Residents in several California counties are expressing growing concerns about the proliferation of homeless encampments within the state, as revealed by a recent Bay Area News Group poll reported by The Mercury News.
According to The Mercury News, a significant 75% of respondents indicated that homelessness had either worsened “somewhat” or “significantly” in their respective regions. These views were collected through a comprehensive poll that surveyed residents of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties.
One respondent, Larry Sekuler, summed up the sentiment by stating, “Yes, they have a constitutional right to be there, but don’t I have a right to my safety?”
This telling comment is key to the issues facing California residents as the rights of the homeless seem to outweigh the serious ramifications the crisis with increased crime, open drug markets, and a debris field of garbage and human feces.
The issue of homelessness ordinances has been further complicated by federal court rulings that have prevented the enforcement of local regulations, mandating that officials provide accommodations before dismantling encampments as noted by The Mercury News.
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Approximately 73% of those surveyed asserted that “communities should prevent people from living in public places,” highlighting a prevailing desire for more stringent measures to address the crisis.
Moreover, 59% of respondents admitted to having encountered a homeless individual in a manner that left them feeling unsafe, according to the poll results.
Interestingly, the widespread concern regarding homelessness transcends political boundaries, with both Democrats and Republicans showing similar levels of support for the CARE Court program.
This initiative seeks to establish a dedicated court system focused on channeling individuals with mental illness into treatment programs, a bipartisan approach to addressing the multifaceted issue.
One respondent, Rishabh Kumar, a Democrat, pondered, “How do we help people who don’t want to help themselves while also balancing public safety?”
In September, Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom called upon the Supreme Court to address the contentious issue of homelessness ordinance bans imposed by federal courts.
The increasing frustration among non-homeless constituents is leading to mayors state-wide attempting to reconcile the situation.
“You see mayors across the state that are coming up with more carceral approaches, coming up with more reactionary approaches, because of exactly what you’re finding in this poll: Non-homeless constituents are tired of seeing so much homelessness,” Jennifer Loving, the chief executive of Destination: Home, told The Mercury News.
The poll, conducted between August 29 and September 6, surveyed a substantial sample of 1,802 registered voters, boasting a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points, ensuring its statistical credibility.
At the time of this report, Governor Newsom had not responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
