Homelessness is a serious issue across the world and a majority of Americans (54 per cent) take it as a very serious problem. People who live in cities are more likely to identify homelessness as a local problem than people who live in suburbs, towns, or rural areas are, according to a latest survey by YouGov.
The survey noted that more people say homelessness is a national rather than a local problem. Moreover, majority of the people believe the federal government (69%), as well as state and local governments (66%), should do more to address the issue. Almost one in five Americans (19%) say they have personally been homeless at some point in their lives.
ABOVE AVERAGE WHO ARE HOMELESS
• 35% of people with an annual family income under $20,000 have ever been homeless
• 34% of people who report their employment status as “permanently disabled”
• 32% of people without a high-school degree
• 32% of people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender
• 27% of people who have served or are serving in the military
CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS
• Drug and alcohol addiction (66% say it is a major cause of homelessness: 20% say it is a minor cause)
• Mental illness (60% say major cause; 26%, minor cause)
• Poverty (58% major cause; 25% minor cause)
• Lack of affordable housing (57% major cause; 24% minor cause)
NOT CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS:
• Racism (32% say it is not a cause of homelessness)
• Lack of jobs (23% say not a cause)
• Gentrification (17% say not a cause)
• Lack of housing supply (16% say not a cause)
Democrats and Republicans disagree on some potential causes of homelessness. Unlike Democrats – who mostly view homelessness as stemming from society-wide issues, such as poverty and a lack of housing supply – Republicans also attribute homelessness to causes that may be classified as individual weaknesses, such as a lack of financial planning or personal responsibility
Democrats are more likely than Republicans to attribute homelessness to Poverty, lack of affordable housing, lack of housing supply, disabilities, poor health, domestic violence, racism and Gentrification. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to attribute homelessness to drug and alcohol addiction, lack of personal responsibility and poor personal finance skills.
WHO TO BLAME AND NOT FOR HOMELESSNESS
• The mental health system (42% blame it a lot for homelessness; 35% blame it a little)
• The federal government (39% blame it a lot; 36%, a little)
• State governments (36% a lot; 39% a little)
• Local governments (31% a lot; 43% a little)
• The military ( 44% don’t blame it at all)
• Non-profits (39% don’t blame at all)
• Billionaires (27% don’t blame at all)
• Real-estate developers (25% don’t blame at all)
When it comes to assigning blame for homelessness, Democrats and Republicans are most likely to point the finger at members of the other party. In addition, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to place blame on homeless people themselves, while Democrats are more likely to blame billionaires, real estate developers, and landlords
SUPPORT INTERVENTION
Nearly three in four Americans view housing as a basic human right, and when asked which comes closer to their view. Americans are three times as likely to believe the government can do a lot about homelessness (63% believe this) than to believe homelessness is beyond the government’s control (19%) Americans are most likely to support the following:
• Funding services for veterans (79% support this) • Funding counseling programs for mental illness (78% support) • Funding programs for people with disabilities (75% support)
• Funding rehabilitation programs for people with addiction (74% support)
The proposals with the highest levels of opposition include:
• Arresting people who are homeless (65% oppose this) • Banning homeless encampments (35% oppose)
• Building architecture that prevents homeless people from sleeping or camping in public spaces (33% oppose)
• Strengthening laws around renters’ rights to reduce evictions (25% oppose)
Democrats more than the Republican support the government for
• Spending more on social services
• Strengthening laws around renters’ rights to reduce evictions
Building housing for chronically homeless people to permanently live in
• Funding more subsidized housing programs
• Funding more emergency rental assistance programs
• Incentivizing developers to build more housing
• Incentivizing developers to build more low-income housing
• Reducing zoning regulations to try to increase the supply of housing . Funding more programs for people with disabilities
SOCIETAL TREATMENT
Majority of the Americans (62%) reported that seeing people homeless would make them feel sad. About half say they’d feel concerned (49%) and sympathetic (47%). Fewer say they’d feel angry (19%), annoyed (11%), and guilty (10%).
More Americans say people who are homeless face discrimination (44% say a great deal: 37% say a fair amount) than say the same about other racial, religious, and sexual and gender minority groups, including transgender Americans (40% a great deal: 30% a fair amount), Black Americans (35% a great deal: 34% a fair amount), and Muslim Americans (32% a great deal: 38% a fair amount).
GENDER GAP IN VIEWS ON HOMELESSNESS
• Women (63%) are more likely than men (45%) to say homelessness is a very serious problem in the US
• Women (48%) are more likely than men (34%) to say the federal government should be doing much more to address homelessness.
• Women (65%) are more likely than men (48%) to say that a lack of affordable housing is a major cause of homelessness.
• Women (44%) are more likely than men (21%) to say that domestic violence is a major cause of homelessness. •
• Women (19%) are less likely than men (29%) to blame homeless people hemselves for homelessness.
• Women (79%) are more likely than men (65%) to say that housing is a basic human right.
• Women (72%) are more likely than men (56%) to support funding emergency rental assistance programs .
• Women (13%) are less likely than men (22%) to support arresting and jailing homeless people.
• Women (69%) are more likely than men (54%) to say that seeing someone living on the streets makes them feel sad.
• Women (54%) are more likely than men (33%) to say that people who are homeless face a great deal of discrimination in society
