--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were evictions that I saw that I…" description: "\"There were evictions that I saw that I know I'll never forget. In one case, the sheriff and the movers came up on a house full of children. The mom had..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/matthew-desmond-1529_children_there-were-evictions-that-i-saw-that-i-k_1856752.jpg" --- # There were evictions that I saw that I know I'll never… ![“There were evictions that I saw that I know I'll never forget. In one case, the sheriff and the movers came up on a house full of children. The mom had passed away, and the children had just gone on living there. And the sheriff executed the eviction order - moved the kids' stuff out on the street…” quote by Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/matthew-desmond-1529_children_there-were-evictions-that-i-saw-that-i-k_1856752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/matthew-desmond-1529_children_there-were-evictions-that-i-saw-that-i-k_1856752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f94/matthew-desmond-1529_children_there-were-evictions-that-i-saw-that-i-k_1856752.jpg) > “There were evictions that I saw that I know I'll never forget. In one case, the sheriff and the movers came up on a house full of children. The mom had passed away, and the children had just gone on living there. And the sheriff executed the eviction order - moved the kids' stuff out on the street on a cold, rainy day.” [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. Evictions can cause traumatic, public displacements, especially for vulnerable children, leaving lasting emotional scars. **In simple terms:** Evictions can be cruel and unforgettable. Key Takeaway Advocate for humane housing policies. Themes housing poverty child welfare social justice eviction trauma Mood sad angry empathetic Type narrative social commentary When to use this quote - policy reform - community support - legal aid - public awareness Key Concepts systemic inequality government authority family stability Questions to Reflect On - How can communities protect children during evictions? - What policies could prevent such harsh outcomes? A Different Perspective Legal processes often lack compassion for those affected. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Eviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eviction/) [Eviction Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eviction-order-2473181/) [Evictions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evictions-1600500/) [Evictions Saw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evictions-saw-2473180/) [Executed Eviction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/executed-eviction-2473179/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Rainy day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rainy-day/) [Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/street/) ## Related quotes > [“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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/in-milwaukee-a-city-of-fewer-than-105-000-renter-households-landlords/) [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/) > [“Trailer park residents rarely raised a fuss about a neighbor’s eviction, whether that person was a known drug addict or not. Evictions were deserved,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/trailer-park-residents-rarely-raised-a-fuss-about-a-neighbor-s/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [These days, there are sheriff squads whose full-time job is to carry out eviction and foreclosure orders. There are moving companies specializing in evictions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/these-days-there-are-sheriff-squads-whose-full-time-job-is-to-carry-2/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“These days, there are sheriff squads whose full-time job is to carry out eviction and foreclosure orders. There are moving companies specializing in evictions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/these-days-there-are-sheriff-squads-whose-full-time-job-is-to-carry/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [There are moving companies specializing in evictions, their crews working all day, every weekday.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/there-are-moving-companies-specializing-in-evictions-their-crews/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Evictions cause job loss. Because it's such a destabilizing, stressful event, they lose their footing in the labor market. It has big impacts on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/evictions-cause-job-loss-because-it-s-such-a-destabilizing-stressful/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [“Often, evicted families also lose the opportunity to benefit from public housing because Housing Authorities count evictions and unpaid debt as strikes when reviewing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/often-evicted-families-also-lose-the-opportunity-to-benefit-from/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Since evictions go through court, it has a record that comes with it, and many landlords that I spend time with use that as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/since-evictions-go-through-court-it-has-a-record-that-comes-with-it/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Most cities don't have a just cause eviction law. Most allow no cause evictions, as well as evictions for nonpayment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/most-cities-don-t-have-a-just-cause-eviction-law-most-allow-no-cause/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Just strictly from a business standpoint, kids are a liability to landlords, and they actually provoke evictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/just-strictly-from-a-business-standpoint-kids-are-a-liability-to/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [Child Protection Services can get all up in your business if you have kids. Just strictly from a business standpoint, kids are a liability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/child-protection-services-can-get-all-up-in-your-business-if-you-have/) [Matthew Desmond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-desmond/) > [If we care about family stability, if we care about community stability, then we need fewer evictions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-desmond/if-we-care-about-family-stability-if-we-care-about-community/) [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/) > [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.' 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