Irony of evictions
Desmond affirms the inevitability of house evictions in low-income neighborhoods due to economic and social problems. Consequently, once a tenant has an eviction record, it can prohibit them from securing an apartment in public housing. Furthermore, private landlords also use the record to screen prospective tenants, therefore disqualifying former evictees. It is ironic that the housing market meant to curb homelessness also fosters house evictions and hindrances in renting.
The irony of rent pricing
Desmond delves into rent pricing in the private housing market to showcase the trend of overpricing rental fees. He focuses on lower-class neighborhoods where the hiking rental fees are not proportional to the stagnant wages. He finds that although rent is supposed to be less than a third of one’s income the residents pay with almost the entirety of their income. Furthermore the landlords price the rents in these neighborhoods with the same rate used in wealthy neighborhoods.
Irony of poverty
The book subverts the common notion that poverty and low income is the cause of house evictions. In that, Desmond highlights the truth which is eviction is a cause of poverty and not a condition of it. The overwhelming rental fees and economic exploitation cause the evictions, which in turn cause many to get into debts. Ironically, the cycle of evictions affects their finances and creditworthiness as they push the evictees into poverty.
Irony of maintenance
The inability of tenants to keep up with the rental fees causes the landlord to forgo upkeep in leveraging losses. Due to the lack of maintenance, the buildings become dilapidated as the facilities break down over time. However, the rental fees do not drop but keep hiking worsening the situation in the neighborhoods. Subsequently, the tenants struggle to avoid evictions and keep paying overpriced rent for broken-down buildings.
