The ways in which government programs harm the citizens they are intended to serve

While not the primary cause of the eviction crisis, Desmond argues that government programs meant to prevent eviction and provide housing are inadequate and often directly harmful. The clearest examples of this are nuisance ordinances, which make landlords legally responsible if police are repeatedly called to their property. In theory, these ordinances seem beneficial. They should prevent crime and decrease the burden placed on police departments by incentivizing landlords to accept greater responsibility for their properties. In practice, however, this burden is generally passed to tenants, who risk eviction if their homes are declared nuisance properties. Ultimately, this disincentivizes contacting emergency services, even in extreme situations like Jafaris’s asthma attacks or the domestic abuse suffered by Trisha. Desmond is particularly focused on the case of domestic abuse victims, framing nuisance ordinances as creating a...