Ipsos Reid was commissioned by the Calgary Homeless Foundation in 2011 to conduct research with Calgarians regarding their perceptions of social issues, patterns of charitable donations, and views on homelessness in Calgary. A tracking study was conducted early in 2013 to evaluate any shifts in key measures from 2011. The results of the poll indicate that:

• Homelessness rose to the third most important social issue.
• Calgarians think a lack of affordable housing is the leading contributor to homelessness in this city.
• The “not in my back yard attitude” is waning a little, with more people willing to support programs and housing in their neighbourhood.
• Nearly one in six Calgarians had a temporary guest without a regular home/address stay in their household during the past year (this was before the flood).
• One in four Calgarians recall the Face It Calgary public awareness campaign. These respondents were 30 to 50% more likely to be supportive of initiatives to address homelessness.