Most NYers Want Homeless Shelters In Their Neighborhoods: Poll

NEW YORK — Homeless shelters may not be as controversial in New York City as they often seem, a new poll suggests. Nearly six in 10 New Yorkers say they would support a homeless shelter in their backyard, according to the survey released Tuesday by Win, a nonprofit shelter and supportive housing provider.

Some 32% of the 1,002 respondents said they would strongly support a shelter opening in their neighborhood, while 27% said they would somewhat support it, the results show. Some 29% would either somewhat or strongly oppose a shelter, while 12% said they did not know.

"I think it’ll be a surprise to a lot of people, because the minority of New Yorkers who are NIMBY have gotten a lot of attention, they’ve raised their voice louder than that of the majority," Win President and CEO Christine Quinn, a former City Council speaker, said in an interview.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans in 2017 to build 90 new homeless shelters across the city as his administration grappled with a continuing homelessness crisis.

Shelter plans have met vocal resistance in neighborhoods from Crown Heights to Midtown to Washington Heights, with some opponents expressing concerns about drugs and crime. Others have argued that the city has targeted working-class neighborhoods for shelters while leaving wealthier, whiter areas without them.

But Win's poll indicates public support for opening more shelters — 52% of respondents said the city has too few of them, and 92% agreed that "we should provide shelter to all those who need it," the findings show.

"Notwithstanding that there have been loud, cold-hearted voices, New Yorkers as a sum total are not, and that should empower elected officials to stand with those who are experiencing homelessness, not stand on the sidelines taunting and berating," Quinn said.

The survey found even broader support for giving homeless people help in other ways. Ninety percent of respondents backed "supportive services" for families leaving shelters, and about eight in 10 favor raising the value of vouchers that help homeless families pay rent, according to Win.

But the findings also indicate public misconceptions about the city's homeless people. Some 62% of New Yorkers think most of them are single adults when in fact families with children account for 70% of the city's homeless population, Win says.

And while domestic violence and evictions are the most common causes of homelessness, Quinn said, just 7% of respondents identified one those as the main cause.

Win has launched social media advertisements to make people aware of the poll results, Quinn said, adding that advocates and service providers must "speak out as much as we can about what the real facts are."

"People in government need to follow that lead and be very clear and vigilant about getting the facts out there," she said.

The opinion research company HarrisX conducted Win's poll from March 14 to 19. The company collected responses both online and over the phone using live interviewers. The sample includes at least 100 people from each borough, Win says. The poll's margin of error is 3.4 percentage points.