'Essential. A compelling and damning exploration of the abuse of one of our basic human rights: shelter.' Owen Jones Arleen spends nearly all her money on rent but is kicked out with her kids in Milwaukee's coldest winter for years. Doreen's home is so filthy her family call it 'the rat hole'. Lamar, a wheelchair-bound ex-soldier, tries to work his way out of debt for his boys. Scott, a nurse turned addict, lives in a gutted-out trailer. This is their world. And this is the twenty-first century: where fewer and fewer ...
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'Essential. A compelling and damning exploration of the abuse of one of our basic human rights: shelter.' Owen Jones Arleen spends nearly all her money on rent but is kicked out with her kids in Milwaukee's coldest winter for years. Doreen's home is so filthy her family call it 'the rat hole'. Lamar, a wheelchair-bound ex-soldier, tries to work his way out of debt for his boys. Scott, a nurse turned addict, lives in a gutted-out trailer. This is their world. And this is the twenty-first century: where fewer and fewer people can afford a simple roof over their head. From abandoned slums to shelters, eviction courts to ghettoes, Matthew Desmond spent years living with and recording the stories of those struggling to survive - yet who won't give up. A work of love, care and humanity, Evicted reminds us why, without a home, nothing else is possible. It is one of the most necessary books of our time. 'This is an extraordinary and crucial piece of work. Read it. Please, read it' - Adrian Nicole LeBlanc, author of Random Family 'Sensitive, achingly beautiful' - Robert D. Putnam, author of Our Kids
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I read through Evicted around three times and it did not take long to find out that this is an unforgettable book, an unforgettable account of people who are working hard to survive and live in desperate circumstances.
It also spotlights the measures the landlords take to make money and protect their properties, not caring about the people who live in those properties who are fighting hard to survive as well as trying to keep a roof on their heads.
I'm going to read Evicted again-and I'm going to read it slower this time. An unforgettable book.
Jonathan R
Mar 14, 2016
How the high cost of housing leads to poverty
Excellent work of a sociologist on in impacts of the high cost of housing in people's lives. He tells very compelling stories of eight families in Milwaukee showing how the high cost of housing creates stress and often a downward spiral. He also interviews landlords showing that the problems are not a matter of predatory behavior but more the system as a whole. He also suggests ways to address this.
In addition to the personal stories, he documents how widespread the problem of eviction is and why it is under-reported.
