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 …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 …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.