Survey about Poverty and Homelessness

Survey on Poverty and Homelessness

This week's survey, taken on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz, CA on March 14, 2009, looks at poverty and homelessness. It also gives a snapshot of the demographics of the people who answer the weekly surveys. Alarmingly, it seems that 36% of the survey respondents are unemployed, while only 4% are collecting unemployment. Maybe the merchants are right that the poor and homeless need to be driven out of downtown to make room for more fully employed people, who make up only 32% of those surveyed. (Just kidding...) Some people are also employed part time, some of those being self employed.

Fully 36% of those surveyed said that they had been homeless at some point in their life. Maybe these results speak more to the type of person who is likely to answer the survey than it does to the actual rates of homelessness or joblessness in the community. Maybe with nothing better to do than answer a survey, a jobless or homeless person is more likely to answer the survey.

Well anyway, here are the results for this week's survey:

Do you know anyone who lost their job or had their hours cut as a result of the current economic downturn?

yes 72%
no 28%
don't know 2%
don't care 0%


Do you believe that the economy will improve in the next year?

yes 30%
no 55%
don't know 13%
don't care 0%


Are you currently employed, unemployed or underemployed?

employed full time 32%
employed part time 19%
underemployed 9%
unemployed 36%
collecting unemployment weather employed or not 4%
retired/disabled/not seeking work 6%

Have you been homeless at some point in your life?

yes not currently homeless 19%
yes currently homeless 17%
no 62%
decline to answer 2%

Do you know anyone who is homeless?

yes 72%
no 28%
don't know 0%
don't care 0%


What question should be asked next week?

Do you know anything about 6AM, December 21, 2012? Do you think that it is the end or the beginning?
What can we change so that people don't have to be homeless?
9 people wanted a question about healthcare or single payer healthcare.
Will Obama be assasinated?
Should panhandling and begging be restricted?
Do you think you will benefit from the economic stimulus plan?
Socialist revolution
When will we stop the war?
Would you give a dollar to every homeless person you see?
Do you believe in the Obama stimulus package?
Will we reach a tipping point for a new economy?
Where do you think you will be in 10-20 years? Do you think about tomorrow?
What is the real reason for the war in Iraq?
Have hunger and homelessness gotten any better?
What do you like to buy?
Is there going to be another New Deal?
How can I improve life on Earth?
How are people taking care of their health?
Do you approve of the Obama stimulus plan?
Have you done anything to help the homeless in the past week?
How to support the community in hard economic times?
What changes should we make to make the economy better?
How to help solve the problem of homelessness?

A total of 47 people answered this week's survey.