Tackling Homelessness and Public Perceptions: A Narrative Review and Exploratory Survey with Policy Reflections for Fremont

Grant Yuan

Grant Yuan Claremont McKenna College, USA

Keywords: Homelessness, housing policy, Housing First, public perception, Fremont, encampment bans, affordable housing

Abstract

Homelessness is a growing problem across the world, with over 150 million people estimated to be homeless. This study aims to compare leading methods of tackling homelessness along with public perception on several topics in order to make policymaking more efficient and tailored to each city’s possible needs. A survey (n=66) was done to gather public perception on a variety of homelessness-related issues. Strong correlation was found throughout several comparisons, such as empathy towards the homeless and perceived responsibility. While not as significant, a positive correlation was observed in viewing affordable housing as a leading cause vs. support for encampment bans, as well as viewing substance abuse as a factor vs. lack of empathy. These results can prove useful in understanding the subconscious biases people may hold regarding homelessness as well as improve policy implementation, with politicians knowing which policies would be well received among their constituents based on related opinions.

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