Summary

At the beginning of Chapter 12, Sherrena is about to evict Arleen, who had been unable to find assistance in paying her missed rent, even from her family. As Sherrena is giving her a tour of the property however, the new tenant, Crystal, allows Arleen and her sons to stay with her until they can find a new apartment. The author explains that this was a common practice. Often poor tenants did not have enough money to cover expenses on their own, so they shared homes and utilities with others, even complete strangers. Previously, tenants had relied on extensive family networks in situations like these, but social disruptions in the 1960s and 70s had eroded those ties. Arleen sought to move out of the house within the month, but wanted to move away from the inner city and into a relatively large apartment for...