Rating: 4.8/5
Evicted is a story about the dire state of the housing crisis in America. Through eight family narratives, Desmond retells the dignified stories of struggling tenants in Wisconsin. The ethnographic research uncovers deep topics like structural inequality, racial segregation, and the sexist nature of eviction – all topics that make you think deeper about the exploitation of the poor and disadvantaged. A thoughtfully provoking book backed by research that has forever changed my perspective on the importance of affordable housing.
Insights/Thoughts
- “Poor black men were locked up. Poor black women were locked out.” I think this statement summarizes the plight of disadvantaged groups and how the history of exploitation and poverty for minorities continues to negatively affect them to this day. Furthermore, it shows how exploitation continues to erode the bedrock of the most vulnerable groups. Without the dual income and emotional support of a husband, a woman is left to manage the expenses of a household she cannot afford and the disgrace of a broken family. I think mental health is often left out of conversations when we strictly talk about eviction statistics. It is a tragic reminder that oppression and exploitation is not uniform and requires nuanced solutions.
- “A community that saw so clearly its own pain had a difficult time also sensing its potential” – This statement reinforces the notion that our perception is our reality. The implications of being exposed to crime and poverty meant they were less likely to trust their community and therefore less likely to help neighbours pay bills, buy groceries, or lend help in other ways. In other words, negative environmental exposure makes life harder for tenants.
- When it comes to problematic issues, society usually likes to default to the easy explanation: people are lazy, these are bad people, they deserve it because they made the wrong decisions. In Desmond’s research, another perspective is shared. In poor black neighbourhoods, especially for jobless men, being unable to provide for your family is a greater disgrace than abandoning them altogether. While single mothers do not have such a luxury, and I don’t condone this behaviour from fathers, you become more understanding of why there are so many poor fatherless households.
- On Housing and identity – this was a colossal theme in the book that I took for granted in my daily life. I have never had to worry about the roof over my head, about being evicted and finding a new home, and these are all disturbances that would affect your psychological stability. When you can extrapolate this stability to the stability of social relationships, school stability (to excel and graduate), community stability and even your own self-regard, you begin to understand how the importance of housing really affects a person’s entire future and wellbeing. Without it, their chances of succeeding are close to nil.
- It’s crazy how adaptable humans are to their circumstances. One example from the book illustrated how asking for help was an essential skill for managing poverty. For example, instead of asking “can I get a ride”, you ask “you got gas in your tank”.
Favourite Quotes
…equal treatment in an unequal society could still foster inequality. The home is the wellspring of personhood. It is where our identity takes root and blossoms, where as children we imagine, play, and question, and as adolescents, we retreat and try. As we grow older, we hope to settle into a place to raise a family or pursue work. When we try to understand ourselves, we often begin by considering the kind of home in which we were raised. “Every condition exists simply because someone profits by its existence. The economic exploitation is crystallized in the slum.” How often, I wonder, is coping mistake for culture?