Children Quote by Matthew Desmond
““In Milwaukee, a city of fewer than 105,000 renter households, landlords evict roughly 16,000 adults and children each year. That's sixteen families evicted through the court system daily. But there are other ways, cheaper and quicker ways, for landlords to remove a family than through court order. Some landlords pay tenants a couple hundred dollars to leave by the end of the week. Some take off the front door. Nearly half of all forced moves experienced by renting families in Milwaukee are 'informal evictions' that take place in the shadow of the law. If you count all forms of involuntary displacement - formal and informal evictions, landlord foreclosures, building condemnations - you discover that between 2009 and 2011 more than 1 in 8 Milwaukee renters experienced a forced move. There is nothing special about Milwaukee when it comes to eviction. The numbers are similar in Kansas City, Cleveland, Chicago, and other cities. In 2013, 1 in 8 poor renting families nationwide were unable to pay all of their rent, and a similar number thought it was likely they would be evicted soon. This book is set in Milwaukee, but it tells an American story.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Eviction: Poverty and Power in the American City, 2016
Evictions, both formal and informal, are widespread across U.S. cities, affecting many low‑income renters.
In simple terms: Evictions are common and often hidden.
Key Takeaway
Address housing instability.
Themes
housing
poverty
social justice
Mood
empathetic
urgent
Type
sociological
policy‑oriented
When to use this quote
- policy advocacy
- legal aid
- community organizing
- tenant education
Key Concepts
Structural inequality
informal eviction practices
Questions to Reflect On
- What community strategies can protect renters?
- How can data reveal hidden eviction practices?
A Different Perspective
Legal reforms alone may not stop informal evictions.
