This quote from Matthew Desmond, professor of sociology at Princeton University, and author of Evicted – Poverty and Profit in the American City, emphasizes the critical role that housing plays in our lives. The book focuses on the poorest neighborhoods of Milwaukee and the stories of eight families and their landlords and paints a bigger picture of poverty and economic divides.

The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. is hosting a free exhibit based on Desmond’s research through May, 2019. The exhibit puts the realities of this country’s eviction crisis and its devastating impact on families on display in an approachable and engaging way. Click on the photos and video below to experience part of the exhibit:

A stable place to call home is one of the best predictors of success. In Vermont, nearly 1 in 4 working families do not earn enough to make ends meet. Without access to high-quality education, meaningful job opportunities, vital communities — and especially safe, affordable housing — Vermonters are faced with an opportunity gap. This gap makes it difficult to gain economic security and household stability.

Although eviction numbers in Vermont are lower than the national average, each year more than 2.3 million Americans, most of them low-income renters, face eviction. Learn more about the eviction process and resources in Vermont from CVOEO’s Vermont Tenants Program and Vermont Legal Aid.