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sarakomo 's review for:
Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
by Matthew Desmond
2022: Whew, we do NOT have enough in place to protect people living under the poverty line in the United States...
Desmond chronicles the intersecting stories of people living in poverty in Milwaukee, WI. This book takes a specific look at the super high rate of evictions in the city, and treats shelter as the most basic need of a person. But Desmond covers so much more than just housing issues; as anyone who has ever stretched to make funds last until the end of the month knows, everything is connected when you live in poverty.
Anyone who has spent any time learning about Maslow's hierarchy of needs understands how a lack of reliable shelter and income can prevent families from getting on their feet and flourishing. It's devastating to hear about what gets lost in the struggle, for example, hearing about how kids are attending five different schools in two years. There were so many eye opening passages and just incomprehensibly frustrating catch-22 situations.
The best part of the whole book was the Epilogue, in which Desmond explains his methods, debriefs the reader on his involvement in the story, and analyzes the ways in which he sees the system could improve for the millions of Americans living in poverty. Again, I so appreciated that Desmond ended his book with actual, tangible solutions, and methods for the United States to improve the lives of its citizens. Have I seen any of these suggestions implemented in the last 5 years? I don't think so.
Lastly, I'm forever laughing when someone suggests that I should only be spending 30% of my income on housing HAHAHA what a world that would be. Also, it was really hard to listen to some of the prices of two bedroom apartments in 2008, and think about what I am currently spending on rent. I need to move.
Desmond chronicles the intersecting stories of people living in poverty in Milwaukee, WI. This book takes a specific look at the super high rate of evictions in the city, and treats shelter as the most basic need of a person. But Desmond covers so much more than just housing issues; as anyone who has ever stretched to make funds last until the end of the month knows, everything is connected when you live in poverty.
Anyone who has spent any time learning about Maslow's hierarchy of needs understands how a lack of reliable shelter and income can prevent families from getting on their feet and flourishing. It's devastating to hear about what gets lost in the struggle, for example, hearing about how kids are attending five different schools in two years. There were so many eye opening passages and just incomprehensibly frustrating catch-22 situations.
The best part of the whole book was the Epilogue, in which Desmond explains his methods, debriefs the reader on his involvement in the story, and analyzes the ways in which he sees the system could improve for the millions of Americans living in poverty. Again, I so appreciated that Desmond ended his book with actual, tangible solutions, and methods for the United States to improve the lives of its citizens. Have I seen any of these suggestions implemented in the last 5 years? I don't think so.
Lastly, I'm forever laughing when someone suggests that I should only be spending 30% of my income on housing HAHAHA what a world that would be. Also, it was really hard to listen to some of the prices of two bedroom apartments in 2008, and think about what I am currently spending on rent. I need to move.