The LA Mayoral Candidate Built His Campaign on Misinformation about Homeless People. Here’s What Research Actually Shows
If there’s one thing that the Los Angeles mayoral primary has exposed, it’s that the American public still does not fully understand the causes and drivers of homelessness.
Spencer Pratt, a reality television personality, ran a Republican campaign that largely trafficked in misinformation about homelessness. As of this writing, Pratt was in third place with 25.8% of the vote, behind incumbent mayor Karen Bass (34.3%) and LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman (28.6%). A recent analysis by the Los Angeles Times suggests that Raman’s lead could grow as mail-in ballots continue to favor her campaign.
Pratt has claimed that homeless people are simply “drug-addicted zombies,” use their pets to test drugs, and that many people who live on the streets have homes but choose to live outside because of their substance abuse habits…