Essays on Evicted

In Evicted, sociologist and MacArthur “genius” grant recipient Matthew Desmond takes us into the lives of eight families in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, all of whom are struggling to keep a roof over their heads. We meet Arleen, a single mother who works two jobs but still can’t make ends meet; Scott and his disabled wife, who are about to be evicted from the house they’ve lived in for eight years; and Lamar, a young father who turns to dealing drugs when his job at a pizza place doesn’t pay enough.Through intimate and often heartbreaking stories, Desmond shows us how evictions have become commonplace in poor neighborhoods across America, and how they are tearing families and communities apart. He also uncovers the hidden costs of our country’s housing crisis, from the millions of dollars in property damage caused by evictions to the skyrocketing rates of homelessness and mental illness.Evicted is a searing indictment of our nation’s failure to provide adequate housing for its poorest citizens, and a powerful call for change.