A new project called the Eviction Lab examined more than 80 million eviction records going back to 2000 and found that in 2016 alone there were nearly four evictions filed every minute. More than 6,300 Americans are evicted every day. Studies show that eviction can lead to a host of other problems, including poor health, depression, job loss and shattered childhoods. Having an eviction on one’s record also makes it far more difficult to find decent housing in the future. Now the Eviction Lab’s database is being shared with the public in an interactive website that allows people to better track and understand evictions in their own communities. We speak with Matthew Desmond, who runs the project at Princeton University, where he is a professor of sociology. It grew out of his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman, as we end today’s show looking at a new project called the Eviction Lab, that looked at more than 80 million eviction records going back to 2000 and revealed, in 2016 alone, there were nearly four evictions filed every minute — more than 6,300 Americans who are evicted every day. Studies show being thrown out of one’s home can lead to a host of other problems, including poor health, depression, job loss, shattered childhoods. Having an eviction on one’s record also makes it far more difficult to find decent housing in the future.
Well, now the Eviction Lab’s database is being shared with the public in an interactive website that allows people to better track and understand evictions in their own communities. To learn more, we go to Washington, D.C. We’re joined by its founder, Matthew Desmond, who runs the project at Princeton University, where he’s professor of sociology. It grew out of his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.
We welcome you to Democracy Now!, Professor Desmond. Can you talk about this first national data set of…