2021 LABC Institute Homelessness Survey

Poll Finds L.A. Voters Want Bold Leadership and Quick Action

Homelessness is seen as a huge and timely crisis according to a survey of L.A. voters…

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79% believe homelessness has gotten worse over the last couple years.

2/3 believe California should guarantee access to shelter as a basic human right.

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By a 2-to-1 margin, voters favor short-term solutions over long-term solutions.

Conducted by nationally prominent pollster Hart Research Associates, the 2021 LABC Institute survey demonstrates a desire for strong leadership and immediate solutions.

This research serves as an update to the LABCI’s groundbreaking 2019 survey on homelessness.

Senior Analyst at Hart Research Aileen Cardona-Arroyo, Ph. D. breaks down the main findings of the poll.

Watch LABC President Mary Leslie discuss the poll

With the homeless crisis worsening and the 2022 mayoral election underway, the LABC launched into action to research public perception on homelessness and what solutions voters support.

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Homelessness remains the number-one issue for L.A. County voters, as 94% see it as a serious problem facing Los Angeles, virtually unchanged from the LABCi 2019 survey.

Nearly two in three voters feel that homelessness is caused by societal factors instead of individual actions and decisions.

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Voters are more pessimistic than they are optimistic that political and civic leaders in LA can adequately address the problem of homelessness.

Scroll over chart to see percentages

Chart by Visualizer

Total Pessimistic 44%

Total Optimistic 35%

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Those who are pessimistic blame a lack of leaders, not a lack of solutions.

Both

Lack of leadership

No realistic solutions

Not sure

Despite the gravity of the issue, a majority of voters still believe that homelessness can be solved with the right leadership and policies.

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A majority of voters support the following short-term solutions:

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57% of those surveyed believe existing homelessness funds should focus on short-term shelter sites over long-term housing.

Hear from LABC members and other leaders working on these solutions NOW

Brian Cox
Image is not available
Brad Cox
Chair, LABC Institute
Amanda Gattenby
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Amanda Gattenby
VP of Development, CRATE Modular
Jimar Wilson
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Jimar Wilson
VP & Market Leader, Southern California, Enterprise Community Partners
Sarah Dusseault
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Sarah Dusseault
County Member, LAHSA Commission
Kevin Murray
Image is not available
Kevin Murray
President & CEO, Weingart Center
Michael Lehrer
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Michael Lehrer
Founding Partner, Lehrer Architects
Richard Ziman
Image is not available
Richard Ziman
Founding Chair, LABC & LABC Institute

Watch a stakeholder briefing on key poll results led by Hart Research

Dec. 6, 2021

Social Media toolkit

Download the graphics below and post to your social media channels! Help us spread the word about the poll results and what Angelenos think about the homelessness crisis.

In the News

‘Remember that can easily be you’: Angelenos closest to the homelessness crisis urge compassion

The poll found that 94% of voters view homelessness as a serious or very serious problem. There were, however, demonstrable differences in outlook that broke down along racial and ethnic lines.

NBC LA: NewsConference: Is the Homelessness Problem Pushing People Out?

NBC4’s Conan Nolan talks Mary Leslie, President of the Los Angeles Business Council about the results of the joint poll with the Los Angeles Times.

Editorial: Turns out Los Angeles voters do want denser housing in single-family neighborhoods

The idea of owning a house with a backyard has long been part of the “California dream.” But the California reality for most people is renting an apartment or house they can barely afford.

L.A.’s mayoral candidates agree homeless encampments need to go. The question is how

The poll found that 94% of voters view homelessness as a serious or very serious problem. There were, however, demonstrable differences in outlook that broke down along racial and ethnic lines.

‘Gimme Shelter’: Sacramento plans to give homeless residents the right to housing

Over the past few years, California governments have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on the state’s homelessness problem, but progress has been hard to see.

L.A. voters back a right to shelter, but are wary of taxes to pay for it, new poll finds

A majority of Los Angeles County voters back two new state laws designed to spur housing construction, including one that significantly changes traditional single-family zoning, a new poll finds.

Poll on homelessness: How it was done

Amid deep frustration over widespread, visible homelessness, Los Angeles voters want the government to act faster and focus on shelter for people living in the streets, even if those efforts are short-term and fall short of permanent housing, a new poll of county voters shows.

For nearly half of Black voters in L.A., homelessness is personal, poll finds

The poll found that 94% of voters view homelessness as a serious or very serious problem. There were, however, demonstrable differences in outlook that broke down along racial and ethnic lines.

LA Times: L.A. voters angry, frustrated over homeless crisis, demand faster action, poll finds

Amid deep frustration over widespread, visible homelessness, Los Angeles voters want the government to act faster and focus on shelter for people living in the streets, even if those efforts are short-term and fall short of permanent housing, a new poll of county voters shows.

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