Join us to discuss Evicted by Matthew Desmond. This week we will dive into the Prologue – Chapter 6.

Add the meeting to your calendar here.

Review the reading questions below.

1. Have you ever been evicted or do you know anyone who has? Do you
represent clients in eviction actions? If not, do the clients you represent for
other issues also struggle with eviction or housing? If the answer is yes,
what was your/their experience like, and how has it affected your/their life?
2. What was your experience reading Evicted? Were you surprised by
what you learned? Was any particular scene or character’s story
emotionally painful for you to witness? Did the stories of the characters in
the book reflect the stories you have heard from your own clients? If not,
how were they different.
3. Many people have very codified perceptions of “people who get evicted”
and suspect that those people are largely responsible—through bad
decision making—for their circumstances. Did you feel this way before
reading Evicted? Why or why not? Did your opinions change after reading
the book? If so, how? Do your own pro bono clients face these same
judgments about being at fault for their own evictions, other legal issues,
or overall financial circumstances? Do you feel that these perceptions
affect the number of attorneys providing services pro bono to low-income
clients?
4. Do you think housing should be a right in America?