The Associated Press poll on homelessness was conducted by telephone Dec. 5-9 among a random sample of 1,004 adults in the contiguous United States. Interviewing was done by ICR Survey Research Group of Media, Pa. The results were weighted to adjust for variations in the sample. The poll had a three-point margin of sampling error, meaning that 19 of 20 times its findings should be within three points of the result if every adult American were asked the same questions. The error margin is larger for subgroups. There are other sources of potential error in polls, including the wording and order of questions. These are the questions in this poll; because of rounding, sums may not total 100: 1. Is your knowledge of the homeless a result of something you have seen or dealt with in person, or is it just based on news reports and word of mouth? In person: 45 percent. Word of mouth: 54 percent. Don't know or no answer: 2 percent. 2. Which of the following statements best reflects your attitude toward the homeless in the United States today? - The homeless themselves are mainly at fault because of their unwillingness to work or their behavior, such as alcohol or drug use: 17 percent. - Our society is mainly at fault because we do not provide sufficient housing for them: 20 percent. - Neither the homeless nor society is mainly at fault because they become homeless through tough breaks or bad economic luck: 41 percent. - (volunteered answer) Combination of both homeless and society: 17 percent. - Don't know or no answer: 5 percent. 3. Do you think federal spending on helping the homeless should be increased, decreased, or remain the same? Increased: 58 percent. Decreased: 7 percent. Remain the same: 23 percent. DK-NA: 12 percent. (For those who said increased) Would you be willing to pay more taxes for that? Yes: 75 percent. No: 22 percent. DK-NA: 3 percent. 4. I'm going to ask you to rate the chances that you or a member of your family could become homeless in the coming year. Do you personally feel the chances are ... Very likely: 4 percent. Somewhat likely: 11 percent. Somewhat unlikely: 16 percent. Not at all likely: 67 percent. DK-NA: 3 percent. 5. Do you know someone who has become homeless in the last year? Yes: 15 percent. No: 85 percent.
