[MtotheThird]

This is an excellent book, but as other comments have pointed out, the review misrepresents its argument.

I wouldn't say Desmond is exactly sympathetic to the landlords he profiles, but he does provide a well-rounded picture of them. The main thrust of his analysis is that eviction is a major cause of an inescapable cycle of poverty, and that preventing eviction would go further to reduce poverty and inequality than nearly any other government policy.

IIRC his recommendations involve a huge bump in the federal housing voucher program, decoupling it from work requirements (since it's difficult to get a job without a permanent home), and tying federal aid to code reform in cities (simplifying and loosening the housing code so that landlords would be less likely to ignore it).

[rayiner]

Those are great policy prescriptions: reduce eviction by giving poor people more money and more flexibility, as well as by making it cheaper and easier to offer housing to poor people. You're right that the article misrepresents that argument.

[AstralStorm]

How does it stop everyone from just squeezing more?