Introduction
The author of Evicted, Matthew Desmond, exposes the restrictions those in extreme poverty may face daily. Based in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Desmond takes his readers into the lives of those living in poorly maintained housing where tenants experience health problems, eviction, and at times even death. The property owners are wealthy and thrive off profits made by those less fortunate, yet do minimal maintenance to preserve their rental units. The families residing in the rentals cope with roach infestations, poor plumbing, and broken windows.
Desmond conveys the stories of various individuals in a way that creates understanding and concern. He shows the readers that poverty, coupled with eviction, is a real threat to many people who not only live in Milwaukee but in cities across Northern America. He explores the problems many face in attaining a rental like Arleen—who had difficulties due to previous evictions and limited income—yet also portrays the struggles of the property-owners in collecting the rental payment due to the financial restrictions of the occupants. Poor families devote more than fifty percent of their limited earnings on housing. For many of the people within the book, eviction and hardship have become a regular part of life and even the smallest crisis can further complicate an already problematic situation. After he had become dependent on painkillers and other narcotics due to a back injury and the loss of his close friends, the nursing board revoked Scott’s license. Arleen is a single mother of two boys who is suffering from chronic depression. Doreen is a single mother of four children and three grandchildren who is living off state-funded child support and Social Security Income. Lamar, a former navy affiliate, had lost his legs and looks after the children in his neighborhood despite having limited funds to care for himself and his children. Larraine, a single mother of two daughters, is a high school dropout and has been unable to pull ahead. Raised in the foster system, Crystal has aged out, leaving her to support herself despite having multiple diagnoses of emotional and health complications. Each of these families faces unemployment, eviction, and financial difficulties daily while relying partly on government transfers to make ends meet. Purpose The folks Desmond researched have experienced personal complications and complications with the system. The problems those in extreme poverty face are real and happen to many individuals’ worldwide, not just in Milwaukee. Desmond shows the importance of human life and depicts how people like Scott and Lamar struggle to maintain their self-worth, wit, and compassion despite the daily struggles that drag them down repeatedly. The density of the structure has increased the struggles between the property owners and the tenants. The occupants do not complain about the conditions of rental units because if they complain, the property owners can identify other explanations for evictions. Although a …show more content…
14). Desmond increases this understanding to the readers when explaining how Lamar does work like painting and cleaning basements for Sherrena (his property owner) to aid in paying his arrears in rental payments. Only to discover later that Sherrena did not believe that he did a ‘good job’ and refused to credit (or credited only a portion) for the work he completed (Desmond, 2016, pp. 14, …show more content…
People who are in extreme poverty rely on food banks, shelters, and government assistance while at the same time, living off lees than five dollars per day—like Lamar. Others, like Lorraine, who are trying to save money to better themselves, find complications when they apply for assistance. Social Security Income (SSI) has a “resource limit,” meaning that having a certain, pre-determined amount in a bank account can impede one 's ability to receive SSI services until their personal finances are exhausted (Desmond, 2016, p. 217). Along with financial concerns for those who have faced eviction, there are also concerns of not receiving mail. This causes individuals to miss appointments for redetermination hearings and potentially hinder their access to a government check. The individuals who have faced extreme poverty and eviction may correspondingly lose their employment and their children may need to change schools and neighborhoods, creating a disruption in routines and further complicating pre-arranged travel, if any at all.
The author of Evicted, Matthew Desmond, exposes the restrictions those in extreme poverty may face daily. Based in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Desmond takes his readers into the lives of those living in poorly maintained housing where tenants experience health problems, eviction, and at times even death. The property owners are wealthy and thrive off profits made by those less fortunate, yet do minimal maintenance to preserve their rental units. The families residing in the rentals cope with roach infestations, poor plumbing, and broken windows.
Desmond conveys the stories of various individuals in a way that creates understanding and concern. He shows the readers that poverty, coupled with eviction, is a real threat to many people who not only live in Milwaukee but in cities across Northern America. He explores the problems many face in attaining a rental like Arleen—who had difficulties due to previous evictions and limited income—yet also portrays the struggles of the property-owners in collecting the rental payment due to the financial restrictions of the occupants. Poor families devote more than fifty percent of their limited earnings on housing. For many of the people within the book, eviction and hardship have become a regular part of life and even the smallest crisis can further complicate an already problematic situation. After he had become dependent on painkillers and other narcotics due to a back injury and the loss of his close friends, the nursing board revoked Scott’s license. Arleen is a single mother of two boys who is suffering from chronic depression. Doreen is a single mother of four children and three grandchildren who is living off state-funded child support and Social Security Income. Lamar, a former navy affiliate, had lost his legs and looks after the children in his neighborhood despite having limited funds to care for himself and his children. Larraine, a single mother of two daughters, is a high school dropout and has been unable to pull ahead. Raised in the foster system, Crystal has aged out, leaving her to support herself despite having multiple diagnoses of emotional and health complications. Each of these families faces unemployment, eviction, and financial difficulties daily while relying partly on government transfers to make ends meet. Purpose The folks Desmond researched have experienced personal complications and complications with the system. The problems those in extreme poverty face are real and happen to many individuals’ worldwide, not just in Milwaukee. Desmond shows the importance of human life and depicts how people like Scott and Lamar struggle to maintain their self-worth, wit, and compassion despite the daily struggles that drag them down repeatedly. The density of the structure has increased the struggles between the property owners and the tenants. The occupants do not complain about the conditions of rental units because if they complain, the property owners can identify other explanations for evictions. Although a …show more content…
14). Desmond increases this understanding to the readers when explaining how Lamar does work like painting and cleaning basements for Sherrena (his property owner) to aid in paying his arrears in rental payments. Only to discover later that Sherrena did not believe that he did a ‘good job’ and refused to credit (or credited only a portion) for the work he completed (Desmond, 2016, pp. 14, …show more content…
People who are in extreme poverty rely on food banks, shelters, and government assistance while at the same time, living off lees than five dollars per day—like Lamar. Others, like Lorraine, who are trying to save money to better themselves, find complications when they apply for assistance. Social Security Income (SSI) has a “resource limit,” meaning that having a certain, pre-determined amount in a bank account can impede one 's ability to receive SSI services until their personal finances are exhausted (Desmond, 2016, p. 217). Along with financial concerns for those who have faced eviction, there are also concerns of not receiving mail. This causes individuals to miss appointments for redetermination hearings and potentially hinder their access to a government check. The individuals who have faced extreme poverty and eviction may correspondingly lose their employment and their children may need to change schools and neighborhoods, creating a disruption in routines and further complicating pre-arranged travel, if any at all.