Family Quote by Matthew Desmond
““Screening practices that banned criminality and poverty in the same stroke drew poor families shoulder to shoulder with drug dealers, sex offenders, and other lawbreakers in places with lenient requirements. Neighborhoods marred by high poverty and crime were that way not only because poverty could incite crime, and crime could invite poverty, but also because the techniques landlords used to “keep illegal and destructive activity out of rental property” kept poverty out as well.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Evicted: Poverty and Power in the American City, Matthew Desmond, 2016
Policies that exclude low‑income families from housing create mixed‑income blocks where poverty and crime coexist, reinforcing each other and limiting upward mobility.
In simple terms: Housing rules that ban poor families also ban crime, trapping both together.
Key Takeaway
Address housing policies that separate poverty from crime.
Themes
housing
poverty
crime
policy
inequality
Mood
concerned
critical
Type
policy
social commentary
When to use this quote
- urban planning
- public housing reform
- community advocacy
Key Concepts
segregation
social exclusion
systemic bias
Questions to Reflect On
- How can housing policy protect tenants without excluding low‑income families?
- What alternative strategies can reduce crime without criminalizing poverty?
A Different Perspective
Such policies may also reduce overall housing supply, worsening shortages.
