Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences Department of Sociology

Public Perceptions of the Homeless and What Needs to be Done: Summary Report

By

James D. Wright, Amy M. Donley, and Jana L. Jasinski Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences University of Central Florida November, 2009 DRAFT: Not for citation, quotation, reproduction or distribution without permission. Comments welcome.

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Perceptions of the Homeless and What Needs to be Done: Summary Report Introduction In July and August 2009, telephone interviewers from the UCF Institute of Social and Behavioral Sciences surveyed 483 adult residents of Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties to determine public perceptions of the homeless in Central Florida and opinions about strategies to address the problem. Funding for the survey was provided by the Heart of Florida United Way, Central Florida Commission on the Homeless, the Homeless Services Network, and the UCF Institute for Social and Behavioral Sciences. Phone surveys consistently over-sample the elderly, women, and the retired, and this survey was no exception. Post-survey sample weights were derived and applied to the data to correct for the over-sampling. All data reported here are based on the weighted data. Is Homelessness a Significant Problem in Central Florida? Unambiguously, Central Floridians say yes. A majority (55%) described homelessness as a “major problem” in Central Florida, 34% described it as a minor problem, and the remainder either said it was not a problem (6%) or had no opinion (5%). And an overwhelming 90% said that, nationally, the homeless problem is getting worse (of those, 59% said the problem has gotten “a lot worse.”) What is True of the Homeless? Table One shows the percentages who think various things are definitely or probably true of “most homeless people.” There is a very strong consensus that: •

It is hard for homeless people to be safe and free from harm (79%)

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Most homeless people could take care of a home (79%)

There is a weaker consensus that: •

Homeless people may be dangerous (60%)

•

Most of the homeless have “good job skills” (59%)

Majorities on the order of 60% also reject the ideas that:

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Most of the homeless can be identified by appearance alone (61% false or probably false)

•

It is “natural” to fear homeless street people (62% false or probably false)

And finally, only about one in five believe that: • The homeless are more likely than others to commit violent crime (21%) • Homeless programs are too expensive (20%) • “It is hard to understand how anyone becomes homeless” (19%)

Table One What is True of Homeless People?

For each of the following statements, please tell me if, in your opinion, the statement is definitely true, probably true, probably false or definitely false. Percent Definitely or Probably True It’s almost impossible to be safe and free from harm when you are homeless.

79%

Given the opportunity most homeless people could take care of a home.

79%

Even when homeless people seem all right, it is important to remember that they may be dangerous.

60%

Most homeless people have good job skills.

59%

Most homeless people can be identified by their appearance alone.

39%

It’s only natural to be afraid of a person who lives on the street.

38%

Homeless people are more likely to commit violent crimes than other people.

21%

Programs for the homeless cost taxpayers too much money.

20%

It is hard to understand how anyone becomes homeless.

19%

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In a separate question sequence, we also asked respondents to estimate the percentage of homeless people who were men, married, Hispanic, black, or had a criminal background. Median percentages were: men, 65%; married, 35%; Hispanic, 25%; black, 38%; and with a criminal background, about 40%. Depending on how “criminal background” is defined, all of these median perceptions are remarkably close to the correct percentages. Portrayal of Homelessness in the Media People see, read, or hear stories in the media related to homelessness quite regularly: 15% daily, 30% at least weekly, 28% monthly, and the remainder less often. Overwhelmingly, these media accounts are seen as showing homeless people in a negative light (73%). Changing Personal Perceptions About one Central Floridian in three (35%) says that his or her opinion of homeless people has changed in the past year. Of those whose opinions have changed, 95% say they have become more sympathetic. The declining economy and its effects in making people homeless was the most significant reason given for changing attitudes (61%). No other reason was cited by more than 5%. As economic times worsen, people find it easy to understand that people can become homeless through no fault of their own, and this recognition makes people more sympathetic. Also potentially relevant: 40% of our respondents say they personally know someone who has been homeless. Panhandling For all the political and media attention panhandling in Central Florida has received in recent years, only 48% of our respondents say that panhandling is a problem in the region; 43% say it is not a problem; the remainder had no opinion. More than half (58%) believe that most panhandlers are also homeless; 42% disagree. 87% also agree that “most homeless people panhandle at least from time to time.” Opinion was about evenly divided between the view that people panhandle because they are poor and have no alternative (39%) vs. the opinion that panhandling is “an easy way to pick up cash” (45%), with 15% saying they didn’t know or giving some other answer. These perceptions of panhandling are strongly at odds with studies of panhandling both locally and nationally. Michael Scott, a former Chief of Police in Lauderhill, FL, prepared a report on Panhandling for the United States Department of Justice in 2002. Among Scott’s conclusions are that “contrary to a common belief, panhandlers and homeless people are not necessarily one and the same. Many studies have found that only a small percentage of homeless people panhandle, and only a small percentage of panhandlers are homeless.” Surveys of men who sleep in Orlando’s Men’s Pavilion (a facility operated by the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida) confirm Scott’s finding: only about one in six say they ever panhandle and only about one in fifty do so regularly.

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Table Two Giving to Panhandlers

About how often do you give money directly to people on the street? Percentage Distribution Never Daily Two or three times a week Once a week Once every two weeks Once a month Once every two or three months Once or twice a year Fewer times than once a year Total

46.3 1.5 2.4 6.7 2.4 15.5 7.5 15.3 2.4 100%

[If ever] About how much money do you give directly to people on the street each time you give? Less than one dollar One dollar $1.50 – 3.00 $3.50 – 5.00 More than $5

2 27 35 26 11

Median gift per “act of giving” = $2.06 Respondents who said they ever gave to panhandlers were asked why. One in three said they “felt sorry” for panhandlers, one in four said “I think it is the right thing to do.” No other single reason was given by more than one or two percent. Another question asked whether people ever gave food directly to people on the street: 62% said no, never; the remainder said this was something they did at least occasionally, with positive responses clustering in the “once a month” to “once or twice a year” range. What Does the Community Need to Do? The survey asked, “In what ways can the community improve homeless assistance programs?” This was an open-ended question and multiple responses were allowed. About 42% of the answers we received fell into five broad categories. In rank order of frequency of mention, citizens of the region said:

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1. Provide more shelter (28%) 2. Do a better job of communicating ways in which the public can donate or volunteer (14%) 3. Provide more food banks (8%) 4. Provide more affordable housing (7%) 5. Provide places to drop change to be used for homeless assistance (2%). The remaining 58% of answers to the question fell into a large number of “other” categories that were, predictably, all over the map, from “chase them out of town” to “improve outreach and communication with those who need services” to “change the attitude that all homeless people are mentally ill or have drug problems” to “be kinder to panhandlers.” But responses did tend to cluster around a few central themes: greater involvement of the churches and the faith community; greater community involvement and awareness; counseling programs; expanded treatment options for the substance-involved and the mentally ill; and, perhaps the leading response, more attention to job training, education, employment opportunities, and income needs. A later question asked, “In your opinion, is enough being done to address the issue of homelessness in our community?” A substantial majority, 73% said no, and another 14% simply didn’t know. Only 13% -- about one Central Floridian in seven or eight – thought that enough is being done to address the issue. We also asked, “Should Central Florida’s municipal and county governments do more to fund programs that address homelessness?” The resounding majority, 83%, said yes. Conclusions •

Most people in Central Florida believe that homelessness is a major problem in our community, that the problem is getting worse, that too little is currently being done to address the problem, and that Central Florida’s municipal and county governments should be doing more to fund programs that can help.

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With few exceptions, most people in Central Florida also hold sympathetic views towards homeless people. There is a lingering perception that homeless people are possibly dangerous and a strong misperception of the link between homelessness and panhandling, but for the most part, public impressions are demographically accurate and generally sympathetic to people who are suffering from circumstances largely beyond their control.

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In contrast to the sympathetic views of the general public, there is a strong consensus that the media portray the homeless in a generally negative light.

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Despite media negativity, most people whose views about the homeless have recently changed say that they have become more sympathetic to homeless people. •

About half think that panhandling is a problem in our region, yet more than half give money to panhandlers at least occasionally. About a third also give food directly to people on the streets.

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Although it is always hazardous to take poll data too literally, we see in these data a substantial public mandate to stop talking about the problem and start doing something about it.

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