the systemic barriers that prevent escape from poverty, emphasizing the need for structural solutions to break the cycle.
5.3. The exploitation of low-income tenants
Matthew Desmond vividly portrays how low-income tenants are systematically exploited by landlords who prioritize profit over people. Landlords like Sherrena Tarver and Tobin Charney charge exorbitant rents, knowing tenants have few alternatives. Desmond reveals how eviction is weaponized to maintain control, with tenants often forced to accept unsafe conditions or face homelessness. This exploitation perpetuates inequality, trapping families in a cycle of instability and vulnerability, highlighting the ethical failures in the rental housing market.
5.4. The role of the legal system
The legal system exacerbates eviction crises by favoring landlords and failing to protect tenants. Courts often side with property owners, and tenants frequently face eviction without legal representation. Desmond highlights how eviction proceedings are rarely impartial, with judges prioritizing property rights over housing stability. This systemic bias perpetuates inequality, as low-income tenants are disproportionately affected by legal processes that lack fairness and accessibility, further entrenching their vulnerability.
Desmond’s Research and Methodology
Desmond conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Milwaukee, immersing himself in the lives of tenants and landlords. His research combined personal narratives with statistical data to expose eviction’s complexities.
6.1. Ethnographic fieldwork in Milwaukee
Matthew Desmond immersed himself in Milwaukee’s poorest neighborhoods, conducting extensive fieldwork. He lived among tenants and landlords, documenting their daily struggles and interactions. This hands-on approach allowed him to capture the emotional and financial toll of eviction, providing a vivid, human-centered perspective on housing inequality. His method ensured authenticity, offering insights into the systemic issues driving eviction and its cyclical impact on poverty.
6.2. Combining personal stories with statistical data
In Evicted, Desmond seamlessly integrates personal narratives with broader statistical analysis. By sharing the stories of Milwaukee families, he humanizes the eviction crisis, while statistical data provides context and underscores the systemic nature of housing inequality. This dual approach creates a powerful narrative, bridging the gap between individual experiences and societal issues, making the book both emotionally compelling and academically rigorous.
The Impact of Eviction
Eviction perpetuates a cycle of poverty, causing emotional trauma, family disruption, and community destabilization, while exacerbating inequality and hindering recovery for affected individuals and families.
7.1. Eviction as a cause of poverty
Eviction disrupts lives, leading to job loss, depleted savings, and limited access to stable housing. It forces families into overcrowded or substandard living conditions, perpetuating poverty and inequality. Desmond highlights how eviction not only results from poverty but also deepens it, creating a cycle that is difficult to escape. The loss of a home often leads to further economic and social instability, making it harder for individuals and families to recover and achieve long-term financial security.
7.2. The emotional and psychological toll
Eviction exacts a profound emotional and psychological toll on individuals and families. The stress of losing a home can lead to anxiety, depression, and feelings of shame. Desmond documents how tenants often experience a loss of dignity and hope, as eviction disrupts their sense of stability and community. The trauma can linger long after the immediate crisis, affecting mental health and overall well-being, particularly for children and vulnerable populations.
7.3. The effect on children and families
Eviction deeply impacts children and families, disrupting stability and development. Children often experience frequent school changes, leading to academic setbacks and social challenges. Families may be forced into overcrowded or unsafe living conditions, straining relationships and mental health. Desmond highlights how eviction perpetuates cycles of poverty, as families struggle to recover, affecting future opportunities and creating long-term vulnerabilities for both parents and children.
Solutions and Policy Recommendations
Desmond advocates for expanding housing vouchers, implementing rent control, and providing legal aid to tenants. He emphasizes the need for systemic change to ensure stable housing.
8.1. The right to stable housing
Matthew Desmond argues that stable housing is a fundamental human right, essential for breaking the cycle of poverty. In Evicted, he illustrates how the lack of affordable housing perpetuates inequality, leading to poor health, education, and economic outcomes. Desmond emphasizes that ensuring stable housing is not only a moral imperative but also a societal investment, fostering stability and opportunity for individuals and families to thrive.
8.2. Expanding housing voucher programs
Matthew Desmond advocates for expanding housing voucher programs to provide direct financial support to low-income families. In Evicted, he highlights how these vouchers can bridge the gap between income and rent costs, offering stability and reducing eviction risks. Desmond argues that increasing access to vouchers would empower families to secure safe housing, thereby addressing systemic inequality and poverty effectively.
8.3. Rent control and price regulation
Matthew Desmond emphasizes rent control and price regulation as critical measures to curb housing instability. By limiting rapid rent increases, these policies can prevent tenants from being pushed into unaffordable situations. Desmond argues that such regulations would help protect vulnerable populations from eviction and ensure housing costs remain aligned with income levels, fostering stability and reducing inequality in the housing market.
8.4. Legal aid for tenants
Matthew Desmond advocates for expanded legal aid to tenants facing eviction, noting that most tenants lack legal representation while landlords often have lawyers. Legal aid would help tenants navigate court proceedings, challenge unjust evictions, and assert their rights. Desmond argues this support is essential to balance the power dynamics and prevent vulnerable individuals from being unfairly displaced, ensuring a fairer legal process for all parties involved in housing disputes.
Reception and Legacy of the Book
Evicted received widespread critical acclaim, earning the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2017. It sparked national conversations about housing inequality and poverty, influencing policy discussions and inspiring further research into eviction’s societal impacts.
9.1. Critical acclaim and awards
Evicted earned widespread critical acclaim for its profound insight into housing inequality. It won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 2017, solidifying its impact. The book also received the National Book Critics Circle Award and the PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award, among others. Critics praised Desmond’s ethnographic approach and his ability to weave personal stories with statistical data, making it a landmark work in social justice literature and a catalyst for public discourse on poverty and housing rights.
9.2. Impact on public discourse about poverty
Evicted profoundly reshaped the national conversation on poverty, highlighting eviction as a driving force rather than a symptom. Desmond’s work challenged stereotypes, revealing how housing instability perpetuates inequality. The book’s compelling narratives and data-driven insights sparked widespread discussions, inspiring policymakers, activists, and the public to reconsider housing as a human right. Its influence extended beyond academia, fueling advocacy and policy debates aimed at addressing the root causes of poverty and housing insecurity in America.
9.3. Influence on subsequent research and policy
Evicted has become a cornerstone for housing policy research, inspiring studies on eviction’s role in perpetuating poverty. Desmond’s work influenced federal and local housing initiatives, including expansions of voucher programs and tenant legal aid. His advocacy for rent control and housing as a human right has shaped legislative proposals nationwide. The book’s impact continues to drive systemic change, embedding its findings into policy frameworks aimed at addressing America’s affordable housing crisis and protecting vulnerable populations from displacement.
Evicted underscores the urgent need for systemic change, revealing how the eviction crisis perpetuates poverty and inequality. Desmond’s work calls for a reimagined approach to housing as a fundamental human right, emphasizing the importance of policy reforms and societal transformation to address the root causes of housing insecurity and ensure stable living conditions for all.
Evicted highlights the persistent challenge of affordable housing in America, revealing how evictions perpetuate cycles of poverty. Desmond’s work emphasizes the need for systemic solutions, such as expanded housing voucher programs and rent control, to ensure stable living conditions. The book underscores the moral urgency of addressing housing insecurity, advocating for policies that recognize housing as a fundamental human right rather than a privilege reserved for the fortunate few. Matthew Desmond argues in Evicted that addressing the eviction crisis requires comprehensive systemic reform. He calls for legal protections for tenants, increased funding for housing vouchers, and stricter rent regulations. Desmond emphasizes that without such changes, poverty and housing instability will persist, undermining social mobility and equality. His advocating for systemic change challenges policymakers and society to rethink housing as a human right, not a commodity subject to market whims.10.1. The ongoing struggle for affordable housing
10.2. The need for systemic change