Almost 3 in 10 have neared threshold of homelessness

National survey sheds light on issue's scope here

By Berny Morson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Nearly three in 10 Denver-area residents have faced homelessness at some point in their lives, according to a poll conducted by Gallup Inc.

And 12 percent said they had difficulty putting food on the table in the past year, the study shows.

The figures were part of a national survey of attitudes about homelessness. Denver was among eight cities chosen for intensive interviews.

The poll was conducted for the Fannie Mae Foundation, a group that addresses homelessness.

The survey results don't reveal why 29 percent of Denver- area respondents thought they were at risk of becoming homeless.

However, 41 percent of Denver residents cited loss of employment as a factor they fear could cause them to lose their homes. Medical expenses was the second most frequently cited factor at 40 percent, followed by housing prices (33 percent) and mortgage payment increases (26 percent).

When asked about the primary cause of homelessness in others, 26 percent of the Denver respondents cited alcohol and drug abuse, and another 22 percent cited mental illness.

The poll results were released ahead of a three-day meeting in Denver on homelessness that begins today. Mayor John Hickenlooper will be joined by mayors and county commissioners from 18 jurisdictions, including Atlanta and Baltimore.

They are expected to announce a set of common principles Friday to address the problem.

Hickenlooper has set a goal of ending homelessness by 2015.

Jamie Van Leeuwen, the project manager of Denver's Road Home, Hickenlooper's homeless program, said the number of poll respondents who said they were at risk for homelessness shows the importance of preventive measures.

"What it tells us is that homelessness impacts a large part of our community in different ways. There are people who are homeless, but I think what this survey highlights is that homelessness impacts people who know they are at risk," Van Leeuwen said.

The Denver poll responses closely tracked national opinion.

Most Americans - and most Denver residents - said more must be done to help.

Fifty-eight percent of Americans said the nation is doing a poor job on behalf of the homeless. Thirty-four percent said the nation is doing a good job but still must do more.

Respondents were more upbeat about efforts on behalf of the homeless in their own cities.

Nineteen percent of Denver-area residents said their community is doing all it can for the homeless. But 70 percent said still more should be done.

Van Leeuwen said he agrees more must be done.

"The message we want to send is, there is more work to be done," he said.

The polling sample did not distinguish between residents of Denver proper and the suburbs, which are not part of Hickenlooper's program.

The poll was conducted by telephone between Sept. 4 and Oct. 17. The margin of error is 5 percentage points for the Denver results and 3 percentage points for the national results.

By the numbers

41% of Denver residents cite loss of employment as a factor they fear could cause them to lose their homes.

26% of Denver residents cite alcohol and drug abuse as the main reason for homelessness in others.

2015 is Mayor John Hickenlooper's target year for ending homelessness in the city.