2005, 06-29 Survey on Panhandling in Denver IIIITALE & ASSOCIATES
presents
A SURVEY ON PANHANDLER GIVING AMONG
ADULT RESIDENTS IN DENVER
June 29-30, 2005
to
Downtown Denver
Business Improvement District
ITALE & ASSOCIATES
5 Key Findings
• 72% of Denver adults see panhandling as a serious problem .
• Panhandling is seen as a problem not just on the 16th Street Mall ,
but rather all across the city
• 42% of Denver adults have given money to panhandlers in the
last year.
• Those who give to panhandlers average $24.58 per year, which
equates to a total of $4.5 million dollars per year .
• A majority would be Tess likely to give to panhandlers if they were
better educated about the problem and better alternatives.
Denver Panhandler Survey -- June 29-30, 2005 /1\1=-600 adults
ITALE & ASSOCIATES
As you think about panhandling in Denver, is there a specific location or
area of Denver where you most often notice people panhandling or
holding a sign asking for help?
1
6th Ave. ;,
f,-
13% Speer Blvd.
.: 22%
Major
`'intersections
18%
Downtown
Everywhere/A 27%
nywhere y
20%
Denver Panhandler Survey--June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults Q2
ITALE & ASSOCIATES
Still thinking about panhandling in Denver. . . how serious of a
problem do you believe panhandling is in this city?
Denver Panhandler Survey -- June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults Q3
r
ITALE & ASSOCIATES
Thinking back over the past year, can you recall whether you have ever
given money to someone on the sidewalks or street corners of Denver
asking for money, either by panhandling or holding a sign asking for
help?
Denver Panhandler Survey -- June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults Q4
ITALE & ASSOCIATES
How often would you say you give money to someone on the
street ?
Denver Panhandler Survey -- June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults Q5
ITALE & ASSOCIATES
On average, when you decide to give money to a
panhandler, how much money would you say that you
give them each time?
Average Each Refuse Average
Time: $1 .84 y
Yearl : $24.58
Denver Panhandler Survey -- June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults Q6
1111ITALE & ASSOCIATES
Which of the following best describes your reasoning for giving to
panhandlers. . . .
Denver Panhandler Survey -- June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults Q7
ITALE & ASSOCIATES
Which of the following best describes your typical panhandler
giving behavior . . ..I usually give. . . .
When have
extra change
21%
Denver Panhandler Survey -- June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults
Q8
1111ITALE & ASSOCIATES
Please tell me whether knowing this information would make you
more likely or less likely to give money to panhandlers.
Denver has 10-year plan,but need help keeping$offstreets
People who give further enable panhandler lifestyle
Moneyspent on cig.,alcohol,drugs
All panhanlders have access to free hot meals 3x/7/365
C hies like Philadelphia have reduced panhandling
►
►
►
►
T
►
r ( ( ( ( ( ( K ( ( (
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
® More Likely n Unsure I I No Difference Less Likely
Denver Panhandler Survey -- June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults
Q9-13
1111ITALE & ASSOCIATES
How often would you say you go to Downtown Denver near the
16th Street Mall?
Unsure
Monthly/
quarterly
35%
Denver Panhandler Survey-- June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults Q 16
Methodological Notes:
ITALE & ASSOCIATES
• Vitale & Associates is pleased to present the Downtown Denver Business
Improvement District with the findings from a survey of adult attitudes in
the city of Denver regarding panhandler giving.
• These findings were drawn from telephone interviews conducted with
N=600 adult residents throughout the city. Responses to this survey were
gathered June 29-30, 2005 and the confidence level associated with a
survey of this type is 95% with a ± 4.0% margin of error.
• Subsets of this data carry a larger margin of error. For example, the
subset of those adults who have given money to panhandlers in the last
year represents n=251 respondents, among whom the findings yield a
6.2% margin of error. Also, these 600 completed interviews did not
include any person that said that they had not ". . . noticed [in the past year]
any people on the sidewalks or street corners of Denver asking for money,
either by panhandling or holding a sign asking for help?" Those who said
"no" and were therefore screened out of this survey represented less than
one tenth of one percent (0. 1 %) of those called.
Denver Panhandler Survey -- June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults
ITALE & ASSOCIATES
Firm Background
• Launched in October of 2003, Vitale & Associates is a full service, strategic
research firm based in Denver, Colorado.
• The firm's principal, Todd Vitale, has over 15 years of experience in the field
of public affairs research.
• Vitale's past client work includes dozens of winning candidate and issue
based campaigns. He has served clients at every level of government (from
City Council to U .S. President), and has also done extensive work on ballot
initiatives & referendums, real estate development, city planning, corporate
strategic communications and advocacy.
• Vitale's research includes more than one hundred thousand interviews in
Colorado alone, including work for Governor Bill Owens and most recently,
as a pollster to the successful FasTracks mass transit campaign.
• Vitale can be reached at 303-813-9020 or todd @vitaleassociates.com
Denver Panhandler Survey -- June 29-30, 2005 /N=600 adults