exclusively by African-Americans. As demand for housing greatly exceeds supply, Sherrena enjoys a position of power over her tenants. She knows that she can rely on a steady stream of clients who are desperate for a roof over their heads.

The seemingly insatiable demand for rental properties, combined with a lack of proper regulation, gives Sherrena great power over her tenants. If any of them get out of line, she can evict them at the drop of a hat, safe in the knowledge that replacement tenants can easily be found.

For his part, Tobin makes his living as a landlord renting trailers in the all-white College Mobile Trailer Park. Racially speaking, it's a world away from the ghetto neighborhoods where Sherrena's property portfolio is concentrated, but the same power dynamics apply.

Tobin's tenants are every bit as desperate for a place to stay as Sherrena's. And like Sherrena's tenants, they're prepared to put up with substandard accommodation rather than end up on the streets. Tobin is every bit as aware as Sherrena that the shortage of property gives him a great deal of power over his tenants.

Although Tobin is a little more reluctant to evict tenants than Sherrena, he can still be ruthless when it comes to collecting rent. When all's said and done, both individuals take the view that business as business, whether it's in African-American neighborhood or an all-white trailer park.

Just to be clear, Sherrena and Tobin are not tenants; they're landlords. Sherrena, an ex-teacher, is an African-American woman making a substantial amount of money renting properties in the predominantly black neighborhoods of Milwaukee, one of the most racially-segregated cities in the United States.

Given the chronic shortage of affordable housing, landlords like Sherrena are well-placed to cash in. As demand vastly exceeds supply, Sherrena is in a position to make a small fortune from renting out sub-standard properties in run-down neighborhoods where no one would ordinarily choose to live.

The deep-seated structural imbalances in the broken housing market mean that Sherrena can count on a constant stream of clients desperate for somewhere to live. The high demand for properties, combined with a lack of proper protection for tenants, gives Sherrena the freedom to evict tenants pretty much whenever she likes. She knows that she can easily find replacement tenants, and that she'll still be able to make plenty of money out of them.

Tobin is very similar to Sherrena in that he's a wealthy landlord making huge sums of money out of the housing shortage. Only he makes a living from the all-white College Mobile Trailer Park, the poorest trailer park in Milwaukee. Like Sherrena he can count on a steady stream of clients all desperate for a roof over their heads. And also like her, the accommodation he provides for his tenants is sub-standard and poorly-maintained. Tobin isn't worried, however; he knows that tenants are reluctant to kick up a fuss as they have no place else to go.

As well as the obvious difference of race, there's a slight difference in attitude towards eviction between the two landlords. Whereas Sherrena will evict at the drop of a hat, Tobin tends to be more reluctant to do so. Nonetheless, when it comes to receiving rent, he proves himself every bit as ruthless as his counterpart in the black neighborhoods.