Public Opinion Snapshot: Public Calls for Action on Housing

By Ruy Teixeira | July 5, 2011

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The housing market remains depressed. Foreclosures continue, and many homeowners are having trouble meeting their mortgage payments. So it should come as no surprise that the public believes government help is needed in this area. In a new CBS/New York Times poll, 53 percent say the federal government should be helping people who are having trouble paying their mortgages compared to 40 percent who disagree.

And a solid plurality (45 percent) say the government should be doing more to help the housing market improve compared to just 16 percent who think the government should be doing less and 30 percent who believe the government is currently doing the right amount.

Policymakers take heed. The sorry state of the housing market may be off the current congressional agenda. But it remains very much alive among the many who feel its effects everyday.

Ruy Teixeira is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. To learn more about his public opinion analysis go to the Media and Progressive Values page and the Progressive Studies program page of our website.