Washington (AP) – Most User -growing thinking, according to a new survey, that personal decisions are an critical driver for poverty and homelessness, while less the fault of state support is accused.
However, a little more than half also believes that the government spends too little for the needy, the new survey of the Harris School of Public Policy from the University of Chicago and the Associated Press-Norc Center for Public Affairs Research.
The survey takes place, as a homelessness is on the rise and as civil servants across the country, including Republican President Donald Trump in the capital of the nation, urge to clarify camps in which numerous people live. At the same time, it is expected that Trump’s GOP tax signed by Trump in July will reduce the services for people with low income.
“It seems that people are a little conflict,” said Bruce Meyer, professor at Harris School of the University of Chicago, who creates and analyzes the survey. “I think people probably at least partially recognize the complexity of what makes people get into difficulties in terms of their economic circumstances. And I think many people are generous in the heart and will help people and think that the government is also not guiltless.”
Most see homelessness and poverty as a rising problem
Most of the US -growing – 68% – say that poverty has increased in the entire country over the past 25 years, while 19% indicate that they have remained the same and gave about 12% that it has decreased.
People who live in urban areas, such as the 60-year-old Dwayne Byrd in Baltimore, say that poverty has increased in their local community compared to people in suburb or rural areas.
“They are dilapidated buildings, dirty roads and companies that close to the left and right,” said Byrd about poverty in his city. “You have to choose whether you have to decide between compliance with the lights and inserting something in your stomach … … people with jobs don’t have enough money.”
According to Meyer, professor of the University of Chicago, the human rate of the people living below the poverty line has actually reduced “by almost every measure” in the past 25 years.
The discrepancy between the poverty data and the perception of the Americans can be attributed to the fact that the unshakable homelessness has increased.
“It is the most visible form of poverty,” said Meyer. “I think, very reasonably, people extrapolate what they see in tents and sidewalks, but that differs greatly from the majority of the income population.”
About 8 out of 10 Americans say that homelessness in the United States has increased in the past 25 years, and about 7 out of 10 say that this has increased in their state. A little more than half – 55% – say that it is increased in your own community.
According to federal officials, homelessness rose 18%last year, which was largely driven by lack of affordable living space as well as devastating natural disasters and an augment in migrants in several parts of the country.
This augment arose on an augment of 12% in 2023, which the federal housing officials held on the rising rents and the end of the Coronavirus Pandemic Assistance.
“I’ve never seen so many homeless camps,” said Ashlyn White, a 38-year-old Democrat in Pittsburgh. “They really appear after Covid.”
More support than opposition to remove the homeless camps
According to the survey, more Americans prefer to remove the homeless camps in US cities. About 43% US -grown -ups prefer their distance, while about 25% oppose. About 3 out of 10 Americans have no opinion, and say that they do not prefer or reject the camps.
The US Court of Justice decided last year that cities can enforce prohibitions for people who sleep outside of public locations.
Most Republicans, 64%, prefer the removal of homeless camps, while independent and Democrats are divided, with a significant part said that they have no opinion.
“There must be a kind of rules,” said Ami Tate, a 43-year-old resident of Hesperia, California, who leans conservatively, and added that “the government must also help”.
White, Pittsburgh’s resident, said that she had opposed the removal of camps.
“Where should these people go?” She said and noticed that animal shelters are often full.
In Fort Collins, Colorado, 61-year-old Rob Haas, who describes himself as moderate Democrat, prefers to store sturdy distances. “I just think that it is bad for the homeless people to be in this kind of environment, and I think it’s bad for us to tolerate that,” he said.
Departments on basic causes
About 6 out of 10 Americans say that personal decisions are an “important factor” for why people stay in poverty, while just halved, unfair systems are an critical factor and about 4 guilty lack of support from the government.
Most Republicans, 77%, say that personal decisions are an “important factor” for why people stay in poverty compared to 56% of the independent and 49% of the Democrats.
Adam Kutzer, a 22-year-old who lived in Cranford, New Jersey, said, said no credit card debt or too much money, are examples of “bad financial decisions that can be clearly avoided”.
The Democrats are now very likely to say as a Republican or independent that the lack of government support is an “important factor”.
When it comes to homelessness, most Americans probably see drug abuse and psychological health problems as critical drivers, with about three quarters referring to them as the “main factor”. Nevertheless, around 6 out of 10 adults say that personal decisions are responsible, with a similar proportion blaming a lack of affordable living space.
Almost half of the US -growing – 45% – believe that a lack of government support is an indispensable factor why people are homeless.
Who is responsible for tackling the problems?
A majority of Americans – 54% – believe that the government spends “too little” for those in need. This includes Tate, the residents based in Hesperia who said that more money should go into school programs and support children in low -income communities.
The Americans are also more of the opinion that federal and state governments play an critical role in combating homelessness and poverty compared to charities or very wealthy people.
About 4 out of 10 US-growing say that the federal government and state government are responsible for combating poverty and homelessness compared to a quarter, who say this about charity or very wealthy people.
According to the crime, state and local governments should “find out an action plan on how to get people off the street”.
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Rush reported from Portland, Oregon.
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The AP-NORC survey under 1,121 US people was carried out from August 21 to 25 using a sample from the Norc probability base, which is designed as representative of the US population. The sales edge for adults in total is plus or minus 4.0 percentage points.
