Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City

Author: Matthew Desmond 

Genre: Nonfiction, Social Justice

Publication Date: 2016

Introduction

Published in 2016, Evicted is a collection of interconnected narratives and commentary by Matthew Desmond. It was written about events that took place primarily between May 2008 and December 2009, when a housing market crash led to an economic crisis called the “Great Recession.” During this recession, house values fell, the stock market fell, businesses failed, and people lost jobs. At the same time, rents went up. Desmond relates the stories of several tenants in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who were faced with eviction during this time, as well as the stories of the landlords who evicted them. He uses all of these stories to explore the factors that contribute to housing insecurity and entrenched poverty, as well as the human suffering that results.