“Without a home, everything else falls apart.”
That quote sets the stage for Pulitzer Prize winning author Matthew Desmond’s book “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City.” Northern Kentucky University will host Desmond as the featured speaker for its Health Innovation Week events on April 19 and 20.
Desmond won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction for his unflinching look into the real-life stories of families struggling to find safe and affordable housing. As part of its commitment to addressing population health issues, NKU will focus on the impact housing insecurity has on the overall health of a region.
Two years ago, NKU held the first Community in Crisis lecture on the opioid epidemic that featured “Dreamland” author Sam Quinones.
“We started thinking through the other issues impacting population health, and we realized there is a need to understand housing insecurity. Without a safe place to live, families are more likely to go hungry, find it harder to hold a job and can face debilitating health issues and addiction,” said Provost Sue Ott Rowlands. “Matthew Desmond does a wonderful job examining this issue and documents the reality for many families who are living on the brink of homelessness. ‘Evicted’ is a compelling book that looks at this crisis both with data and with heartfelt, real-life stories. We look forward to hosting a community conversation on the topic.”
NKU’s Health Innovation celebration begins today with the Community in Crisis event. That afternoon, Desmond will meet with NKU students for an exclusive small-group discussion before his evening lecture. All seats for the public Community in Crisis event have already been filled.
On Friday, April 20, the College of Education and Human Services will feature Desmond in the latest installment of its Think Tank Series. This event features panel discussions and breakout sessions on the topics of local housing insecurity, ways agencies and public officials address it and how people can contribute to solutions that work.
Desmond
NKU’s Health Innovation Week Schedule:
- Community in Crisis: Exclusive Student Session
Thursday, April 19 // 4:30-5:30 p.m. // Griffin Hall Digitorium
Desmond will meet with NKU students to discuss his book.
- NKU’s Habitat for Humanity Small Planet Dinner
Thursday, April 19 // 5:30 p.m. // Student Union Ballroom
Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for students for the buffet dinner.
- Community in Crisis: Understanding Housing Insecurity
Thursday, April 19 // 7 p.m. // Greaves Concert Hall
Tickets to Desmond’s public lecture are sold out.
- Think Tank Featuring Matthew Desmond
Friday, April 20 // 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.// Student Union Ballroom
The College of Education and Human Services Think Tank Series is free, but registration is required.
These events celebrate the Institute for Health Innovation that will be housed in NKU’s new Health Innovation Center. The Institute for Health Innovation will open in the fall to help transform health science education.
For information or to attend a Health Innovation Week event, click here. https://www.nku.edu/hicinfo.html#events.
