Americans experienced the fifth year of a national housing crisis. By the end of 2011, some four million families had lost their homes after they could no longer meet mortgage payments. People renting houses often found themselves in a similar situation, no longer able to afford the rent and facing eviction.

An eviction team moves a mattress onto the street in Longmont, Colorado.

One-year-old Chase Milam watches as a sheriff’s deputy and a member of an eviction team remove possessions from his aunt’s home in Milliken, Colorado. His aunt, Brandie Barbiere, whose child-care business had dropped by more than half, had stopped making mortgage payments 11 months earlier.

The contents of a child’s room lie outside the Barbiere’s house in Milliken, after the family had been evicted.

Brandie and Dan Barbiere sit among their possessions after eviction from their home, in Milliken. Brandie, whose child-care business had dropped by more than half due to the weak economy, had stopped making mortgage payments 11 months earlier.

Julie Holzhauer folds her daughter’s sweater, in front of her former home, after the family has been evicted for not paying the rent.

Olivia Holzhauer (9) hugs her dog after her family had been evicted from their home, after falling into arrears with the rent.

Julie and John Holzhauer’s wedding photo lies among possessions spread over the front lawn during the eviction. John, a building contractor, had lost 40 percent of his business due to the economic recession.

Children lie in an empty living-room, after an eviction team had removed the household furniture.

Julie Holzhauer stands among family possessions, on the front lawn of her former home, following eviction after falling behind with the rent.

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