Homelessness Law Center Celebrates Opening of Exhibit Inspired by Pulitzer-Prize Winning Book Evicted
Washington, D.C. – (RealEstateRama) — Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction book Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond, is the inspiration for a new exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The immersive exhibition will premiere April 14, presenting new data developed by Desmond’s Eviction Lab and using original photography and audio interviews to examine the impact of eviction.
The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (the Law Center) is serving as an educational resource for those interested in advocating for stronger laws that prevent evictions. Earlier this year, the Law Center released its report, Protect Tenants, Prevent Homelessness, detailing the relationship between renters’ rights, evictions, and homelessness. The report highlights issues low-income renters face and provides recommendations for improving housing security among vulnerable populations.
“Evicted has brought national attention to a critical component in the fight to end homelessness,” said Maria Foscarinis, executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. “We encourage those who are inspired to take action after visiting the exhibit to learn about—and advocate for—policy solutions that can help reduce evictions and prevent homelessness from happening in the first place.”
One recommendation from the Law Center’s report is the call for a legal right to counsel for tenants. A cost-benefit analysis found that if tenants had access to a housing attorney evictions would be reduced by 77 percent and cities would experience a net-cost savings.
“Right now if you are unjustly evicted from your home, you have no legal right to an attorney in most places,” said Tristia Bauman, senior attorney at the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and lead author of Protect Tenants, Prevent Homelessness. “As with many of the stories in Evicted, a tenant without access to legal representation will almost always unjustly lose their home.”
The Protect Tenants, Prevent Homelessness report can be viewed here. For more resources from the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, visit their website. The exhibit will be open at the National Building Museum starting Saturday, April 14, through Sunday, May 19, 2019, and is free to the public.
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The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (the Law Center) is the only national organization dedicated solely to using the power of the law to prevent and end homelessness. With the support of a large network of pro bono lawyers, we address the immediate and long-term needs of people who are homeless or at risk through outreach and training, advocacy, impact litigation, and public education.
Contact: Maggie Ardiente
Communications Director
202-638-2535 ext. 108
