Evictions are not isolated events; they disrupt lives and entrench families deeper into poverty. They strain community ties, force relocations, and undermine stability (Chapter 2).

Families often move into substandard housing, with unsafe conditions and degrading environments, affecting their sense of security and mental health.

Once evicted, people struggle to afford adequate housing, cycling through poor options and exposing themselves to further financial and health risks.

This instability particularly affects children, leading to constant school disruptions and challenges in building relationships and routines.

Evictions also reflect systemic inequalities. Groups like Black women and single mothers face disproportionate eviction rates, amplifying broader societal disparities.

Beyond the immediate loss of housing, evictions erase community connections, leaving families isolated and unsupported, with limited recovery options.

These factors intensify cycles of poverty. Families allocate much of their income to rent, deprioritizing essentials like education or healthcare (Chapter 3).

The compounded effects of evictions make it nearly impossible for those affected to regain financial stability, perpetuating intergenerational poverty.

The housing system prioritizes profit over people, leaving low-income renters vulnerable to exploitation. Landlords profit from their precarious situations.

Landlords make business decisions to evict tenants who can't pay, often ignoring the devastating human and social impacts this causes.

This mindset transforms homes into profit centers, valuing financial returns over tenants’ dignity and wellbeing, reflecting a dehumanized housing system.

Landlords justify evictions citing financial necessity, yet their practices highlight a predatory system where the poorest face the harshest consequences (Chapter 1).

Desmond argues this exploitation stems from systemic injustices that view housing primarily as an economic asset instead of a fundamental human need.

Reframing housing policies to prioritize affordable, stable housing over profits could combat these disparities, ensuring tenants are treated with respect.

Research supports that stable housing improves mental health, community engagement, and breaks cycles of poverty, emphasizing the need for systemic reform.

Until society values housing as a right, the system will continue to reinforce social and economic inequalities, harming millions of vulnerable renters.

Affordable housing is critical for families facing perpetual instability due to rising rents and systemic inequities. Current policies often fail to address this need.

Governments and communities should increase funding for affordable housing projects and improve policies that regulate rent and protect vulnerable tenants.

Advocating for programs that subsidize housing costs or offer rental assistance could provide immediate relief for those on the brink of eviction.

Implementing these measures ensures families have access to stable homes, which builds a foundation for better mental health and community ties.

Stable housing improves children's educational outcomes, supports families' financial recovery, and reduces the likelihood of repeated evictions (Chapter 6).

Reforming housing assistance programs to remove restrictive requirements would make aid accessible to more low-income families, preventing destabilizing displacement.

Without such systemic change, eviction rates will remain high, perpetuating poverty and denying families the opportunity for upward mobility.

Eviction courts systematically favor landlords, exacerbating challenges for low-income tenants who lack legal representation or familiarity with the system (Chapter 4).

Most tenants can’t navigate court proceedings effectively, leading to default judgments that deepen their housing instability and financial struggles.

In Milwaukee, marginalized groups, especially Black women, dominate eviction dockets, highlighting systemic racial and gender-based inequities.

This imbalance makes it difficult for families to contest evictions or negotiate alternatives, driving long-term consequences like homelessness or poverty.

The fast-paced nature of eviction courts limits tenants' chances to seek support or understand their rights, further compounding their vulnerabilities.

Landlords, familiar with court processes, use them as an efficient tool to maintain profits while facing little accountability for their practices.

These inequities underscore the need for tenant advocacy programs, accessible legal support, and reforms to ensure fair treatment in housing disputes.

Unchecked, this cycle of injustice perpetuates structural disparities, worsening conditions for vulnerable communities and increasing economic divides.

While financial struggles drive evictions, their impact extends much further, disrupting lives and undermining human dignity on multiple levels (Chapter 2).

The loss of a home affects mental health, community ties, and the overall sense of security and stability for families.

Desmond highlights that eviction isn’t just a financial problem; it reflects a society that marginalizes and excludes its most vulnerable members.

Focusing only on economic solutions, like rent control, won’t resolve the deeper social and emotional harms eviction causes.

Instead, a holistic approach that combines affordable housing with community support programs is needed to address these cascading impacts.

By ensuring stability and dignity, society can reduce the stigma of eviction and offer real opportunities for recovery and progress.

Investments in mental health resources, education programs, and community development should accompany housing policy reforms to create lasting change.

The issue will remain unsolved unless society recognizes eviction's broader consequences and addresses the human suffering it causes.

Low-income renters often internalize stigma around eviction, blaming themselves for systemic failings. This mindset prevents solidarity and collective movements for change.

Shift the narrative by educating tenants that evictions often result from systemic exploitation, not personal failure, and advocate for their rights.

Encourage renters to build connections within their communities to foster support systems that resist the isolation caused by eviction cycles.

This shift empowers individuals to see their struggles as part of a larger systemic issue, opening avenues for collective advocacy and reform (Chapter 5).

Building solidarity strengthens community resilience, reduces shame, and creates momentum for demanding equitable housing policies and tenant protections.

Ignoring this stigma reinforces cycles of disempowerment, trapping residents in environments where exploitation goes unopposed and unaddressed.

Community action and awareness campaigns can dismantle this harmful mindset, encouraging accountability from exploitative landlords and supporting tenant rights.

Rental discrimination, especially against families with children, restricts housing options for vulnerable groups and perpetuates cycles of instability (Chapter 7).

This practice forces families into less desirable or unsafe neighborhoods, often compounding their financial and emotional struggles.

Landlords screen tenants’ eviction histories and financial backgrounds, creating systemic barriers that limit access to adequate housing opportunities.

Such biases disproportionately impact single parents and minorities, highlighting structural inequalities built into the rental market.

This exclusion sends harmful messages about societal values, dehumanizing families and reinforcing poverty instead of fostering mobility.

Housing discrimination worsens mental health outcomes and disrupts family cohesion, leaving lasting effects on children’s development and prospects.

Combating this requires stronger anti-discrimination laws, enforcement mechanisms, and societal recognition of every family’s right to stable, safe housing.

Addressing discrimination in housing markets would help dismantle systemic barriers, empowering families to rebuild stability and avoid perpetual poverty cycles.