> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Survey says: Get homeless and cars off the streets - URL: https://www.smdp.com/survey-says-get-homeless-and-cars-off-the-streets/ - Published: 2002-01-11T16:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-22T23:56:52.000Z - Author: Andrew Fixmer - Tags: Community, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless, Homelessness *Resident survey dittos last year’s concerns* Santa Monica residents want less homeless people and cars on city streets. A recent survey found that 23 percent of residents want city officials to get homeless people off the streets and out of parks. The concern has topped the city’s survey for two straight years. Santa Monica gives nearly $2 million in aid to area organizations pledged to helping the homeless find food and shelter, as well as jobs and counseling. And both the city and the police department have specialized departments that deal directly with the city’s homeless population. “We know these are problems for us,” said mayor pro tem Kevin McKeown. “And the reason they continue to show up is that they are not easy problems to fix. But they are things we are continually looking into and are working very hard on solving. “Our city does a great job with our homeless services. We try to get people off the streets in a positive way. You can’t just ban people from the streets.” Mayor Mike Feinstein said the poll numbers do not necessarily mean residents want to throw the homeless out of the city. “That number combines two camps of people who are more and less sympathetic,” he said. “That’s a measure of ‘let’s do more to help’ and the ones saying ‘let’s run them out of town.’” Feinstein said Los Angeles communities drive their homeless to Santa Monica and drop them off. He would not specify which cities have done this. He also said that because the city’s moderate climate and a downtown accessible to the beach makes it an idea place for panhandlers. The mayor defended the city’s homeless services but said it was time for other cities in the region to start doing their share. “I’m all for First Amendment rights,” he said. “But if we continue to concentrate it all on one city, then it becomes hard for policy writers to defend it.” City officials said they were not surprised at the results of the poll. “Homelessness tops the list again. It was the No. 1 priority of residents last year and it remains the same today,” said city spokeswoman Judy Rambeau. “Many of these results are not surprises though. They are the same things we hear about from other ways too.” Traffic concerns grew 300 percent from the 9 percent of residents who said congestion was a problem in the 2000 poll to 21 percent in 2001. Council members pointed to several downtown construction projects that made driving around the city difficult. They said when those projects were completed in May, the city would return to normal. “I think in the past year we have had a lot of construction,” McKeown said. “All of which will be long-term beneficial to us. But we’re looking at our mobility and how we get around our city, and realizing we need to do more mass transit alternatives. “Unfortunately, no matter what we do in Santa Monica, we will have traffic. I mean, we are surrounded by Los Angeles on all three sides. It’s almost unavoidable,” he continued. The annual survey is used by the city to find areas that need improvement. This year’s poll was taken in November which 411 residents were contacted by telephone. The Latino community was oversampled so that the number of Hispanic residents taking the survey was proportionate to the 2000 Census results. Some wonder whether the survey paints an accurate picture given that 84,000 people live in Santa Monica. But experts say the city’s poll was by the books and accurately represents residents’ concerns citywide. An accurate poll, they say, will survey between 400 and 1,000 people and, in the city’s example, will maintain ratios of the general population. “As long as they kept their numbers so that it is representational of the make-up of all Santa Monica residents then it is generally considered an accurate poll,” said Robert Stern, president of the Center for Government Studies, located in West Los Angeles. “Nationwide polls are considered accurate if they survey about 1,000 people, so it seems fair that Santa Monica would have had about 400.” Residents overwhelmingly said they were pleased with the city and the services it provides, with 84 percent of residents saying they are somewhat or very satisfied. However, in 1999 more than 90 percent of residents made the same claim. Since last year’s poll, the city cut in half the number of complaints about affordable housing, too much growth, a lack of homeless services, parking and education. “We’re pleased with the results of the survey,” said Rambeau. “But they also present continuing challenges we face.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/011102-01_01.jpg) of the city of Santa Monica The number of homeless people and increased traffic top the concerns of Santa Monica residents. (Photo: Photo courtesy) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/011102-01_02.jpg) of the city of Santa Monica This chart identifies residents’ satisfaction with the job the city is doing to provide services. (Photo: Photo courtesy) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 11, 2002.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/011102.pdf?ref=smdp.com)