Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jul 06, 2018 Tania rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Evicted tells a story that many of us can ignore in our own daily living. It addresses the spiraling issue of poverty and homelessness, of families who can't get back on their feet again after losing everything, and of the effect of eviction, poverty, and homelessness on the most helpless of victims: the children. Desmond tackles this book with an empathy for those who have suffered, but still presents all of his facts and figures regardless which position they ultimately support. He shares both Evicted tells a story that many of us can ignore in our own daily living. It addresses the spiraling issue of poverty and homelessness, of families who can't get back on their feet again after losing everything, and of the effect of eviction, poverty, and homelessness on the most helpless of victims: the children. Desmond tackles this book with an empathy for those who have suffered, but still presents all of his facts and figures regardless which position they ultimately support. He shares both the sides of the landlords and the tenants in these situations, and presents different cases that families find themselves facing eviction: job loss, domestic disputes, drug problems, and the rising cost of housing, to name a few.

Desmond tracks the eviction process from the start - when a family moves into a space - and in this start he even covers the uglier truths, such as when a family moves in knowing that they will face eviction eventually because they are choosing a space out of reach or too terrible to stay in long or that they are breaking the rules from the start by lying about residents or pets or some other condition. He follows families through breakthroughs and heartaches, detailing the eviction process and how it comes to that, as well as how it can be staved off month after month by tenant or landlord. Finally he describes the aftermath of eviction, following families as they become homeless living in shelters or transient moving from one living room to the next - hopeful that they can once again find their own spot, make their own way. Evicted uncovers the often unrealistic expectations of people who do nothing to change their own fortunes, as well as the obstacles that face the people who do attempt to better themselves and rise above their situations.

Evicted is an expose on a social problem that is easier to ignore. In my opinion there are no easy answers. Desmond effectively shows the positive and negative sides of both tenants and landlords. It is hard not to want to give families one more chance: no one wants to see someone homeless. And yet, it is hard to expect people to lend a helping hand over and over when you witness a person who would rather blow their money on extravagant purchases than pay their rent on time or cover a gas bill. What Evicted lays bare is that there are many people in our society who need a helping hand, and just as many who need to be willing to make the changes in their lives to make that help effective. When you are granted a second chance, provided a set of rules, and recklessly break those rules and find yourself back at square one, that is a less sympathetic situation than if you are trying with all of your might to take advantage of a second chance only to find that the world has already taken a stance against you. At the same time, landlords who wish to appear the victim are harder to feel sorry for when the conditions of their properties are revealed. Ignoring building codes, refusing to fix windows and plumbing - is an experience with a bad tenant who willfully destroys property truly an excuse to punish the next tenant who just wants to put a roof over their children's heads? Desmond explores all of these scenarios and more, as he takes a comprehensive look at the connection between poverty and eviction, and at the fine line between landlord and slumlord.

You may choose a side, or you may feel torn by the end, but this is a powerful book that will open your eyes to an ever-present problem in our society. Desmond provides background on the housing crisis that will help to frame our current situation as well as outline past practices that still influence the legalities of the housing market and eviction process today. It is a compelling narrative, the author's research is evident and he doesn't stop at just presenting the situation but goes to the next step of offering suggestions for improving it. While I don't agree with everything he suggests or believes, his arguments are persuasive. It is hard not to be moved by Evicted, regardless of your stance on the issues that Desmond investigates.

A few extras of note: There is a section at the end of the book where Desmond details about how he tackled this project, which he lived and breathed while he was writing it by actually moving into the areas and getting to know the people of whom he wrote. The book also has an extensive notes section documenting his references, background information, etc. ...more

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Mar 08, 2021 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, race, college-summer-reading, poverty

Evicted is a very timely discussion. This book is hard and heart-breaking and vitally important. Extremely well-researched, the stories and prevalence are far more devastating than I could have imagined.

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