Eviction is when tenants are forced to leave the property in which they live, and it is an increasingly common practice in America. Sometimes it is the result of legal proceedings, while other times landlords simply intimidate or threaten their tenants until they have no other choice but to leave. Eviction occurs more frequently in suburban neighbourhoods, and is closely linked to poverty levels, not only throughout America but also worldwide.
In Evicted, Matthew Desmond analyses the causes and consequences of eviction with particular reference to ethnographic research conducted in the city of Milwaukee, in the state of Wisconsin. He chose Milwaukee because many years of ineffective housing policies implemented in the city have provided clear and reliable data and statistics on the issue. Before the turn of the century, eviction was a relatively rare occurrence in most cities, but in the last two decades eviction rates have increased beyond measure. In Milwaukee, eviction has become a real business opportunity: many companies specialise in overseeing the legal paperwork involved, and entire teams of sheriffs are tasked exclusively with evicting tenants. It may therefore seem that eviction leads to economic gain, but the reality is that it actually puts a burden on the entire community, not only in terms of sunk costs, but also as a result of the inconvenience and distress inflicted on those affected, which has severe repercussions on society.
The author spent time in the neighbourhoods where eviction occurs most frequently, and saw first-hand how these people live their everyday lives. His book provides valuable data on the conditions witnessed in the specific case of Milwaukee: for example, in a city with approximately 105,000 rented households, approximately 16,000 adults and children are evicted every year; between the years of 2009 and 2011, according to the author’s analysis, 1 in 8 people were forced to move home; most people living in a poor neighbourhood spend approximately 70% of their monthly income on rent. So, a large segment of the population in Milwaukee lives in a constant state of housing insecurity, which in turn affects economic insecurity.
