[Benjamin Oreskes, David Lauter, LA Times] IMAGE
A new survey of LA County voters’ attitudes on homelessness has highlighted an ideological gulf between local leaders and the people they represent.
Many attitudes about homelessness have not changed.
One that appears to have shifted involves the trade-off between spending money on temporary shelter or long-term housing.
Asked whether officials should focus on “short-term shelter sites” or “long-term housing for homeless people with services,” voters by 57%-30% opted for the short-term solutions. In a similarly worded question two years ago, opinions were nearly evenly divided.
… A key finding: Nearly four in 10 voters said that homeless people in their neighborhood made them feel significantly unsafe.
… the city and county cannot wait for enough such housing to be built and must proceed quickly with interventions that get people off the street and into shelters faster.
… One thing voters and representatives agree on is the severity of the crisis. 94% of county voters view homelessness as a serious or very serious problem … But voters are extremely frustrated with politicians’ response. The vast majority believe the situation is getting worse.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times.
https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2021-12-01/la-voters-are-frustrated-impatient-over-persistent-homelessness-crisis