The problem of homelessness is in every big city, and that’s why a new public opinion poll is no surprise.
And it may contain a message for leaders in San Diego.
The poll surveyed a bunch of our neighbors to the north. About 900 registered voters in L-A County were asked about homelessness.
And according to the L-A Times, the poll found “widespread empathy” for people who are homeless. But it also found varied and conflicting suggestions on what to do about it.
The poll found just under half, 49% said homelessness is “primarily” the result of a lack of affordable housing and that wages are too low and not enough to match the cost of living. Just over 25-percent of those in the poll said homelessness was “primarily” a result of “individual actions and decisions.”
And the one thing that almost every one of the registered voters in the poll agreed on, 90%, said mental illness and substance abuse were underlying causes of homelessness….and…..that local government needs to have more treatment facilities and professionals to help.
But the poll also found that while taxpayers are willing to pay for programs to help the problem, they are frustrated with the lack of results from the money already spent on homelessness.
Chances are this poll, while conducted in l-A County, would likely be similar in San Diego County. And that’s why government leaders here should be listening to the community.
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(Photo credit Getty Images)