Matthew Desmond, Princeton sociologist, cofounder of Just Shelter, and recipient of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction for Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, will discuss his book and the affordable housing crisis in America on February 22 at 7:30 p.m. at UCSB’s Campbell Hall. Desmond spoke recently with the Independent.
What was it that drew you to study evictions in Milwaukee in 2008-2009? I wanted to understand the role that housing played in deepening poverty in America. There are many books about deindustrialization, loss of jobs, and mass incarceration, but the question that interested me was, what’s the private rental market like for the majority of Americans? Cities like Cleveland, St. Louis, and Milwaukee are places where Americans of average means live, but they are usually left out of the story. Studying evictions allowed me to write about tenants, landlords, and everyone in between.
How would you describe housing policy in the United States in 2018? Completely benefiting middle- and upper-middle-class households via the mortgage interest deduction. The vast majority of low-income Americans receive no assistance whatsoever, and many spend more than half their income on housing. Low-income people are the unlucky majority.