--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I teach at Harvard, and focusing on…" description: "\"I teach at Harvard, and focusing on understanding this problem on a national level is a big priority of mine right now - where evictions are going up a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/matthew-desmond-1529_insecurity_i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-under_687829.jpg" --- # I teach at Harvard, and focusing on understanding this… ![“I teach at Harvard, and focusing on understanding this problem on a national level is a big priority of mine right now - where evictions are going up and down, what cities are actually instituting policies that work, what housing insecurity is doing to our cities, neighbourhoods, our kids.” quote by Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/matthew-desmond-1529_insecurity_i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-under_687829.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/matthew-desmond-1529_insecurity_i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-under_687829.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/matthew-desmond-1529_insecurity_i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-under_687829.jpg) > “I teach at Harvard, and focusing on understanding this problem on a national level is a big priority of mine right now - where evictions are going up and down, what cities are actually instituting policies that work, what housing insecurity is doing to our cities, neighbourhoods, our kids.” [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. Understanding eviction trends and effective policies is crucial for addressing housing insecurity in cities. **In simple terms:** Studying evictions helps improve housing security. Key Takeaway Analyze data to inform better housing policies. Themes housing policy eviction urban social justice Mood analytical concerned Type policy advocacy When to use this quote - city planning - legislative advocacy - research - public outreach Key Concepts economics public policy community health Questions to Reflect On - Which policies have proven most effective? - How can communities influence housing decisions? A Different Perspective Data may be incomplete or politically contested. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Insecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecurity/) [Understanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/understanding/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [I've had to face housing insecurity and food insecurity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritchie-torres/i-ve-had-to-face-housing-insecurity-and-food-insecurity/) [Ritchie Torres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritchie-torres/) > [Obsession with the market seem to prevent ministers looking at the huge problem and all its ramifications in health, education and employment that come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-corbyn/obsession-with-the-market-seem-to-prevent-ministers-looking-at-the/) [Jeremy Corbyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-corbyn/) > [After 'The White Shadow' was over, I did some more work, but then I wound up taking a year off to teach at Harvard.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-howard/after-the-white-shadow-was-over-i-did-some-more-work-but-then-i-wound/) [Ken Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-howard/) > [There's a rule they don't teach you at the Harvard Business School. It is, if anything is worth doing, it's worth doing to excess.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/there-s-a-rule-they-don-t-teach-you-at-the-harvard-business-school-it/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [I teach at Harvard that the world and the heavens, and the stars are all real, but not so damned real, you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josiah-royce/i-teach-at-harvard-that-the-world-and-the-heavens-and-the-stars-are/) [Josiah Royce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josiah-royce/) > [Housing insecurity isn't just an abstract point of policy for me. I've lived it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-breed/housing-insecurity-isn-t-just-an-abstract-point-of-policy-for-me-i-ve/) [London Breed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-breed/) > [Winning is a big priority for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-fried/winning-is-a-big-priority-for-me/) [Max Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-fried/) > [It takes a lot to be a part of a film and as an artist, I want to be a part of subjects that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/it-takes-a-lot-to-be-a-part-of-a-film-and-as-an-artist-i-want-to-be-a/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Being a husband is for me as big a priority as being a father.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-federer/being-a-husband-is-for-me-as-big-a-priority-as-being-a-father/) [Roger Federer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-federer/) > [I've always wanted to definitely fight Yair again, but it's not that big of a priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-korean-zombie/i-ve-always-wanted-to-definitely-fight-yair-again-but-it-s-not-that/) [The Korean Zombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-korean-zombie/) > [“she still had that fundamental insecurity that one bout of poverty can inflict for a lifetime, and no amount of money remedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-deighton/she-still-had-that-fundamental-insecurity-that-one-bout-of-poverty/) [Len Deighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-deighton/) > [I was beautiful the day we met, But now I'm not so sure. Awkward and alone, you don't make me feel sexy anymore. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-beautiful-the-day-we-met-but-now-i-m-not-so-sure-awkward-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [I love playing ego and insecurity combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-love-playing-ego-and-insecurity-combined/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) ## 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 Insecurity quotes > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [I love playing ego and insecurity combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-love-playing-ego-and-insecurity-combined/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [I was beautiful the day we met, But now I'm not so sure. Awkward and alone, you don't make me feel sexy anymore. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-was-beautiful-the-day-we-met-but-now-i-m-not-so-sure-awkward-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“she still had that fundamental insecurity that one bout of poverty can inflict for a lifetime, and no amount of money remedy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/len-deighton/she-still-had-that-fundamental-insecurity-that-one-bout-of-poverty/) [Len Deighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/len-deighton/) > [Many times I've sat with a camera and another actor and seen all their fears and insecurities and struggles. You want to support them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-eccleston/many-times-i-ve-sat-with-a-camera-and-another-actor-and-seen-all/) [Christopher Eccleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-eccleston/) > [Singaporeans generally feel more secure these days. One of our tasks is to remind them that this, a result of a continuing act of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-hsien-loong/singaporeans-generally-feel-more-secure-these-days-one-of-our-tasks/) [Lee Hsien Loong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-hsien-loong/) > [Each one of us requires the spur of insecurity to force us to do our best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-w-dodds/each-one-of-us-requires-the-spur-of-insecurity-to-force-us-to-do-our/) Harold W. Dodds > [Marriage is going to disappear, should disappear. And now the point is coming in the history of humanity where it becomes possible that marriage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/marriage-is-going-to-disappear-should-disappear-and-now-the-point-is/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [Fear. People are afraid of talking about their fears and insecurities. They're afraid of expressing emotion beyond anger, dominance, or power, and they're afraid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/fear-people-are-afraid-of-talking-about-their-fears-and-insecurities/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Conceit is a sure sign of insecurity; humility denotes awareness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sivaya-subramuniyaswami/conceit-is-a-sure-sign-of-insecurity-humility-denotes-awareness/) [Sivaya Subramuniyaswami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sivaya-subramuniyaswami/) > [Growing up in that fashion is a breeding ground for insecurity and doubt; it also leaves you questioning motives. It took me a long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-runyon/growing-up-in-that-fashion-is-a-breeding-ground-for-insecurity-and/) [Damon Runyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-runyon/) > [They always use the word 'insult' with me, but I don't hurt anybody. I wouldn't be sitting here if I did. I make fun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/they-always-use-the-word-insult-with-me-but-i-don-t-hurt-anybody-i/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [Life's too short to deal with other people's insecurities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hopkins/life-s-too-short-to-deal-with-other-people-s-insecurities/) [Anthony Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hopkins/) > [“He fidgets. Thinks. Observes his fellow passengers. Judges everyone, in the traditional Filipino sport of justifying both personal and shared insecurities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-syjuco/he-fidgets-thinks-observes-his-fellow-passengers-judges-everyone-in/) [Miguel Syjuco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-syjuco/) [Browse all 1,356 Insecurity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/insecurity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I teach at Harvard, and focusing on understanding this problem on a national level is a big priority of mine right now - where evictions are going up and down, what cities are actually instituting policies that work, what housing insecurity is doing to our cities, neighbourhoods, our kids.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Matthew Desmond" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-understanding-this-problem-on-a/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Insecurity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-understanding-this-problem-on-a/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/matthew-desmond-1529_insecurity_i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-under_687829.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/matthew-desmond-1529_insecurity_i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-under_687829.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ce/matthew-desmond-1529_insecurity_i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-under_687829.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I teach at Harvard, and focusing on understanding this problem on a national level is a big priority of mine…” — Matthew Desmond", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Matthew Desmond", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I teach at Harvard, and focusing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-understanding-this-problem-on-a/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-teach-at-harvard-and-focusing-on-understanding-this-problem-on-a/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```