Why Does Poverty Persist in America? A Look at Poverty, by America

This spring, our food bank hosted a community book club on Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond, a Pulitzer Prize–winning sociologist and author of Evicted. We know not everyone could be there—so we’re sharing a few of the book’s most important insights here.

The central question of the book is simple but radical: Why does the richest country on Earth have so much poverty?

Desmond’s answer is equally bold: Because so many of us benefit from it.

Not in obvious ways—not by cheering it on—but through the structures we live in, the tax breaks we receive, the wages we pay, and the policies we support or ignore. Poverty, he argues, is not accidental. It's produced and maintained.

Here are some key takeaways:

1. Poverty is a Policy Choice

Desmond shows how other wealthy nations have far lower rates of poverty—not because their people are more hardworking, but because their systems are designed to reduce poverty. In the U.S., we’ve made different choices: underfunded schools, unaffordable housing, a minimum wage that doesn’t cover basic needs. Poverty exists not because we lack resources, but because we lack the will to share them fairly.

2. Many Americans Profit from Poverty

It’s uncomfortable, but important: Desmond argues that middle and upper-income Americans benefit from poverty. They pay low prices because others are paid low wages. They enjoy cheap services—like food delivery—because someone else is struggling to make ends meet. Their taxes are lower because our government underinvests in safety nets.

3. We Don’t Just Tolerate Poverty. We Structure It.

The book explains how poverty is woven into our economy and policies. From restrictive zoning laws that block affordable housing, to regressive tax systems, to welfare programs full of red tape, the system doesn’t just “allow” poverty—it organizes it.

4. We Can Choose Something Different

Despite its tough truths, Poverty, by America is a deeply hopeful book. Desmond urges us to become “poverty abolitionists”—people who fight for a society where no one has to live without enough. He invites us to ask hard questions about our own roles and resources. Are we hoarding benefits others could use? Could we pay more, give more, vote differently, speak up?

5. It’s Not About Charity. It’s About Justice.

One of the book’s most powerful themes is this: poverty will not be solved by kindness alone. It will take structural change. It will take us confronting how our systems work and who they work for. At the Port Angeles Food Bank, we’re proud to offer food with dignity. But we also know food alone won’t fix poverty. That’s why we’re having these conversations.

What You Can Do:

• Reflect: What do I gain from the current system? What am I willing to give up or change?

• Vote: Support policies that promote fair wages, housing, and education.

• Talk: Share these ideas. Start hard conversations with friends, family, coworkers.

• Give: If you can, donate to organizations fighting poverty—and ask how they’re doing that work.

• Act: Join us in pushing for a more just Clallam County.

Final Thought:

Poverty doesn’t happen because people are broken.

Louder for the people in the back!

Poverty doesn’t happen because people are broken.

It happens because systems are. And systems can be changed.

Thanks for being in this with us.

Want to keep the conversation going? Reach out. We’re always up for a book club, a coffee, or a community conversation.

Send me an email. Let’s talk about it. arossi@portangelesfoodbank.org