The number of Dallasites who consider homelessness, vagrancy, and panhandling a major issue continues to remain significantly higher than those who disagree.
In a February poll conducted by The Dallas Express, a total of 50% of respondents considered these problems to be major obstacles for the city, while only 30% disagreed.
An additional 20% of Dallas residents indicated that they were unsure.
Broken down by self-described political alignment, in February, “centrists” were the most concerned with the issues of homelessness, vagrancy, and panhandling.
Just over 59% of centrists answered yes when asked if they considered those societal disorders a serious problem in Dallas. On the other hand, 26% suggested it was not that serious, and 15% said they were unsure.
Looking at the wings, those on the left thought it was a more serious problem than those on the right.
Half of those on the far and center-left thought the issue was important. However, 37% of those on the far left did not think such things were problematic (compared to 12% among center-lefts), while 13% were unsure (compared to 38% among center-lefts).
On the center-right, 43% believed homelessness, vagrancy, and panhandling to be collectively a serious problem, while 50% said they did not. Only 7% were unsure.
The far-right had a higher percentage who confessed they did not know if such issues were significantly impacting the city, with nearly 30% answering that way. Nevertheless, 41% suggested it was an issue, and 29% disagreed.
The decrease in total citizens viewing homelessness and vagrancy as a vital issue comes as Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson recently announced the formation of a task force on Homelessness, Organizations, Policies, and Encampments (HOPE), as reported by The Dallas Express.
The group will present a report to the City in June with an evaluation of the issues and suggested solutions.
In his speech on the occasion, Johnson suggested, “Like every major city in the United States, Dallas has been affected by increasing homelessness in recent years.”
Residents, Johnson continued, “see growing numbers of encampments in their neighborhoods. They see people passed out on the sidewalks. They see people walking naked on the streets. They see trash. They see waste. They see tents pitched on our freeway underpasses.”
“They want, and they expect to live in a city that does not tolerate, and certainly does not facilitate, disorder,” the mayor concluded.