On the Media’s Brooke Gladstone Hosts Month-Long Series on Eviction Crisis

David Waitz

Housing eviction is a crisis “hiding in plain sight” across America, says WNYC’s On The Media host Brooke Gladstone. Gladstone joins Detroit Today to discuss her travel through the country for a new series on the eviction crisis.

Many families in America experience the looming fear of being forced from their homes. And the consequences for eviction can be financially devastating with legal fees, wage garnishments and negative impacts on credit histories. Also, one eviction can result in discrimination and lead to trouble renting anywhere else in the future.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, more than 12 million renters pay more than 50% of their income on housing. 

Considering that many Americans do not have enough savings to cover emergency expenses as low as even $400, many families are facing dilemmas on where to allocate scarce resources, and for many paying rent loses out.

Last year, the Detroit Today Summer Book Club read Mathew Desmond’s “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.” It’s an exploration of eviction and housing insecurity in America. Now, WNYC’s On The Media is airing a series called, “The Scarlet E: America’s Eviction Crisis” based on the book.

Gladstone tells us she learned that the causes of eviction can take many forms from decreased housing stock, prevailing poverty and soaring housing costs. Gladstone also discussed how important the issues of evictions will play in the upcoming 2020 elections.

You can hear On The Media on WDET on Saturdays at 6 a.m. and Sundays at 10 p.m.

Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.