In America, the financial crisis of 2008 suddenly made many people's homes unaffordable. Jobs were lost, savings and income plummeted, and foreclosures mounted, while rents remained high due to increased competition for housing. This PBS-aired Frontline documentary looks at the government's response of low-income tax credits and Section 8 vouchers, the latter being sometimes hard to get, as well as a "use or lose" proposition with expiration dates. The newly poor had to contend with long waits, which resulted in near riots at some sites. And there was pushback when public-private partnerships worked to build low-income housing units in the outer suburbs of cities like Dallas, TX. The film notes that "zip code is destiny," and the issue of race inevitably surfaced when inner-city residents wanted wider access and suburban residents feared a loss in property values. On top of it all, a high stakes political game played out, marked by corruption, bribes, and kickbacks. The documentary explains how Section 8 and tax credits work, and why corruption and the lack of stringent auditing brought about the double whammy of inflated costs and less housing. Although the need is stressed for sound housing policy free from prejudice, the unfortunate fact is that many low-income residents face long periods of renting or even being homeless. As if to illustrate the dilemma, while one renter is being interviewed, her car is repossessed just off camera, depriving her family of even that meager shelter as a possibility. Offering clear explanations and insightful interviews, this compelling treatment of a pressing national problem is recommended. Aud: C, P. (S. Rees)
Poverty, Politics and Profit
(2017) 60 min. DVD: $24.99 ($54.99 w/PPR). PBS Video. SDH captioned. ISBN: 978-1-5317-0224-3. Volume 32, Issue 6
Poverty, Politics and Profit
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: