We Can't Have This

asanet.org
Washington, DC —Most people living in cities have seen or been approached by homeless people asking for food or money, leading many city governments to pass laws restricting or prohibiting panhandling. Research at Pennsylvania State University, however, has found that exposure to homeless people, even when vicarious or indirect, actually improves public attitudes toward homelessness.

“Familiarity breeds sympathy rather than contempt,” explains Barrett Lee, professor of Sociology and Demography. “Anecdotal reports suggest that exposure causes a backlash against homeless people, but despite the stigma associated with homelessness and the often unfavorable conditions surrounding public-homeless encounters, exposure usually makes the public more sympathetic.”