I am going to read you a few things some people say are problems or issues ... Please tell me whether you personally thi
0
why a campaign on
homelessness In the foundation’s most recent listening tour, community members said there is too much homelessness, hunger, lack of safety and lack of access to basic medial care. Starting point of homelessness because housing provides constancy to address other needs Increase awareness and understanding Build will, moving people to act to help address these needs
what is
public will building A blend of communications, advocacy, education and leadership designed to: Connect an issue to the existing, closely held values people have Increase awareness and understanding Move people to take actions, collectively create change Form a new or different set of community expectations
what are the
campaign goals Help move Metro Denver residents to regard homelessness as a priority issue Capitalize on increased awareness and understanding by motivating more people to speak up and take actions that alleviate the underlying causes of homelessness Shift the view so that people in Metro Denver who experience homelessness are viewed by others, and regard themselves, as valuable members of our community
more about
the campaign homeless experience
grassroots network
data
grassroots communication & mass media
why a
public opinion poll Data collection is an essential component of public willbuilding campaigns because it: Identifies audiences most important to the campaign, along with their levels of awareness, relationship to the issue and values Helps to develop messages and approaches that will resonate Provides baseline from which to track progress
Survey Conducted January 14-22, 2015 320-629
Methodology Telephone interviews with 812 voters across the seven-county Denver Metro area Interviews conducted January 14-22, 2015 Interviews in English and Spanish and on landlines and wireless phones Bipartisan research team of Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (D) and Public Opinion Strategies (R) Base sample of 612 voters regionwide, with oversamples of 100 additional African-Americans and 100 additional Latinos All data statistically weighted to reflect the true ethnic composition of the regional electorate Total samples and margins of sampling error include: – N=612 voters regionwide: +/- 4.0% – N=122 African Americans: +/- 8.9% – N=158 Latinos: +/- 7.8% 7
The Denver Metro Region
Boulder
Broomfield Denver
Jefferson
Adams Arapahoe
Douglas
8
Recognition of the Problem of Homelessness 9
Homelessness is a lower-tier issue for residents in their own community. Ext. Ser. Prob.
Very Ser. Prob.
High health care costs
Smwt. Ser. Prob.
25%
Too much government spending
34%
22%
Lack of affordable housing
13%
The quality of public schools
12%
24%
Low wages
13%
22%
Drug and alcohol addiction
11%
24%
14%
26%
28%
Income inequality
High taxes
27%
23%
17%
The economy and jobs 10%
Not Too Ser. Prob.
22%
36%
Domestic violence
9%
21%
41%
Crime Panhandling
8% 15% 5% 0%
10%
5%
35% 32% 31% 31%
32%
50% 40%
35%
21%
19%
11%
26% 80%
29% 22% 15%
43% 60%
38% 37%
5%
28%
37% 20%
18%
39%
9%
5%
23%
45% 45%
9%
45%
Homelessness
5%
28%
42%
17%
60%
21%
38%
22%
11% 16%
35% 26%
Ext./Very Ser. Prob.
24%
34%
25%
DK/NA
100%
Q2. I am going to read you a few things some people say are problems or issues affecting their communities today. Please tell me whether you personally think it is an extremely serious, very serious, or somewhat serious problem or if is it not a problem at all in the city or town where you live.
10
Of course, residents do express concern about a range of issues that contribute to homelessness. Ext. Ser. Prob.
Very Ser. Prob.
High health care costs
Smwt. Ser. Prob.
25%
Lack of affordable housing
34%
17%
13%
22%
Drug and alcohol addiction
11%
24%
9% 0%
34%
38%
20%
41% 40%
Ext./Very Ser. Prob.
11%
60%
18%
19% 60%
45%
16%
23%
42%
21%
DK/NA
27%
28%
Low wages
Domestic violence
Not Too Ser. Prob.
80%
5%
35%
5%
35%
11%
29%
100%
Q2. I am going to read you a few things some people say are problems or issues affecting their communities today. Please tell me whether you personally think it is an extremely serious, very serious, or somewhat serious problem or if is it not a problem at all in the city or town where you live.
11
Geographic distinctions were quite sharp, with Denver County residents vastly more likely to indicate concern about homelessness in their area. Concern About Homelessness by County Extremely/Very Serious
Somewhat Serious
Not a Problem/DK/NA
100% 80% 60%
40% 20% 0%
Adams
Arapahoe
Boulder
Broomfield
Denver
Douglas
Jefferson
(13%)
(20%)
(12%)
(2%)
(21%)
(11%)
(21%)
(% of Homeless*) (9.2%)
(8.4%)
(14.6%)
(0.7%)
(55.8%)
(10.5%)
(0.8%)
(% of Sample)
Q2a. *Percent of Total Homeless Population in Metro Denver. Source: Point in Time Survey, 2014. Metro Denver Homeless Initiative.
12
The lowest-income residents are also outliers on the issue, with a majority expressing concern. Concern About Homelessness by Household Income Extremely/Very Serious
Somewhat Serious
Not a Problem/DK/NA
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
(% of Sample)
$0-$20,000
$20,000$40,000
$40,000$60,000
$60,000$75,000
$75,000$100,000
$100,000+
(9%)
(12%)
(15%)
(11%)
(13%)
(24%)
Q2a. I am going to read you a few things some people say are problems or issues affecting their communities today. Please tell me whether you personally think it is an extremely serious, very serious, or somewhat serious problem or if is it not a problem at all in the city or town where you live. Homelessness
13
Broadening the focus to the Metro area as a whole yields nearly twice as much concern about homelessness. Your City or Town
Extremely serious
9%
Very serious
Somewhat serious
Ext./Very Serious 22% 31%
36%
Not a problem at all
32%
Don't know/NA
Metro Denver Region
20%
Smwt./Not a Problem 68%
38% 3%
Smwt./Not a Problem 41%
1%
1% 0%
Ext./Very Serious 38% 58%
20%
40%
60%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Q2a. I am going to read you a few things some people say are problems or issues affecting their communities today. Please tell me whether you personally think it is an extremely serious, very serious, or somewhat serious problem or if is it not a problem at all in the city or town where you live. Q3. Thinking about the Metro Denver region as a whole, how much of a problem do you think homelessness is in the region: extremely serious, very serious, somewhat serious, or not a problem at all?
14
Quantifying the problem does little to change concern about homelessness in Metro Denver. It is difficult to know exactly how many individuals and families are homeless. But the best and most recent estimate available suggests that 11,000 across the seven-county Metro Denver area are homeless. Initially Extremely serious
20%
Very serious
Somewhat serious
After Information Ext./Very Serious 38% 58%
38%
Not a problem at all
3%
Don't know/NA
22%
Smwt./Not a Problem 41%
36% 2%
Smwt./Not a Problem 38%
1%
1% 0%
Ext./Very Serious 39% 61%
20%
40%
60%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Q3/Q11. Thinking about the Metro Denver region as a whole, how much of a problem do you think homelessness is in the region: extremely serious, very serious, somewhat serious, or not a problem at all?
15
Perceptions of Who is Homeless & Causes 16
Residents’ image of homeless people tends to focus on single males and veterans. I am going to read you a list of different subgroups of the Metro Denver population. Please tell me whether you think rates of homelessness tend to be higher, about the same, or lower among that subgroup than among the population at large. Lower
Veterans
5%
Men
6%
African-Americans
10%
Native-Americans
66% 37% 35%
21% 23%
Teenagers
35%
Whites
29%
The elderly
[VALUE] 17% 25%
39%
Gay, lesbian, or transgender people
33%
18%
Families with children
39%
19%
Women
38%
17%
Asian-Americans
70% 80%
Q7.
+64% +60% +27% +14% +2% -7% -12% -14% -15% -20% -21% -68%
69%
21%
Latinos
Difference
Higher
60%
40%
20%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
17
Public perceptions of who is homeless do not necessarily align with the realities. • Poll findings also show some misperceptions among those polled about who is homeless, compared to the latest data on homelessness. • Those surveyed were more likely to say that men are disproportionately homeless than any other group (66%). Only 19% believed there to be higher rates of homelessness in families with children, or homeless women (17%). • Yet the annual Point-In-Time Survey, which provides a current estimate of homelessness in Metro Denver, shows that families with children make up more than half (53.1%) of the homeless population in region. • In addition, while the ratio of homeless men (60.2%) is higher than women (39.5%) for the region as a whole, only Denver and Boulder have a majority of men experiencing homelessness; the other five metro counties have a majority of women who are homeless. The Point In Time Survey, conducted by Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, provides an annual report on homelessness in Metro Denver.
18
Residents see substance abuse, mental illness, and unemployment as key drivers of homelessness. I am going to read you some things people have said cause homelessness. Please tell me if you think it is almost always, usually, sometimes, rarely, or never part of the reason that people are homeless. Almost Always
Usually
Sometimes
Unemployment
27%
32%
Drug or alcohol abuse
26%
31%
Mental illness
22%
Not enough housing that people can afford
22%
Low wages
25%
Physical illness or disability
24%
15%
22%
14%
22%
0% Q6. *Split Sample.
20%
Almost Always/ Usually
59% 57%
42%
53%
37%
10%
47%
10%
41%
5%
38%
54%
7%
37%
57%
5%
36%
40%
40%
DK/NA
40%
45%
25%
14%
Never
36%
31%
16%
Not enough services to help people stay housed *Lack of family and friends to turn to for support
Rarely
60%
14%
80%
100%
19
They are far less likely to attribute homelessness to luck, chance or choice. Almost Always
Usually
*Social isolation or lack of support in the community
15%
19%
*Irresponsible behavior
14%
18%
Lack of education
11%
Sometimes
6%
21%
8% 9%
*Laziness
8% 8%
Bad luck 7% 8% 0%
11%
20%
16%
19%
30%
54% 20%
32%
34%
42%
40%
21% 60%
80%
32%
14%
63% 61%
Almost Always/ Usually
34%
10%
50%
38%
DK/NA
13%
55%
13%
Personal choice
Never
47%
Domestic violence 7% 13% Breakup of family, such as divorce or death
Rarely
10%
17%
10%
16%
9%
15%
100%
Q6. I am going to read you some things people have said cause homelessness. Please tell me if you think it is almost always, usually, sometimes, rarely, or never part of the reason that people are homeless. *Split Sample.
20
Public perceptions of the causes of homelessness do not entirely align with objective data on those causes. The Denver Foundation Poll Perceptions about why Metro Denver Residents are Homeless*
2014 Point-In-Time Survey Reasons why Metro Denver Residents say they are Homeless
1
Unemployment
59%
1
Lost job/Can’t find work
43.9%
2
Substance abuse
57%
2
Housing costs too high
31.9%
3
Mental illness
53%
3
Relationship/Family break up
28.2%
4
Housing costs too high
47%
4
Mental illness
21.3%
13
Relationship/Family break up
19%
5
Substance abuse
18.9%
The Point In Time Survey, conducted by Metro Denver Homeless Initiative, provides an annual report on homelessness in Metro Denver. *Poll respondents replied these were “almost always” or “usually” the reasons that people are homeless.
21
Residents perceive that it is highly difficult for people who are homeless to find a home. In general, when someone is homeless, how difficult do you think it is for them to find a permanent place to call home: nearly impossible, very difficult, difficult but achievable, not so difficult, or not difficult at all? Nearly Impossible/ Nearly impossible 20% Very Very difficult 50% Difficult 70% Difficult but achievable
27%
Not so difficult Not difficult at all
2% 0%
Don't know/NA
1% 0%
10%
Q4.
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
22
Personal Engagement with the Issue 23
Nearly half of residents have friends or family who have experienced homelessness. Do you have close family or friends who have experienced a period of homelessness?
Yes 43%
No 52%
DK/ Refuse/ NA 6%
Q18.
24
More than one-in-ten residents say they themselves have experienced homelessness, and one-in-five have come close. Have you personally ever experienced a period of being homeless? (IF NO: Have you ever had so much trouble paying rent or a mortgage that you thought you might become homeless?) Have Experienced 13%
Have Not/DK 69%
Thought They Might 18%
Demographic Group
All residents African-Americans HH Income
