The issue of race in addition to other social justice themes such as dignity, and the right to shelter are significant when addressing this issues of homelessness and eviction and are important to report. In Matthew Desmonds Evicted, Desmond depicts the true human impact of poverty and eviction. In this book, we become intimate with the characters whose very existence revolves around their fight for survival. What do you do when the majority of your income goes directly to rent? How do you eat, feed your children, keep the electricity on? Your days are spent deciding whether you want to starve or freeze. Your aspirations are nothing other than to live another day and to have just a few hours of peace. Throughout this very eye-opening and important
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It is, after all, a basic need. And yet in the United States, there are so many people who can't afford a roof over their heads and sadly, many of those people are minorities. Often times, when people cannot keep up with their high cost of rent, they are frequently evicted. Eviction itself could cause poverty, job loss, criminal activity, family instability and health issues. Not only does eviction take away our homes; “the center of life—a refuge from the grind of work, pressure of school, menace of the streets, a place to be ourselves” (Desmond 2016, pg 293). It takes away our personal dignity as American citizens and as members of the human race. “A home is the wellspring of personhood, where our identity takes root; where civic life begins; America is supposed to be a place where you can better yourself, your family, and your community” (Desmond 2016, pg 293). Why is it that America, the wealthiest country in the world, has failed its citizens by not guaranteeing this fundamental right? “The United States played an important role in promoting a rights-based approach to housing and other economic and social rights in the early days of the human rights movement, but in subsequent years has taken steps back from its leadership in this area” (NLCHP,
It is, after all, a basic need. And yet in the United States, there are so many people who can't afford a roof over their heads and sadly, many of those people are minorities. Often times, when people cannot keep up with their high cost of rent, they are frequently evicted. Eviction itself could cause poverty, job loss, criminal activity, family instability and health issues. Not only does eviction take away our homes; “the center of life—a refuge from the grind of work, pressure of school, menace of the streets, a place to be ourselves” (Desmond 2016, pg 293). It takes away our personal dignity as American citizens and as members of the human race. “A home is the wellspring of personhood, where our identity takes root; where civic life begins; America is supposed to be a place where you can better yourself, your family, and your community” (Desmond 2016, pg 293). Why is it that America, the wealthiest country in the world, has failed its citizens by not guaranteeing this fundamental right? “The United States played an important role in promoting a rights-based approach to housing and other economic and social rights in the early days of the human rights movement, but in subsequent years has taken steps back from its leadership in this area” (NLCHP,