MANSFIELD — Award-winning author Matthew Desmond is set to speak about poverty and housing inequality next week at the Renaissance Theatre.
An esteemed sociologist at Princeton University, Desmond’s work includes the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” which tells the story of the eviction landscape in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Desmond’s research takes a deep dive into the harsh realities faced by families in Richland County and across the nation — shedding light on the urgent need for solutions.
His upcoming keynote is relevant to Richland County because poverty and housing inequality remain pressing concerns.
Six local organizations will be set up in the Ren’s lobby during the May 7 event, including: Habitat for Humanity, the Domestic Violence Shelter of Richland County, Third Street Family Health Services, Wayfinders, Mansfield Metropolitan Housing Authority and Catholic Charities.
Each organization is immersed in efforts related to topics Desmond will be speaking about during the second Kaleidoscope Speaker Series event.
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‘Behind every statistic lies a human story’
Habitat for Humanity of Richland & Crawford Counties offers services aimed at addressing the issue of affordable housing, as well as supporting individuals and families in need.
Some key services provided include home construction, critical repair programs, financial education and counseling, affordable mortgage options, community development initiatives and volunteer opportunities.
Executive Director Aubri Them said issues like poverty and housing insecurity are more than just numbers on a chart.
“They’re lived experiences that permeate every aspect of daily life for so many people in our community,” she said. “Behind every statistic lies a human story; a struggle to make ends meet due to varied instabilities.”
Them added many circumstances can impact one’s ability to secure safe and affordable housing.
“In Richland County specifically, many individuals and families are one paycheck or single payment away from homelessness, highlighting the precariousness of their situation,” she said.
Parsons wants to push Wayfinders’ vision forward
Wayfinders Ohio provides emergency housing to those experiencing homelessness in the region.
Crestview grad Miles Parsons was hired as the organization’s executive director on Feb. 8 and started work Feb. 12. The shelter is located at 124 W. Third St. in Mansfield.
Parsons said one of the most “eye-opening” aspects of his job is “how readily available the tools are to be successful, but mostly at face-value.”
“We, as an agency and maybe community in general, need to address these issues holistically before providing the tools that on paper, look readily available and easy to use,” he said.
Richland County residents facing barriers to wellness
Third Street Family Health Services is a non-profit community health center which focuses on improving the health of the greater community and removing barriers to wellness.
Development Director Alex Goff said the health center focuses on helping patients facing financial barriers to care and wellness.
“We exist primarily to serve underserved populations,” he said. “Around 60 percent of our patients are (on) Medicaid. There’s an additional roughly 10 percent that are just uninsured.
“The vast majority of our patient population fall below 200 percent of the poverty level.”
Goff said one of the biggest challenges faced by patients around the county is a lack of transportation to get to appointments.
To help address this issue, he said the non-profit began offering transportation services to and from appointments for Third Street patients.
“It’s something most of us just take for granted,” Goff explained.
“I think that’s the biggest thing, just some of the barriers that we don’t experience on a daily basis as far as transportation, phone services, cellphones and reliable housing.”
Link between eviction risks and domestic violence
The Domestic Violence Shelter of Richland County is a non-profit organization which serves survivors of domestic violence and sexual assaults.
Executive Director Colleen Rice said research shows a link between eviction risks and domestic violence.
“Approximately 11 percent of total evictions in the United States involve victims of domestic violence,” she said. “That shows that there is a direct link sometimes between domestic violence and the risk of eviction.”
Rice said she frequently sees cases within the county related to both issues.
“This precarious housing situation, faced by many survivors and those evicted, often leads to homelessness. There’s a lot of challenges that go with that,” she said.
“There’s a critical need for interventions to address those root causes of housing instability and one of those would be domestic violence.”
More about Kaleidoscope
The Kaleidoscope Series brings together thought leaders, innovators, and changemakers to engage in meaningful dialogue on pressing social issues.
Through a series of events, Kaleidoscope aims to inspire action and drive positive change in communities across the country.
During an interview with Habitat for Humanity, he explained the importance of housing stability as it relates to other areas of life.
“If we care about promoting health and well-being among families and kids, we have to care about stable, affordable housing,” Desmond said. “We can spend smart or we can spend stupid.”
The Kaleidoscope Series event is made possible by the generous support of sponsors including the Richland County Foundation, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, Renaissance Performing Arts Association and the Richland Source.
Click here for more information and ticket reservations.
