A study addressing the prevalence and consequences of eviction in Milwaukee was published this month in the American Journal of Sociology. The report of the study “Eviction and the Reproduction of Urban Poverty,” was conducted by Matthew Desmond of Harvard University. The study shows that between 2003 and 2007, landlords in Milwaukee evicted 16,000 people from 6,000 housing units each year, for an average of 16 evictions a day. These evictions disproportionately affected poor, black women. To reach these findings, Desmond conducted a statistical analysis of eviction records from 2003 to 2007, an analysis of interviews with tenants appearing at eviction court in 2011 and ethnographic fieldwork in two neighborhoods between 2008 and 2009.

The study reveals that nearly half of Milwaukee’s evictions took place in predominantly black, high-poverty neighborhoods, where one in 14 renter-occupied households was evicted annually between 2003 and 2007. Women made up 60.6% of all evicted households, and in black neighborhoods, women were twice as likely as men to be evicted. Women from black neighborhoods make up 9.6% of the total population in Milwaukee, but account for 30% of all evicted tenants in the city. Desmond notes that in predominantly black neighborhoods, women are more likely to be leaseholders than men, due to high levels of unemployment and previous incarceration among men in those same neighborhoods. This leaves women bearing the burden of eviction in these neighborhoods. Desmond argues that in impoverished black neighborhoods, incarceration of men and eviction of women are analogous: both criminal and eviction records make it more difficult to find housing.

Desmond points to stagnant incomes and welfare stipends, combined with higher housing costs, as important reasons why many households in the study faced eviction. Some of the individuals he spoke with during his fieldwork paid 80% to 90% of their income in rent, creating a precarious situation in which unexpected expenses or fewer hours at work could lead to a missed rent payments and eviction.

Furthermore, evictions make the already difficult task of finding affordable housing even harder. Desmond found that landlords and rental agencies in Milwaukee were reluctant or unwilling to rent to individuals who were previously evicted. Previous evictions can count against those looking for housing assistance as well. For those on Milwaukee’s Section 8 waiting list, previous evictions or unpaid rent can lead to rejected applications. A history of eviction can limit a household’s ability to find and secure decent, affordable housing, putting many at risk of housing instability or homelessness.

Desmond offers several suggestions for improving the outcomes of households at risk of eviction, specifically citing the need for increased emergency assistance to households. He highlights the fact that Milwaukee’s eviction rate dropped by 15% when tenants had access to emergency aid through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). An additional suggestion for reducing eviction rates is to increase access to legal counsel for households facing eviction, as 70% of these households do not receive legal counsel and are more likely to be evicted than those who do. Desmond emphasizes, above all, the need for more affordable housing initiatives in the United States. Poor households pay an increasing percentage of their monthly income in rent, with some paying more than 80% of income toward housing costs. To change this pattern, housing needs a more prominent position in scholarly research and on the political agenda.

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