Poll: Most Believe Homelessness Has Worsened Under Joe Biden’s Leadership

Most Americans believe homelessness has worsened under President Joe Biden’s leadership, a Rasmussen Reports survey released Monday found.

The survey asked respondents, “In the past two years, has the problem of homelessness in America gotten better or worse?”

Overall, 68 percent said the problem of homelessness has gotten worse in Biden’s America, while just eight percent said it has improved. Perhaps what is more telling, a majority in each political group agrees that it has worsened in the last two years — 79 percent of Republicans, 71 percent of independents, and 56 percent of Democrats:

Over the last 2 years, has homelessness gotten better or worse?

Better / Worse
All – 8% / 68%
Rep – 6% / 79%
Dem – 15% / 56%
Ind – 2% / 71%https://t.co/oPewEvuVEs pic.twitter.com/ewGD4uUcUp

— Rasmussen Reports (@Rasmussen_Poll) October 10, 2022

Further, nearly three quarters, 72 percent, believe homelessness is at least a “somewhat” serious problem. But of those, 65 percent believe it is “very” serious. 

Additionally, 61 percent believe government policies and practices “encourage increased homelessness in some cities and states more than others.”

According to Rasmussen Reports:

Democrats (34%) are more likely to believe homelessness should be primarily a federal responsibility, compared to 21% of Republicans and 26% of those not affiliated with either major party. Forty-eight percent (48%) of Republicans, 38% of Democrats and 35% of the unaffiliated think states should be primarily responsible for dealing with homelessness. Twenty percent (20%) of Republicans, 16% of Democrats and 14% of the unaffiliated say homelessness should be a local responsibility.

Majorities of every political and racial category – 79% of Republicans, 56% of Democrats, 71% of the unaffiliated, 71% of whites, 60% of blacks and 66% of other minorities – agree the homeless problem has gotten worse in the past two years.

The survey was taken September 26-27, 2022, among 1,000 U.S. adults and has a +/- 3 percent margin of error. 

This issue is intricately connected to the rise in crime, drawing attention to district attorneys who are allowing criminal behaviors to go unchecked. 

One such story occurred in blue Portland, where a mother discovered a homeless woman sleeping in her ten-year-old son’s bed. However, the intruder was quickly released after her arrest:

Zinser was later arrested by Portland police, where she was charged with burglary in the first degree and harassment.

A day after she was booked into jail, she was set free on a “court ordered release” by liberal Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt’s office, the New York Post reported. Zinser’s bail was set at $0.

Schmidt has an extensive history of being soft on criminals, most notably concerning ANTIFA rioters, as Breitbart News has documented.

Meanwhile, families in the blue city are being forced to flee due to “out-of-control homelessness and crime,” as Breitbart News detailed. 

What is more, a recent survey found that rampant inflation could lead to more homelessness across the country.