Nearly 4 in 10 LA voters say homeless people in their neighborhoods make them feel unsafe: poll

Nearly four in 10 Los Angeles voters say homeless people in their neighborhoods make them feel unsafe, according to a poll conducted by The Los Angeles Times and the ​​Los Angeles Business Council Institute.

Those who were asked about their concerns cited human excriment such as urine and feces in the streets, a rising sense of disorder and worry about the safety of their children, according to the Times. 

In addition, one in five participants in the survey said that they considered moving due to the issue. 

The survey comes as Los Angeles has seen a surge in homeless people in recent years. Frustration has grown with how officials are handling the homeless encampments. 

But more voters say they would support short term solutions over long term.

Fifty-seven percent of voters support “short-term shelter sites” while 30 percent say “long-term housing for homeless people with services” is the way to combat the issue, according to the poll.

In a similar survey two years ago, support for short term and long term housing solutions was evenly split, highlighting the growing impatience on the issue. 

Homelessness is the top issue for voters in Los Angeles. Ninety-four percent of participants in the survey said that  it is a serious or very serious issue. However, there are disagreements along political lines on the reasons for prevalent homelessness. 

Forty-two percent of liberals say homelessness is widespread due to lack of affordable housing and low wages, while 32 percent of conservatives say it is due to individual choices and actions. 

The poll surveyed 906 Los Angeles voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.