Poll Finds Ohioans Reject Harassment of Homeless, Endorse Policy Changes.

COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 30, 1999--

The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) today announced findings from a public opinion survey regarding attitudes towards homelessness.

The survey indicated that an estimated 10 percent of Columbus area residents have been homeless at some time, while 18 percent have family members who have been in an emergency shelter or without housing.

The public opinion survey consisted of 500 telephone interviews of a random sample of Franklin County residents, which includes Columbus, Ohio's largest city. Bill Faith, Executive Director of COHHIO, which sponsored the survey, said it was designed to help understand public perceptions of homelessness, and plan housing and service programs. "We wanted to know what people thought. The poll shows that Ohioans are compassionate but practical."

The survey found that homelessness is a major issue in the Columbus area, ranking second only to concerns with crime. Fully 72 percent of residents agreed that "homeless people are normal people facing temporary problems like unemployment or sudden rent increases." Citizens overwhelmingly reject proposals to "make life on the street more difficult and unpleasant until the homeless decide to leave town" as a possible solution to reducing homelessness in the Columbus area. Only 8 percent felt that such strategies were effective.

The findings suggest that a fundamental change in homeless housing policy is in order. The public strongly endorses a shift in policy from large emergency shelters to smaller, scattered site permanent housing that includes job training and supportive services. More than 70 percent of Columbus area residents felt that this strategy was an effective means of reducing homelessness.

The survey indicated that residents actually favor construction of these homeless housing units in their own neighborhoods, as long as the housing includes supportive services such as medical/psychiatric care and job training. By a margin of nearly 3-to-1, residents say they would support "a proposal to build supportive housing for the homeless somewhere in your own neighborhood."

An overwhelming 86 percent of residents say "supportive housing for the homeless can fit in a neighborhood if it is well-designed and well-maintained," while 82 percent agreed that "we need to build more housing with supportive services to get homeless people off of the streets." Faith said, "This data indicates that people in the Midwest support thoughtful, comprehensive programs to help homeless people rebuild their lives, rather than just warehousing them."

The Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO) is a state-wide coalition of organizations and individuals committed to ending homelessness and promoting safe and affordable housing for all Ohioans. The telephone survey was conducted by GCA Strategies, a San Francisco based public affairs and opinion research firm specializing in affordable housing and controversial land use issues nationwide.