"The percentage of Bay Area residents who are "very concerned" about the presence of homeless people in their community has dropped from 63% in 2019 to 28% in 2025, according to annual surveys conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. Homelessness still remains a top concern in the Bay Area, with 76% of respondents expressing they were either "very concerned" or "somewhat concerned." Only 24% of residents responded with "not too concerned" or "not at all concerned" about homeless people."
"Lauren Mora, a Public Policy Institute of California survey analyst, said the drop in people being very concerned has to do with their perception of how the state and their local governments are handling homelessness. But in today's economic climate, people are also more focused on their personal lives. "I would say it's probably just like a mix of those two things," Mora told San José Spotlight. "It's not only just the impact of the state and local programs, but also that people are way more concerned about their own situation. We've asked a lot lately about people's personal finances and economic outlook overall, and it's pretty gloomy.""
"Cost of living and the economy is the top concern facing the state, 32% of people surveyed said. The second largest concern is housing costs and availability, with 14% saying it's the top concern. Threats to democracy and problems with elected officials are tied for third and fourth place, with 11% saying it's the top concern. Only 6% of statewide residents say homelessness is the top concern for California, compared to 2020 when 20% of residents said it was the top concern."
Bay Area residents reporting being "very concerned" about homelessness dropped from 63% in 2019 to 28% in 2025. Overall concern remains high, with 76% saying they were "very" or "somewhat" concerned and 24% saying "not too" or "not at all" concerned. Respondents attribute the decline in intense concern to perceptions of state and local government responses and to increased focus on personal finances amid a gloomy economic outlook. Cost of living and the economy rank as the top statewide concern at 32%, housing costs second at 14%, and homelessness is the top concern for only 6% of residents despite 187,084 homeless people in California in 2024.
Read at San Jose Spotlight
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