--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Poverty is a relationship that involves a…" description: "\"Poverty is a relationship that involves a lot of folks, rich and poor alike. I was looking for something that brought a lot of different people in a ro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/matthew-desmond-1529_different-people_poverty-is-a-relationship-that-involves_518059.jpg" --- # Poverty is a relationship that involves a lot of folks… ![“Poverty is a relationship that involves a lot of folks, rich and poor alike. I was looking for something that brought a lot of different people in a room. Eviction does that, embroils landlords and tenants, lawyers and social workers.” quote by Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/matthew-desmond-1529_different-people_poverty-is-a-relationship-that-involves_518059.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/matthew-desmond-1529_different-people_poverty-is-a-relationship-that-involves_518059.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c2/matthew-desmond-1529_different-people_poverty-is-a-relationship-that-involves_518059.jpg) > “Poverty is a relationship that involves a lot of folks, rich and poor alike. I was looking for something that brought a lot of different people in a room. Eviction does that, embroils landlords and tenants, lawyers and social workers.” [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. Eviction forces interaction across socioeconomic lines, revealing shared stakes in housing stability. **In simple terms:** Eviction brings rich and poor together. Key Takeaway Recognize housing issues affect everyone. Themes housing justice inequality community policy Mood concerned reflective Type sociological analytical When to use this quote - urban planning meetings - court hearings - community workshops - policy debates Key Concepts social dynamics power relations systemic risk Questions to Reflect On - How can policies reduce conflict in eviction processes? - What role can mediators play? A Different Perspective Eviction can exacerbate trauma and displacement beyond interaction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Eviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eviction/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relationship/) [Rich and poor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich-and-poor/) [Social Workers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-workers/) ## Related quotes > [“Losing your home and possessions and often your job; being stamped with an eviction record and denied government housing assistance; relocating to degrading housing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/losing-your-home-and-possessions-and-often-your-job-being-stamped/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [A lot of people didn't know just what eviction does to people, how it really sets their life on a different and much more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/a-lot-of-people-didn-t-know-just-what-eviction-does-to-people-how-it/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Poverty was a relationship, I thought, involving poor and rich people alike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/poverty-was-a-relationship-i-thought-involving-poor-and-rich-people/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Evictions used to be rare in this country. They used to draw crowds. There are scenes in literature where you can come upon an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/evictions-used-to-be-rare-in-this-country-they-used-to-draw-crowds/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [An eviction is an incredibly time consuming and stressful event.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/an-eviction-is-an-incredibly-time-consuming-and-stressful-event/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“Efforts to establish local cohesion and community investment are thwarted in neighborhoods with high turnover rates. In this way, eviction can unravel the fabric…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/efforts-to-establish-local-cohesion-and-community-investment-are/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [It's true that eviction affects the young and the old, the sick and the able-bodied. It affects white folks and black folks and Hispanic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/it-s-true-that-eviction-affects-the-young-and-the-old-the-sick-and/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [There is a deep connection, when we're talking about certain market forces and a legal structure that inhibits low or moderate income families from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/there-is-a-deep-connection-when-we-re-talking-about-certain-market/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Eviction is much more an inevitability than a result of irresponsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/eviction-is-much-more-an-inevitability-than-a-result-of/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Eviction affects old folks and young folks, sick people and able-bodied people, white communities and African-American communities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/eviction-affects-old-folks-and-young-folks-sick-people-and-able/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [It takes a good amount of time and money to establish a home. Eviction can erase all that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/it-takes-a-good-amount-of-time-and-money-to-establish-a-home-eviction/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“Eviction's fallout is severe. Losing a home sends families to shelters, abandoned houses, and the street. It invites depression and illness, compels families to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/eviction-s-fallout-is-severe-losing-a-home-sends-families-to-shelters/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [I met a landlord who will pay you to move at the end of the week and let you use his van. That's a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/i-met-a-landlord-who-will-pay-you-to-move-at-the-end-of-the-week-and/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [If eviction has these massive consequences that we all pay for, a very smart use of public funds would be to invest in legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/if-eviction-has-these-massive-consequences-that-we-all-pay-for-a-very/) [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/) ## 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 Different people quotes > [You know, it brings in a lot of different people; you take people off the street, and kids, and people from all different walks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-lamy/you-know-it-brings-in-a-lot-of-different-people-you-take-people-off/) [Michele Lamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-lamy/) > [Suffering did different things to different people...Some souls became tempered, unshakable in their faith, while others became twisted and mis-shapen, throwing off all connection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-ragen/suffering-did-different-things-to-different-people-some-souls-became/) [Naomi Ragen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-ragen/) > [I don't know what successful journaling really looks like... 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So when kids get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-iguodala/it-s-similar-to-basketball-when-you-go-to-different-gyms-and-win-or/) [Andre Iguodala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-iguodala/) > [“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it-reads-the-holy-scriptures/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [I think I like attention, but because of the way we are - because we don't have a lead singer and all the videos…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-chatto/i-think-i-like-attention-but-because-of-the-way-we-are-because-we-don/) [Grace Chatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-chatto/) > [I am three different people. The person you want me to be, the person I wish I could be, and who I really am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-lynne/i-am-three-different-people-the-person-you-want-me-to-be-the-person-i/) [Victoria Lynne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-lynne/) > [“The emphasis was on “soft.” No matter what else happened, the wranglers were to stay soft while riding the horses. Soft hands, soft seat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-rashid/the-emphasis-was-on-soft-no-matter-what-else-happened-the-wranglers/) [Mark Rashid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-rashid/) > [I've always enjoyed traveling and having experience with different cultures and different people. But it's also a wonderful thing to be able to benefit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurel-clark/i-ve-always-enjoyed-traveling-and-having-experience-with-different/) [Laurel Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurel-clark/) > [I feel stronger and I feel like I've gained so much knowledge and new perspectives because I've met so many different people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anya-chalotra/i-feel-stronger-and-i-feel-like-i-ve-gained-so-much-knowledge-and-new/) [Anya Chalotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anya-chalotra/) > [With acting, it's like you form chemistry with different people in different ways, so it's really added even more fun to work, you know?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-blackburn/with-acting-it-s-like-you-form-chemistry-with-different-people-in/) [Tyler Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-blackburn/) > [I was a theater kid in high school, but I also went to parties. 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