Californians’ perceptions of the causes of homelessness and potential policy solutions

Introduction This study examines whether residents’ perceptions of the causes of homelessness and preferred policy solutions are associated with homeless-related behaviors and opinions, and whether such perceptions are attributed to internal or external factors. Methods California residents (N = 371) completed a survey and an exploratory factor analysis was conducted, which identified subscales of the perceived causes, preferred policy solutions, opinions, and behaviors. We used MANCOVA to examine which sociodemographic characteristics were associated with each subscale, and multiple regressions to assess relationships among subscales. Results As predicted by attribution theory, internal causes (e.g. lack of ambition) were positively associated with support for internal policies (e.g. policies emphasizing personal responsibility), while external causes (e.g. discrimination) were positively correlated with support for external policies (e.g. treatment infrastructure policies) (p < .001). Conservative participants were more likely to attribute causes of homelessness to internal characteristics, while also supporting internal policies (p < .001). Conclusion This study provides insight into our sample of Californians’ perceptions of homelessness and can be used to tailor interventions that update people’s understanding of the issue and encourage support for evidence-based policies.