--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Families have watched their incomes…" description: "\"“Families have watched their incomes stagnate, or even fall, while their housing costs have soared. Today, the majority of poor renting families in Ame..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/matthew-desmond-1529_family_families-have-watched-their-incomes-stag_1182359.jpg" --- # Families have watched their incomes stagnate, or even… ![“Families have watched their incomes stagnate, or even fall, while their housing costs have soared. Today, the majority of poor renting families in America spend over half of their income on housing, and at least one in four dedicates over 70 percent to paying the rent and keeping the lights on…” quote by Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/matthew-desmond-1529_family_families-have-watched-their-incomes-stag_1182359.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/matthew-desmond-1529_family_families-have-watched-their-incomes-stag_1182359.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/623/matthew-desmond-1529_family_families-have-watched-their-incomes-stag_1182359.jpg) > ““Families have watched their incomes stagnate, or even fall, while their housing costs have soared. Today, the majority of poor renting families in America spend over half of their income on housing, and at least one in four dedicates over 70 percent to paying the rent and keeping the lights on. Millions of Americans are evicted every year because they can't make rent.”” [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Housing costs have risen faster than incomes, forcing many low‑income families into severe financial strain and eviction. **In simple terms:** Rising rents outpace wages, causing hardship. Key Takeaway Advocate for affordable housing policies. Themes housing income inequality eviction Mood concerned urgent Type sociopolitical informative When to use this quote - low‑income renters - policy makers - social workers Key Concepts economic disparity urban policy social justice Questions to Reflect On - What policies could reduce rent burden? - How can communities support at‑risk renters? A Different Perspective Solutions require systemic change, not just individual budgeting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Housing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/housing/) [Income Housing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/income-housing-768681/) [Make Rent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-rent-350019/) [Paying rent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paying-rent/) [Poor Renting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poor-renting-1304872/) [Renting Families](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/renting-families-1304871/) ## Related quotes > [“Today, the majority of poor renting families in America spend over half of their income on housing, and at least one in four dedicates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/today-the-majority-of-poor-renting-families-in-america-spend-over/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [The standard of 'affordable' housing is that which costs roughly 30 percent or less of a family's income. Because of rising housing costs and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/the-standard-of-affordable-housing-is-that-which-costs-roughly-30/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“A problem as big as the affordable-housing crisis calls for a big solution. It should be at the top of America's domestic-policy agenda -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/a-problem-as-big-as-the-affordable-housing-crisis-calls-for-a-big/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“A universal housing voucher program would carve a middle path between the landlord’s desire to make a living and the tenant’s desire, simply, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/a-universal-housing-voucher-program-would-carve-a-middle-path-between/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [I would guess that there's adequate low-income housing in the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quayle/i-would-guess-that-there-s-adequate-low-income-housing-in-the-country/) [Dan Quayle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quayle/) > [“Already in 2001, 63 percent of very low income households were putting more than half their income toward housing, leaving too little for other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-edin/already-in-2001-63-percent-of-very-low-income-households-were-putting/) [Kathryn Edin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-edin/) > [“The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) deems a family that is spending more than 30 percent of its income on housing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-edin/the-u-s-department-of-housing-and-urban-development-hud-deems-a/) [Kathryn Edin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-edin/) > [I'm just trying to make rent and do my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devendra-banhart/i-m-just-trying-to-make-rent-and-do-my-work/) [Devendra Banhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devendra-banhart/) > [We came to the U.S. with $40. My parents were both professionals in China who had difficulty finding employment here. They worked multiple jobs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leana-s-wen/we-came-to-the-u-s-with-40-my-parents-were-both-professionals-in/) [Leana S. Wen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leana-s-wen/) > [I'm constantly warning people that are involved in my life that I can go busk and make a living. I can make my rent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-earle/i-m-constantly-warning-people-that-are-involved-in-my-life-that-i-can/) [Steve Earle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-earle/) > [What people forget is that no one pays you to go and be a champion for democracy. A girl's got to make rent. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wylie/what-people-forget-is-that-no-one-pays-you-to-go-and-be-a-champion/) [Christopher Wylie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wylie/) > [I work so I don't need to make rent through my songs, and I think if more people engaged with music without needing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-work-so-i-don-t-need-to-make-rent-through-my-songs-and-i-think-if/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [There were many years when I was hand-to-mouth and didn't know how I was gonna make rent. I've done every job under the sun,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beau-willimon/there-were-many-years-when-i-was-hand-to-mouth-and-didn-t-know-how-i/) [Beau Willimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beau-willimon/) > [When I started go-go dancing on tables for a living, I didn't want to tell my mom or my dad. I made 25 dollars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/when-i-started-go-go-dancing-on-tables-for-a-living-i-didn-t-want-to/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [As long as you have your own apartment and you can pretty much make rent for the next year, you're golden!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ari-shaffir/as-long-as-you-have-your-own-apartment-and-you-can-pretty-much-make/) [Ari Shaffir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ari-shaffir/) ## More by Matthew Desmond > [I don't think we can fix poverty without fixing housing, and I don't think we can address housing without understanding landlords.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-don-t-think-we-can-fix-poverty-without-fixing-housing-and-i-don-t/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [If we continue to tolerate this level of poverty in our cities, and go along with eviction as commonplace in poor neighborhoods, it's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/if-we-continue-to-tolerate-this-level-of-poverty-in-our-cities-and-go/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [You see one eviction, and you're overcome, but then there's another one and another one and another one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/you-see-one-eviction-and-you-re-overcome-but-then-there-s-another-one/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [When I talk to booksellers, they tell me how hard it is to hand-sell some of my books because I do keep popping around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/when-i-talk-to-booksellers-they-tell-me-how-hard-it-is-to-hand-sell/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Housing being a top-order issue for cities is something that's not trivial.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/housing-being-a-top-order-issue-for-cities-is-something-that-s-not/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [I think that we value fairness in this country. We value equal opportunity. Without a stable home, those ideals really fall apart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-think-that-we-value-fairness-in-this-country-we-value-equal/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Exploitation. Now, there's a word that has been scrubbed out of the poverty debate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/exploitation-now-there-s-a-word-that-has-been-scrubbed-out-of-the/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [I think there are ways that graduate students can fact-check their work. I think there are ways that we can do this that don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-think-there-are-ways-that-graduate-students-can-fact-check-their/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Fire itself is very beautiful, and there's an attachment to fire that firefighters have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/fire-itself-is-very-beautiful-and-there-s-an-attachment-to-fire-that/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“Sherrena nodded reassuringly and said, almost to herself, “I guess I got to stop feeling sorry for these people because nobody is feeling sorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/sherrena-nodded-reassuringly-and-said-almost-to-herself-i-guess-i-got/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Everywhere else, we are someone else, but at home, we remove our masks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/everywhere-else-we-are-someone-else-but-at-home-we-remove-our-masks/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [A community that sees so clearly its own disadvantage or its own hardships also has a harder time seeing its potential: its ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/a-community-that-sees-so-clearly-its-own-disadvantage-or-its-own/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“It was once said that the poor are 'constantly exposed to evidence of their own irrelevance.' Especially for poor African-American families - who live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/it-was-once-said-that-the-poor-are-constantly-exposed-to-evidence-of/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [A universal voucher program would change the face of poverty in this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/a-universal-voucher-program-would-change-the-face-of-poverty-in-this/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“Wildland firefighters do not enjoy the cultural prestige that structural firefighters do. They do not wax their fire engines and cruise down the local…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/wildland-firefighters-do-not-enjoy-the-cultural-prestige-that/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) [Explore all 230 Matthew Desmond quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) ## More Family quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/) [Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [“ever day Maureen is Selfish To her friend and Family One she get mad at her friend and family and She need to Grad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-andeson/ever-day-maureen-is-selfish-to-her-friend-and-family-one-she-get-mad/) [Maureen Andeson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-andeson/) > [Our concept of a family holiday was going to a guest house in the Lake district or Wales where walking was part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-bannister/our-concept-of-a-family-holiday-was-going-to-a-guest-house-in-the/) [Roger Bannister](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-bannister/) > [“So Jace is my actual family," Kit said. "But I can't go live with him, because him and his hot girlfriend are going off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/so-jace-is-my-actual-family-kit-said-but-i-can-t-go-live-with-him/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [I have friends and family that identify as LGBTQ.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-mace/i-have-friends-and-family-that-identify-as-lgbtq/) [Nancy Mace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-mace/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [It's not just that families can't buy a home or start a business without some savings tucked away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/it-s-not-just-that-families-can-t-buy-a-home-or-start-a-business/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [“She knew how to play him so very well. He slipped his hand around hers. "Friends," he repeated roughly. Her smile was bright enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-smith/she-knew-how-to-play-him-so-very-well-he-slipped-his-hand-around-hers/) [Kathryn Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-smith/) > [As a family, we all loved the Flyers. To me, rooting for the Flyers were how I bonded with my dad especially.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-f-goldberg/as-a-family-we-all-loved-the-flyers-to-me-rooting-for-the-flyers-were/) [Adam F. Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-f-goldberg/) > [The people have always been family to me here in Las Vegas. The people have always been very, very kind to me, and it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/the-people-have-always-been-family-to-me-here-in-las-vegas-the-people/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [“Your relationship with your brother will be, in many ways, the most complex and bewildering of all the interpersonal connections you will form. 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