Summary Of The Book 'Evicted' By Matthew Desmond

The crippling effects of poverty is one of the main themes explained in “Evicted,” by Matthew Desmond. The author illustrates the poor state of the housing market in Milwaukee. The housing markets state explains how poverty is affecting people and the economic exploitation that was also experienced. “Evicted” explains how private properties were rented to the poor and disadvantaged tenants. A large portion of the poor population are excluded from homeownership and public housing which consequently leads people to rent in the private housing market. Renting in a private housing market, allows landlords to charge more, to then make a profit. Vouchers are intended to help assist people with rental expenses, “In Milwaukee, renters with housing vouchers were charged an average of $55 more each month, compared to unassisted renters who lived in similar apartments in

Tenants being charged a higher rate is also seen in Samiya Bashir’s “Home is Where the Harm is: Inadequate Housing as a Public Health Crisis”. The higher monthly rate is forcing families to neglect other needs, “when families are forced not only to meet, but often exceed, standard spending on housing, other important needs suffer, such as food, health care, and insurance as well as family activities that provide exercise and emotional stability” (Bashir 735).
The higher rates directly correlate to the struggle of trying to make rent. This is explained through Lamar’s story in “Evicted”. Lamar was a disabled veteran who was unable to collect SSI. He was denied and was told that he could still work in his condition. Despite being told he could still work in his condition, he was