Attitudinal research effort

As part of its on-going work to improve the lives of the homeless as well as to learn what the public thinks about the homeless and their plight, the Los Angeles Mission contracted with The Gallup Organization to conduct both a national and regional telephone survey regarding Americans' understanding of, and attitudes toward, the homeless. A nationally representative sample of random telephone numbers was generated and surveys were conducted between Oct. 9 and Nov. 13, 1995. A total of 1,008 interviews were completed nationally and an additional 506 interviews were completed with residents of Los Angeles County. Final national results include all 1,514 interviews with the Los Angeles County oversample proportionately weighted to the adult population of the continental United States. All interviews were conducted by professional Gallup interviewers and a response rate of approximately 50% was achieved.

Estimates generated from random samples of 1,500 and 500 are accompanied by maximum error ranges at a 95% confidence level of 2.5% and 4.4%, respectively.

SURVEY CONCLUSIONS

Public perception of the "average" homeless person

• Both nationally and within Los Angeles County, the "average" homeless person was characterized as an unmarried male between 18 and 55. Nationally, the age of the average homeless person was believed to be similarly distributed among the 18 to 34 (37%) and 35 to 55 (44%) age range. Residents of Los Angeles County envisioned the average homeless person as somewhat older, with 52% characterizing the age range as 35 to 55.

• Perceptions of the average homeless person's race were less definite. Nationally, one in four was unsure whether the average homeless person was white or nonwhite; 19% of those in Los Angeles County said they did not know. However, of those with a discrete opinion, the racial diversity of the Los Angeles area was reflected in the 54% of Los Angeles County respondents who believed the average homeless person to be nonwhite, compared to 46% of respondents nationwide.

Public perception of how the homeless live

• In terms of lifestyle, Los Angeles County residents had a much stronger perception of the homeless person as being on the street compared to respondents nationally. Only 11% of Los Angeles County residents believed the average homeless person slept in shelters or buildings compared to 25% of national respondents. Three-quarters of Los Angeles County respondents believed the homeless slept on the sidewalk or in parks while only 58% of respondents nationally gave these responses.

• The majority of Americans (57%) believed homeless people receive food from shelters or other charitable organizations. Approximately one-third (31%) believed the homeless rely on handouts or "trash" for food.

• When asked what proportion of the homeless receive welfare, the average response was 35% nationally and 37% in Los Angeles County. Respondents who indicated religion was "very important" in their own lives were significantly more likely to believe the homeless are subsidized by welfare than were those for whom religion was "somewhat" or "less" important.

Perceptions of causes/ characteristics associated with homelessness

• Generally, the American public seemed to have strong opinions about the underlying factors which contribute to homelessness. More than three-fourths (78%) identified unemployment as a characteristic of all or most homeless persons. The majority of respondents also identified job loss (67%) and lack of affordable housing (55%) as major causes of homelessness.

• At the same time, there appeared to be a perception that psychosocial and health behaviors also contribute to the problem. More than half (54%) of Americans reported they believed low self-esteem was a major cause of homelessness. Mental illness and laziness were not strongly associated with homelessness - 71% of respondents felt laziness described only some or very few homeless, and mental illness was, at most, a minor cause of homelessness.

• Alcoholism was seen as a major cause of homelessness by a significantly higher proportion of respondents (52%) compared to those who considered it a minor cause (43%).

• Although the majority of Americans surveyed said the average homeless person lives "on the street," 37% felt this described only some or very few homeless persons. A significantly higher proportion of Los Angeles County respondents described most or all homeless persons as "panhandling for money," (51%) compared to the national sample (36%). These differences may be due to the 94% of Los Angeles County respondents who reported having been directly approached for a handout by a (presumably) homeless individual compared with only 77% of respondents nationally.

Attitudes toward the homeless

• Nearly everyone surveyed believes homeless persons can become productive and self-sufficient (94%).

• Almost 90% of respondents reported feeling either a great deal (40%) or some (46%) sympathy for the homeless. Even among those who said they felt little or no sympathy for the homeless, more than four in five (84%) said they believed the homeless could improve themselves.

• For the majority of Americans (58%), levels of sympathy toward the plight of homeless persons has not changed over the last five years. Nearly one in three (31% nationally; 33% within Los Angeles County) reported feeling more sympathy toward the homeless than five years ago. The importance of religion in respondents' own lives appeared related to changes in sympathy levels. Among those who felt religion was a "very important" part of their own lives, one-third (33%) felt more sympathy than five years ago. This result compares with only 25% of respondents for whom religion was less important.

• Half of respondents who felt more sympathy for the homeless than five years ago indicated that this attitudinal change was based, at least in part, on their recognition that they, themselves, could become homeless (50%). This result translates to approximately 16% percent of the adult population or nearly one in six Americans realizing that they could become homeless. This group of individuals whose sympathy has increased due to the realization that they could become homeless consisted primarily of women and persons under age 35.

• Among respondents who reported increased levels of sympathy, there appeared to be a relationship between both actually knowing a homeless individual and increased awareness of the problem of homelessness. Although a direct measure of knowing someone who is homeless was not included in this survey, a very high proportion of people reported having been approached on the street for a "handout."

• Among the respondents who reported increased levels of sympathy for the homeless over the past five years, virtually all felt they had a "better understanding of the problems of being homeless" (92% nationally; 93% in Los Angeles County). Respondents' answers about causation and characteristics did tend to support a general understanding of the problems associated with homelessness. However, there was no clear indication of why or how respondents had gained this additional understanding.

• A small proportion of the national population (8%) expressed great or some sympathy for the homeless, but at the same time indicated that this represented a lower level than they felt five years ago. Among this group the reasons cited for the decline in sympathy were: less coverage in the news (53%), greater concern with other issues (57%), struggles with their own problems (48%) as well as a perception that the homeless don't really want to improve their lives (50%).

• Although nearly two-thirds of respondents attributed no gender differences in likelihood for successful rehabilitation, nearly one-third felt homeless women would be more successful. The majority of respondents believed that younger homeless persons were more likely to succeed; 37% felt age would not be a factor. Race was clearly not considered a predictor of successful rehabilitation - 84% indicated that white and nonwhite homeless persons would be equally likely to succeed.

• Neither current levels of sympathy nor reported increases in sympathy appeared to be a function of having been asked for a handout.

Service funding priorities/ Relative importance of factors increasing self-sufficiency

• Consistent with their recognition of both the immediate and perpetuating causes and characteristics of homelessness, respondents set funding priorities among several services. When asked their perception of the relative funding priorities (expressed in terms of relative importance to fund) of several services, more than one-fourth (26%) said job training was the most important, followed by food (21%), shelter (17%), drug and alcohol rehabilitation (11%) and medical services (9%). Thirteen percent of respondents felt "all" of the programs/services mentioned were the most important to fund.

• That Americans may have a better feel for the problems of the homeless than one might anticipate was underscored by the importance rating given to several different factors which could increase self-sufficiency and productivity. Literacy was rated as significantly more important than any other factor tested (93% very important) followed by job training (82% very important).

• Nearly all respondents believed that counseling (91%) and rebuilding relationships (88%) were at least somewhat important to the overall rehabilitation process. Three in five (60%) rated psychological counseling as a very important component of increasing self-sufficiency and productivity. An even higher proportion (70%) of those who said they feel more sympathetic toward the homeless because they feel they better understand this population, rated psychological counseling as very important.

• The only inconsistency between funding priorities and perceived importance of factors which increase self-sufficiency was the lower funding priority given to drug/alcohol rehabilitation programs. While 75% of respondents felt this was a very important part of helping homeless persons become more productive, only 11% named funding for such programs as a top priority.

Donating behaviors

• Nearly three in five Americans (55%) reported they donated money to an organization providing services to the homeless. An additional 3% who had not donated money reported that they had donated to other charities or donated specific items (other than money). Of those who had not donated money, nearly half (47%) said they had never been asked or were unfamiliar with any programs in their area.

• Nationally, those who reported having been approached for a handout were also more likely to report a monetary donation to an organization serving the homeless (60%) than were respondents who had never been approached (43%). Persons living in urban or suburban areas were significantly more likely to report having donated to programs for the homeless than were those in nonurban areas (60% vs. 40%).

Lack of program awareness

• Perhaps the most glaring inconsistency in results was that despite an apparently good understanding of some of the problems of homelessness and possible solutions, there is a very high lack of awareness of programs already available. More than four in five respondents were unaware of, or unable to identify, an agency which provides rehabilitation or job training for the homeless. This result was true both nationally where only 19% of respondents could name an agency or program, and even lower in Los Angeles County where 15% of respondents were aware of a job training/rehabilitation program for the homeless.

• More respondents were able to identify programs providing food and/or shelter for the homeless (56% nationally; 51% in Los Angeles County)

Perceived responsibility for solutions

• Americans felt effective solutions for the homeless should come from the private sector in the form of charities (66%). Twenty-eight percent (28%) believed government programs would be more effective. Results from Los Angeles County were very similar (60% vs. 34%).

COMPARISON OF NATIONAL AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY RESULTS

• A comparison of survey results between the national sample and respondents from Los Angeles County revealed some differences in perceptions of, and attitudes toward, the homeless as well as in program funding priorities. It is important to remember that a significantly higher proportion of Los Angeles County respondents reported direct contact with someone asking for a handout than did respondents nationwide. While no causal links between these encounters and perceptions can be made from this data, it seems reasonable to assume that direct experience contributed in some way to attitude formation regarding the homeless.

• Nationally, there is a stronger perception that the homeless sleep in shelters and receive food from charities than was found in Los Angeles County. The homeless were more likely to be characterized as nonwhite, living on the street, panhandling for money and being a military veteran by Los Angeles County respondents.

• Mental illness was more strongly associated with causing homelessness by Los Angeles County respondents compared to the national results. Nationally, spousal abuse was named as a major cause of homelessness by a higher percent of respondents than in Los Angeles County.

• A significantly higher proportion of Los Angeles County respondents named medical services as being among the top three funding priorities.

• In general, Los Angeles County respondents were less sympathetic toward the homeless compared to the national sample. Significantly fewer Los Angeles County respondents reported unchanged levels of sympathy (compared to five years ago) and a higher proportion of the change was negative. In other words, residents of Los Angeles County appeared to be shifting to a less sympathetic view of the homeless compared to the national sample. Among respondents who reported that their sympathy for the homeless had declined compared to five years ago, Los Angeles County respondents were significantly less likely to attribute this attitudinal change to a belief that the homeless don't really want to improve their lives.

• Compared to the national results, having religious faith was rated less important to rehabilitation by Los Angeles County respondents who are sympathetic to the homeless.

• Los Angeles County residents who reported feeling little or no sympathy toward the homeless gave a significantly lower importance rating to being able to read and write than did their national counterparts.

• The people of Los Angeles County were significantly more inclined to believe that the government can most effectively address the problems of homelessness than were respondents nationwide. However, both nationally and in Los Angeles County, the majority of the population believed the most effective approach is through the private sector .

MISSION STATEMENT

• The Los Angeles Mission is a non-profit, inner-city relief agency providing food, shelter, clothing and rehabilitation programs to destitute and homeless men, women, and children of Skid Row since 1949. Its primary purpose is helping the needy people it serves change their lives and again become self-sufficient, productive members of society.

DISCLAIMER: THE GALLUP ORGANIZATION REQUIRES USERS OF ITS DATA WHO WISH TO DISCLOSE THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY TO DISCLOSE THOSE FINDINGS IN THEIR ENTIRETY. ANY PARTIAL RELEASE OF FINDINGS OR DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION IN A FORM OTHER THAN THE ENTIRE SUMMARY DOCUMENT REQUIRES WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM GALLUP. A COPY OF THE INTENDED SCRIPT (IF OTHER THAN THE FULL REPORT) SHOULD BE FAXED TO ELAINE CHRISTIANSEN, SENIOR RESEARCH DIRECTOR AT 402-486-6219. ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS CAN BE DIRECTED TO MS. CHRISTIANSEN AT 402-486-8700.