Poverty is difficult to fully understand without experiencing it directly. Sociologist Matthew Desmond attempts to provide a different perspective on this issue through the lens of those struggling with poverty. This ethnography covers the lives of eight families and many others living in the College Mobile Home Park, a poverty-stricken area in Milwaukee, one of the poorest cities in the U.S.; Desmond lived there for one year, diligently taking notes and recording the experiences of the people he encountered. In Evicted, Matthew Desmond describes the interconnectedness of housing and poverty and highlights the exploitation of the poor through the scope of eviction. Throughout the book, he describes the factors contributing to the cyclical nature …show more content…
If residents complain about the unfit conditions of the houses, demand repairs, or cause any kind of trouble, they can expect to be ousted quickly, with little warning. Trouble can come in many forms, from loud or rambunctious children to domestic violence, which can lead to the arrival of the police, a major hindrance for landlords. As a result, tenants are forced to live in uninhabitable conditions without complaint, while potentially enduring violence. Desmond concludes in his book that poverty is a lucrative business that is exploited by the ruling class. Individuals in poverty are in the direst of situations in America and are more often than not left with only one or two options, neither of which are actually helpful to them This is exploited by landlords, rent-to-own stores, payday loans, and many …show more content…
While arguing for the complexity of the issue of poverty, Desmond features the experiences of some who had made the mistakes that critics would scapegoat as all-encompassing explanations for poverty. For instance, addiction cost some their livelihoods, like Scott, a nurse whose opioid addiction cost him his nursing license. Or Lamar, a double amputee who lost both of his legs after falling asleep outdoors while high on crack cocaine. In another testimony, a woman admits to spending an entire month’s worth of food stamps on one lavish meal of