This month we’re recommending two books that get at root causes of our current housing crisis.
Evicted by Matthew Desmond follows eight families as they work to keep housing. “Evicted transforms our understanding of poverty and economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving one of 21st century America’s mose devastating problems. Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss reminds us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible.”
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein shows that housing and neighborhood segregation was not an accident. It is a result of government policies and decisions intentionally created to segregate and discriminate. This is a must read in terms of understanding racism within our housing systems. The Economic Policy Institute reviews this book, “At every step of the way, Rothenstein demonstrates, the government and our courts upheld racist policies to maintain the separation of white and blacks- leading to the powder keg that has defined Ferguson, Baltimore, Charleston, and Chicago. The Color of Law is not a tale of Red versus Blue states. It is sadly the story of America in all of its municipalities, large and small, liberal and reactionary.”