EASTSIDE HUMAN SERVICES FORUM
Survey of Living Conditions for the Eastside
Summary of Findings
September 27, 2002

A random telephone survey of 403 Eastside households was commissioned by the Eastside Human Services Forum (EHSF)* and conducted by Hebert Research in August 2002. This survey differed from others in that it did not ask about need or gaps in service but about the living conditions that are most valued and those that make the Eastside community a good place to live.  Residents were asked to rate various living conditions on a 1-10 rating scale, with 10 being "extremely important" and 1 being "not at all important." The survey did not focus only on human services. It asked the importance of conditions related to police, human services, utilities, education, traffic, parks, drugs, culture, the environment, leadership in the community, and so on.

Results indicate that human services are valued at an extremely high level by Eastside residents.  In fact, most social conditions were rated as more important than having smooth and reliable flows of traffic.  (See Table 1.)

The survey also indicated that the community assigns government a primary role in funding human services.  When asked who they believe should be responsible for paying for services when a family cannot afford to pay for them, Eastside residents selected government as the entity most responsible for paying when the family could not.  Beyond government, residents saw other entities also playing strong funding roles in providing human services, with charities as the second most frequently mentioned entity. (See Table 2.)

Those responding to the survey were a sample of Eastside residents representative and large enough to yield reliable information. (See Table 3.)  In general, a random sample of this size has a maximum margin of error of slightly less than +5.0% at a 95% confidence level.

For more information about the Survey of Living Conditions for the Eastside, please contact Bill Goldsmith at 206/205-0610 (e-mail: bill.goldsmith@metrokc.gov) or Lauren Kirby at 425/643-4957 (e-mail: lkirby@ci.redmond.wa.us).
______________________________

* The Eastside Human Services Forum (EHSF) Executive Board is composed of representatives from Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Mercer Island, Redmond, Snoqualmie Valley Cities Assn., King County, United Way of King County, Lake Washington School District, Snoqualmie Valley School District, Eastside Human Services Alliance, and Evergreen Healthcare.  The mission of the EHSF is to foster strong public and private partnerships to assure a stable network of health and human services for the benefit of all East King County residents.

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TABLE 1

Living Conditions

Average
Value

Police and fire departments will react quickly and effectively when citizens’ lives or property are endangered

9.42

Everyone lives in a safe, secure home

9.37

Residents feel safe when walking in their neighborhoods and communities

9.33

All children have the opportunity to gain a quality education

9.29

Community leaders and officials act in the best interest of the public

9.18

Water, gas and electricity be reliably available to everyone

9.11

Everyone has enough nutritious food to maintain their health

8.85

The environment is protected so that the air, the water and the land are not polluted

8.77

All children receive the emotional, educational and social support they need to develop

8.73

Every person has the opportunity to live independently as long as possible

8.65

Everyone has access to necessary medical and dental care

8.61

Income earners in every household have the opportunity to earn a living wage that allows them to meet their families’ basic needs and live with dignity

8.59

Everyone knows about the dangers of using illegal drugs

8.36

There is enough emergency shelter available so that anyone facing an emergency has a place to go

8.32

Traffic move smoothly and reliably throughout the Eastside

8.30

Neighborhoods be kept clean and free from debris

8.25

Everyone has some trustworthy person with whom to speak

8.18

Everyone has access to necessary mental health services

8.09

All adults have the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to secure gainful employment

8.06

Public transportation be available to anyone who needs it

7.96

Everyone has access to recreational programs and recreational facilities, like parks and gyms

7.61

Affordable housing is available for all residents

7.50

Everyone has access to the arts and cultural activities

6.67

TABLE 2

Who Should Pay When Families Cannot

SERVICE AREAS

Basic Services

Family Support Services

Youth Services

Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Victim Services

Medical and Dental Services

Education and Employee
Training

Government

225
55.8%

218
54.1%

250
62.0%

267
66.3%

247
61.3%

241
59.8%

Charities

176
43.7%

130
32.3%

131
32.5%

147
36.5%

90
22.3%

81
20.1%

Extended
Family-
Friends

130
32.3%

95
23.6%

69
17.1%

66
16.4%

66
16.4%

75
18.6%

Employees

27
6.7%

50
12.4%

15
3.7%

15
3.7%

94
23.3%

91
22.6%

Other

33
8.2%

38
9.4%

55
13.6%

31
7.7%

24
6.0%

27
6.7%

Nobody

2
.5%

4
1.0%

3
.7%

4
1.0%

5
1.2%

5
1.2%

Don’t know

13
3.2%

18
4.5%

16
4.0%

14
3.5%

13
3.2%

25
6.2%

TABLE 3

Comparison of Demographic Characteristics

Survey Sample

Eastside Population

RACE/ETHNICITY

White

85.0%

79.7%

African-American/Black

1.6%

1.2%

Asian

5.1%

11.3%

Hawaiian/Pacific Islander

0.0%

0.2%

Native American

1.9%

0.5%

Latino

2.1%

3.8%

Mixed Race/Other

4.3%

3.3%

INCOME LEVELS

Less than $20,000

6.4%

8.4%

$20,000 to less than $35,000

12.7%

11.3%

$35,000 to less than $50,000

12.0%

13.4%

$50,000 to less than $75,000

21.5%

20.5%

$75,000 to less than $100,000

18.4%

15.8%

$100,000 to less than $150,000

18.7%

17.0%

$150,000

10.2%

13.6%

AGE

18-24

6.8%

9.3%

25-34

13.0%

20.0%

35-44

18.8%

23.8%

45-54

24.2%

20.5%

55-64

15.6%

11.6%

65-74

11.7%

6.9%

75 or older

9.9%

7.9%