Eviction and what to do?

Now this may seem like a topic that has no place on a blog about acting and education and being a single parent. But, in reality it has every right to be here because eviction, inconsistent income, and being a single parent coincides with each other on a daily basis. And since re-reading Eviction by Matthew Desmond and the New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander to prepare to co-facilitate a few book talks this summer, this time around I was left with the gnawing sensation at the pit of my stomach of, "What can I do? or What can we do? or even better "Why has this been such a consistent problem?"

I have chosen this path of uncertainty because it brings me great joy.  But many of of my fellow artists work jobs that they hate and love in order to stay in this life we call show business. When you watch documentaries about working actors versus famous people the constant struggle is money. A few have family and significant others who provide the security necessary for them to keep a roof over their head and food on the table, but this is not the truth for many of us. In fact, our lives mirror the poor and those who live on the bare minimum based on our gender, race, and family. Many of my fellow Black actors know what the sting of eviction court or housing insecurity looks like. Many of my fellow white actors do not. And that is why I am left with the question of, "What can I do? or What can we do?"

I know Black single parent teachers or even married couples who have to take payday loans out just to make ends meet. Or even worse, borrow funds from a high interest loan shark just to get into a decent home. How does this happen when these same individuals follow the supposed blueprint for success? Graduate form high school, stay out of trouble, don't get killed by the police, attend college, get a good job, and oops you are still broke.

This is a constant problem and it sickens me to my core. I see it in my community, in the eyes of my friends, and in my own life. And before we speak about spending habits, and how we can just be better if we do better, please remember that housing costs rise with incomes because making money off of new tenants is directly correlated to individuals earning more money. It is a business that is not based on charity or kindness or goodwill. This means that the Housing Act of 1968 has never been enough. Providing poor housing and evictions are the catalyst of this business.

Many of my previous and current students have high absenteeism as a result of constant moving. It affects employment when parents or caregivers are looking for new housing. It is even more stressful when you are under the clock of the sheriff coming to throw one's stuff on the lawn or even worse shoving personal belongings into a storage unit. This also increases the actual cost of moving and the insurmountable debt. Not to mention the stress of getting rejection after rejection, hoping beyond hope for just one yes.

We all need housing to thrive and be happy. In other words, it is a basic need that if not met can lead to mental and emotional instability. Not a shock that many who find themselves in this cyclical chaos are more likely to commit or consider suicide or simply have a mental breakdown. And it is a problem that no politician has ever tackled or mentioned. And if you throw in the laws that are in place that keep you out of public housing if you have a felony record, and that evictions occur twice as much to Black women then we begin to see how and why families are broken and fragmented. Why relationships are damaged?

Some will read this and believe that poor choices are the only problem, but there are actual obstacles that are supported by law and current housing structures that make this a shared problem for all of us regardless of race, income or gender. We need to do better.

I am no longer seeking help from a broken, sexist,  and racist system. I want to gather with some folks who are willing to help out a village one person, and one family at a time in order to make a difference. Fortunately, I exist in a network where the work occurs, but What else is there to do?