Last summer, amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Opportunity Starts at Home multisector affordable homes campaign commissioned a national public opinion poll on issues related to housing instability. The poll revealed wide bipartisan support for robust, long-term housing solutions that extend far beyond the pandemic emergency. As vaccination rates continue to increase and legislative attention turns to broader infrastructure and recovery packages, policymakers must be reminded that the experience of the pandemic made clear that housing stability is inextricably linked to health. These polling results demonstrate most of the public favors:
- Expanding funding for rental assistance to ensure the approximately 17 million households who currently qualify for rental assistance but are not receiving it receive it (87%);
- Expanding investments in housing development programs that will build more housing units that are affordable for low-income people (88%);
- Expanding stability services for households experiencing an unforeseen economic crisis so that they can avoid eviction and homelessness (91%).
The full disaggregated results of the poll are available to view on the campaign’s website, including breakdowns by race, party affiliation, income, and more. Learn more about the poll findings here.
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