Question 1

The report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that blacks and whites are equally likely to be homeless.

Accepted Answer

The report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that blacks are overrepresented among the homeless population compared to their representation in the general population, indicating that they are more likely to be homeless than whites.

Question 2

The Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that homeless families are more likely to be headed by men.

Accepted Answer

The Department of Housing and Urban Development actually estimates that homeless families are more likely to be headed by women.

Question 3

The report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that about two-thirds of the homeless are male.

Accepted Answer

The report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that about two-thirds (or 66%) of the homeless population in the United States are male.

Question 4

A report by the Department of Housing and Urban Development concludes that Hispanics comprise nearly 41 percent of all homeless people in the U.S.

Accepted Answer

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reports do not indicate that Hispanics comprise nearly 41 percent of all homeless people in the U.S. The actual percentage varies and is significantly lower, with the 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress showing that Hispanics or Latinos represented about 23 percent of the homeless population.

Question 5

According to the text, about one-third of the homeless are mentally ill.

Accepted Answer

The text mentions that approximately one-third of the homeless population in the United States suffers from a mental illness.

Question 6

What is beyond dispute is that the homeless are marginalized in a North American urban society.

Accepted Answer

The statement clearly states that the homeless are marginalized in North American urban society, which is an undisputed fact.

Question 7

The deindustrialization of the economy, the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, and the dismemberment of urban welfare systems have left the homeless without even the marginal support of decades past.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true.

Question 8

The text concludes that the homeless in the U.S. are like the rest of the population except for having the bad luck of being homeless.

Accepted Answer

The text likely oversimplifies the complex issues surrounding homelessness, which often involve a combination of systemic, economic, and personal factors beyond mere bad luck.

Question 9

North American urban society has little interest in providing the homeless with the broad-based treatments that they require.

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, this statement is true. Many cities focus on temporary solutions, such as shelters, rather than addressing the root causes of homelessness and providing comprehensive support services.

Question 10

Public attitudes toward, and tolerance of, the homeless, and especially homeless panhandlers, have softened in the U.S. over the last decade.

Accepted Answer

Public attitudes toward the homeless and panhandlers have not consistently softened; they vary by region and are influenced by economic conditions, media portrayal, and local policies.

Question 11

The number of Single Room Occupancy units, which provide affordable housing for the homeless, has declined by approximately 80 percent.

Accepted Answer

According to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, the number of Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units has declined by approximately 80 percent since the 1950s.

Question 12

Between the years 1990 and 2018, federal funding for low-cost housing increased by 50 percent.

Accepted Answer

According to available data, federal funding for low-cost housing remained relatively stable between 1990 and 2018, with some fluctuations but no significant increase or decrease overall.

Question 13

The text concludes that with regard to affordable housing for the homeless, things were better 30 years ago than they are today.

Accepted Answer

The text states that "Overall, 30 years ago, there were more public and nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing affordable housing for the homeless, and more funding available for housing programs, than there is today."

Question 14

Between 1992 and 2018, urban crime experienced an increase.

Accepted Answer

According to FBI data, urban crime rates actually decreased between 1992 and 2018. However, the specific types of crimes and their prevalence may vary within urban areas.

Question 15

The U.S. national murder rate is lower than in the 1980s.

Accepted Answer

According to FBI data, the national murder rate in the U.S. has decreased since the 1980s. In 1980, the rate was 10.2 per 100,000 population, while in 2019 it was 5.0 per 100,000 population.

Question 16

The "broken window theory", advanced by Wilson and Kelling, argues that the best way to control crime is to concentrate police efforts on solving major crimes.

Accepted Answer

The "broken window theory" actually argues that the best way to control crime is to concentrate police efforts on prevention and controlling disorderly behavior, as small acts of vandalism or disorderly behavior can lead to more serious crimes if left unchecked.

Question 17

The "broken window theory" suggests that the best way to control crime is to prevent it.

Accepted Answer

The broken window theory suggests that visible signs of disorder and vandalism, such as broken windows or graffiti, can lead to an increase in crime. By preventing or addressing these small, visible signs of disorder, it is believed that overall crime can be reduced. Therefore, the theory supports the idea that preventing crime is the best way to control it.

Question 18

The "broken window theory" suggests that the best way to control crime is by concentrating police efforts on solving major crimes, and not on preventing minor quality-of-life offenses such as drinking in public and public vandalism.

Accepted Answer

The "broken window theory" suggests that cracking down on minor quality-of-life offenses can prevent more serious crimes from occurring. By addressing small violations like graffiti and public drinking, it sends a message that all crime, big or small, will not be tolerated. This theory argues that by preventing small offenses, it creates an atmosphere of order and lawfulness that discourages more serious crime from occurring.

Question 19

Today, the U.S. has the highest crime rate of any developed nation except Russia.

Accepted Answer

The given statement is true. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United States has the highest crime rate of any developed nation except Russia.

Question 20

High rates of urban violence have increased equally in all urban areas across the globe.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. While some urban areas may have similar rates of violence, others may have significantly higher or lower rates depending on a variety of factors such as socioeconomic status, access to resources, and cultural norms.

Quiz 8: The Social Environment of Metro Areas: Strangers, Crowding, Homelessness, and Crime