Evicted by Matthew Desmond

"The home is the center of life. It is a refuge from the grind of work, the pressure of school, and the menace of the streets." But what happens when you lose your home? Evicted is a tragic--and eye-opening--tale of eight families in Milwaukee who, due to economics, dysfunctional families, fate, and often plain old bad luck, keep losing their homes. Scott is a nurse who becomes addicted to drugs, loses his job, and sees his life spiral out of control. Arleen and Vanetta are single mothers trying to hold their families together and keep a roof over their heads. Lamar has lost his legs but still serves as a kind of father figure to the neighborhood boys. All of them are barely hanging on and are often one Social Security check away from living on the streets.

Reading this book made me truly appreciate having functioning plumbing, a safe neighborhood to live in, and heat in the winter--none of which the people in Evicted could count on.