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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsHousing IssuesStarted 5yrs agoActive 2yrs ago

Should homeless individuals, that have refused available shelter or housing, be allowed to sleep or encamp on public property?

From 2020 – 2022 six US states introduced bills that would make sleeping on public property a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 and a month in jail. In 2021 Texas became the first state to pass a statewide law which banned public homeless encampments statewide and pulled state grant funds from non-compliant cities. Proponents of these laws argue that that leaving tens of thousands of Americans—often with severe mental illness or substance use problems—on the streets for decades until they can all be provided with permanent, supportive housing is not a viable or humane model. Opponents argue that the laws do not provide housing solutions and simply encourage homeless people to relocate to other states.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 1.6m America voters.

41%
Yes
59%
No
26%
Yes
55%
No
12%
Yes, and create more social programs to provide free food, clothing, and medicine
2%
No, but create more social programs to provide free food, clothing, and medicine
2%
Yes, but only in designated areas
2%
No, and make it a criminal offense
1%
Yes, to sleep but not encamp

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 1.6m America voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 1.6m America voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @8XPX7KY from North Carolina  answered…5yrs5Y

No, But create more social programs to provide free food, clothing, and medicine

 @8XNRZB4 from Indiana  answered…5yrs5Y

No, and create more social programs to provide free food, clothing, and medicine.

 @8XQ33R9 from Pennsylvania  answered…5yrs5Y

No, but create more social programs to provide free food, clothing, and medicine

 @B2CNL7L from Washington  answered…1yr1Y

Yes, but only in designated areas. And create more social programs to provide free food, clothing, healthcare, medication and sanitation

 @8XNPT7G from Texas  answered…5yrs5Y

No but create more social programs to provide free food, clothing, and medicine

 @96ZNDKT from New Jersey  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, but only in designated areas and create more social programs to provide free food, clothing, and medicine

 @8XWTK59 from North Carolina  answered…5yrs5Y

Yes, but only in designated areas

 @94Z37B4 from North Carolina  answered…4yrs4Y

No, but create better housing and shelters to prevent encampment on public property.

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Drug Crisis Prompts Portland to Reboot City Government

In a sign of either hope or desperation, Portland voters decided to throw out their entire government structure and replace it with a weaker mayor, expanded City Council and ranked choice voting.A major driving factor was the passage of “Measure 110” decriminalizing all drugs in 2020, which was backed by 74 percent of Multnomah County’s residents. Voters couldn’t — or at least didn’t — anticipate how this policy change would reshape a city already strapped for money, dealing with a public health crisis and confronting rising rates of homelessness and fentanyl abuse.Drug use shot up, homelessness worsened and taxpayers fled.“Political rhetoric in 2020-2021 in the City of Portland was incredibly ideologically driven,” Gonzalez said, explaining that there was a “default conversation” on topics like homelessness or police reform that shut down an exchange of ideas.The City Council race, meanwhile, is mayhem. Portland is switching from four at-large seats to twelve seats representing four districts. The dozens of candidates include Black Lives Matter leaders, nonprofit advocates, business owners and police officers.There are 19 people running for mayor and 98 people seeking seats on the City Council. They’re nearly all campaigning on left-of-center platforms — this is Portland.Pandemic closures, protests, elevated crime rates and rising homelessness buffeted many liberal cities in recent years, including San Francisco and Minneapolis. But policy choices made by the city and state aggravated their impact in Portland.The ramifications are measurable: Nearly 12,000 people moved out of Multnomah County between 2020 and 2023, per data from Portland State University. The exodus between 2020 and 2021 alone took nearly $1.1 billion in taxable income out of the city, according to data analyzed by the Economic Innovation Group. Portland’s once bustling downtown is nearly empty, and a negative national reputation clouds its economic future.Drug decriminalization and the city’s open camping rules compounded the feeling of insecurity. Homeless encampments spread through empty public spaces and filled sidewalks during the lockdown, and some became epicenters for the fentanyl trade. Even Portlanders who voted for decriminalization and believe in a compassionate approach to homelessness didn’t feel as safe in their own neighborhoods.

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About This Data

Based on 1.6m responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should homeless individuals, that have refused available shelter or housing, be allowed to sleep or encamp on public property?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/4731387022

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