Reading up on Poverty: “Evicted” by Matthew Desmond

Written by Abby Newland

As the summer season winds down and we enter into a season filled with new knowledge and back-to-school activities, it is vital to continue to grow and learn - even if you are no longer in school.

From my own experience, college has led me to explore topics and expand my knowledge in ways I would not have thought before. Over the past year, I have had classes that pushed me to read genres and content that I most likely would have never read. My class called “Cities and Regions” had me read the novel, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond.

Following families and individuals throughout Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Desmond investigates the behind-the-scenes of the work that landlords do and the very real effect that those decisions have on the people that live in those properties.

While many of us see behind the façade that many landlords present, it is of no fault to anyone who has not seen past this façade yet. The narrative being painted is made to reflect the actions of the tenants - how they are “lazy, undeserving”, etc. - and has tirelessly worked (quite effectively too) to make sure this is the viewpoint that most people see; no matter how untrue.

The work that Desmond did for this book shows the lack of humanity in the housing sector. Adding just a small dose of humanity could prevent so many of the retellings in the book from ever occurring during the real-time of these events. This compassion and humanity, or rather lack thereof, is what compelled me to act… work… and change.

As a part of The Shared Humanity Project, it is our job to see past the smoke and mirrors that are placed to deflect the responsibility of poverty. Evicted does just that. It places the need for sharing humanity with everyone on all of us. I highly recommend this book as a part of anyone’s journey to joining the fight to end poverty. Completely eye-opening and saddening, Desmond’s work is one that I will continually recommend to anyone open to learning more about poverty and housing.

That being said, after your completion of the book, The National Plan to End Poverty may be exactly what you want to use after being called to act.

**Check out “Evicted” from your local library. To purchase online consider using an independent bookseller via bookshop.org.