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Address Info: 1150 O Street, P.O. Box 758, Greeley, CO 80632 | Phone:
(970) 400-4225
| Fax: (970) 336-7233 | Email:
egesick@weld.gov
| Official: Esther Gesick -
Clerk to the Board
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20150273.tiff
RESOLUTION RE: APPROVE 2015-2018 COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG) APPLICATION AND PLAN PROPOSAL AND AUTHORIZE CHAIR TO SIGN WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and WHEREAS, the Board has been presented with the 2015-2018 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Application and Plan Proposal from the County of Weld, State of Colorado, by and through the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, on behalf of the Department of Human Services, to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government, commencing upon full execution, with further terms and conditions being as stated in said application and plan, and WHEREAS, after review, the Board deems it advisable to approve said application and plan, a copy of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, that the 2015-2018 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Application and Plan Proposal from the County of Weld, State of Colorado, by and through the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, on behalf of the Department of Human Services, to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government, be, and hereby is, approved. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Board that the Chair be, and hereby is, authorized to sign said application and plan. The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted by the following vote on the 26th day of January, A.D., 2015. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WELD COUNTY, CDO ATTEST: Ce�,/ _ , �( .JC,LLo;� 4rSrkrney ,? t Weld County Clerk to the Board 01 U_1t �.1'tpa • Mike Freeman, Pro-Tem BY. De.0 Clerk to th= Boar `.;Az.an P. Conwag APPROVED AS TO FORM: \JJ NI ozad County Attorney Steve Moreno 2 Date of signature: f 9 CC: NSD, Peek ;Au/ 2015-0273 HR0086 1861 MEMORANDUM �,ry DATE: January 21, 2015 UY �_ O N T TO: Barbara Kirkmeyer, Chair, Board of Cou ty Co i 'oners FROM: Judy A. Griego, Director, Human Sery s e RE: Budget Proposal of the Community S ices Block Grant (CSBG) FY 2015-2018 funds for the Department of Human Services Enclosed for Board approval is a budget proposal of the CSBG FY 2015-2018 funds for the Department of Human Services. The proposal was reviewed under the Board's Pass-Around Memorandum dated December 29, 2014, and was approved for placement on the Board's Agenda. The CSBG funds are utilized to provide services and activities through: 1. The Workforce Center (Federal Objective of Employment) by providing job development services to assist low-income participants to remove or reduce barriers to initial or continue employment; 2. Emergency services(Federal Objective of Emergency Services)through one-time emergency assistance to stabilize households; 3. Linkage services (Federal Objective Linkages) through senior services program, including senior nutrition sites and training to volunteers. Additionally, there is a carryover from 2014-15 that is included in this budget. If you have questions, please give me a call at extension 6510. d o- //s:Weivt / -d7-1 2`c Ns (D (54) 2015-0273 STATE OF COLORADO COMMUNITY SERVICES BLOCK GRANT (CSBG) 2015-2018 Application and Community Action Plan DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL AFFAIRS DIVISION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT 1313 SHERMAN STREET, ROOM 521 DENVER, CO 80203 DOLA COLORADO CO `0 Department of Local Affairs Division of Local Government 2015-2018 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Application and Community Action Plan COVER PAGE GRANTEE INFORMATION: Name of Eligible Entity: Weld County Human Services Full Mailing Address: PO Box A, Greeley, CO 80632 Street Address: 315 North 11th Avenue, Greeley CO 80631 (if different from mailing address) DUNS Number: PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION: PRIMARY Contact Person for Eligible Entity: Judy A. Griego Phone Number: 970-352-1551 ext. 6510 Provide direct line number and/or extension Fax Number: 970-353-5215 Email Address: griegoia@co.weld.co.us PROGRAM MANAGER CONTACT INFORMATION CSBG PROGRAM Manager Contact: Karin Crandall If different than above Phone Number: 970-352-1551 ext. 6637 Provide direct line number and/or extension Fax Number: 970-346-7691 Email Address: crandakk@co.weld.co.us CHAIRPERSON CONTACT INFORMATION Chairperson for the Board of County Commissioners if the eligible entity is a public agency Chairperson/President if the eligible entity is a private community action agency: NAME: Barbara Kirkmever Title: Chair, Board of County Commissioners Mailing Address: PO Box 758 Greeley, CO 80632 Email Address: bkirkmever@co.weld.co.us C DO t COLORADO CO ` Department of Local Affairs 2 t Mrnon of Local Government • ATTEST:Wj, ^) ,_ r . ; . � BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Weld C t Clerk to th_ =•, x a" •i =�W D COUNTY, CO ORADO eputy CI k t "[ ' =arbara Kirkmeye , Chair JAN 6 2015 APPROVED AS T FUNDING: AP"'RO; EDAS T UBSTANCE: on roll''er I cted ' icial or epa ent Head APP E FORM: NA Director of General Services oun I omey • • • 0Z045--- 6,273- 2015-2018 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Application and Community Action Plan APPLICATION CHECKLIST This Checklist includes requirements for completing the grant application for the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG). The Application Checklist must accompany your submission. Applicant should identify those items that have been included in the submission by placing an "X" in the appropriate box; place an N/A if item is not applicable. Submitted Document Comments by Grantee Completed Application Cover Page Tripartite Board Membership Roster Grantee and (if applicable) the Sub-Grantee Detailed Budget Information Page ❑ Newspaper Notice of Public Hearing Currently in paper ❑ Public Hearing Minutes R0MA Summary for each activity funded with CSBG Tripartite Board Meeting Minutes when the CSBG Application and Plan was approved Community Action Plan that includes: Results of the Needs Assessment Description of community resources available and what is needed • Identification of services to be provided • Description of expected outcomes ® • Projected number of clients served and % of success expected ►5 • Description of measurement tools that will be used to determine successes O • Linkages Plan (if requesting funds for Linkages) • Description of how coordination will occur ® • Description of how CSBG funds will be leveraged with other resources • Description of innovative initiatives being undertaken * D0 COLORADO CO . ` Department of Local Affairs 3 OMsion of Local Government C W C o m Vell D N 0 > 13 C 5 E on o m y O a` y Fa 2_ L m to to c Or. > v o C m a-a r a > H o 40 ..- o pc a O r ce t h J tqN • O G 9 u a a ...... E C E c a`) 0 CO fa 0 N O F y °0 H m Y A WI .O Y ` IM YY N. C L y� c 0e W w Naoo NX NNN d O.KNNN 4V L• r O 7 .- - 7 W - - \ J W r r d N 13 V M M V M M M V M M M (7 Q `I Nr rr N .A..1rr C r al r r S Ld a 00f1 N W 0 V m W ta W C m J " Z N m V 4-4 U to (l.J H N of ., W 0 m W >, LLT ET W > in +' R io N y ooM V E W C •0 E O c o o p c - o o z c o 0 0 •W E J J O Z N \ W NNN O PO\. � V V C +'' � Q' V Y ANN ., m NNr IA O>1%L..) ce r am.. 3 Q 0 N .4p J 0 go r a\0 a�D W C •\O b N .o Q J• 0 J J W V Q J L — 7 C C O a 7 M CO O WE m ' W . a, O C E O W Q 0 - c a � w cv = t a C ₹i a Y > u Vad c a ? y o v a 4a, a CO ad > e E �� ww Si �ua gi G Ece a o on o O.2 1 O WO '0 '0 7 O EtW Nal- N ` I `� 3c 33 = u o � W ❑ r x v, C Ln P V, m O W N c `0 o v o o u J 7 0 7 N 3 t 001013 O VVV OWV V13 CL m w u � 3 a, CD 333 u � 333 re ® N Y C m 0.a ID CD Oft vi >. Q w L. f" ir O C c a >' W L W o a, m W C .4.,• a W W _ 3 .. m m .'". A cW m mt •v o EO0 >, W J Z O Z O G X z t' -c ` fa W H Z Y o t' u W F x o O 6n ° •'Y° vOiaL+ u °ia E v N C W I- I- CCm > -n OH "7/ W C 2015-2018 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Application and Community Action Plan COMMUNITY ACTION PLAN GUIDE Action plans must clearly demonstrate the manner in which the eligible entity determined the need and how the agency will account for CSBG funds. The action plan format must include, at a minimum, the following information: 1. A description of the need, problem or situation and a description of the collection and analysis process. Weld County has a significant increase of unemployed individuals in both Employment First and other Workforce Center programs that serve the unemployed populations who meet 125% of poverty income. Established programs within the Workforce Center can not provided necessary supportive services within established regulations that can assist these target groups in obtaining employment and improve their self sufficiency. Current economic conditions for Weld County are also limiting the job placement opportunities and individuals that would be served by this grant would benefit from additional skills assessments, case management services and worksite development that staff would be able to provide to designated target groups and caseloads. Individuals who encounter numerous employment barriers such as poor work histories, lack of work experience, limited education and offender status in need of more structured job seeking assistance in order to compete within the labor market. There are a limited number of emergency services and uninsured health related services in Weld County. This information has been gathered through community assessments, meetings with community partners and from customer feedback. Weld County has a higher than average unemployment rate for youth which is compounded with below poverty income levels and high number of dropout youth. Weld County Youth Conservation Corps (WCYCC) specifically targets at risk youth populations to help address community needs. WCYCC is an employment and leadership development program that implements workplace learning through the filter of conservation and most often through the outdoor classroom. Youth in each of these positions work on a team of diverse peers learning employability skills, practicing leadership techniques, and ultimately become trained in hard skills that are related to their field experience and will provide certifications to youth participants upon completion. 2. Identify the service, activity or intervention that will be provided to address the need, problem or situation. An individual will be determined a client, once they have been screened or completed the application process and been determined to meet CSBG criteria, and receive the first service supported by CSBG. Case management services will be provided to individuals who initiate the Employment First program or other Workforce Center programs. Participants in case management will receive, one-one one counseling,job development services, pre and post employment assessment tests, employability skills testing, staff coordination of agency vocational training programs, testing or certification fees, on the job training, utilization of the computer learning lab and the purchase of ESLIGED books. Transportation assistance in the form of gas vouchers, bus tickets and transportation passes will be provided for both pre and post employment activities. Additional supportive services including, interview translation services, eyeglasses or eye exams, driver's license and state identification cards, employment DOtA COLORADO CO Department of Local Affairs 5 DMsion of Local Government uniforms including specials footwear, special tools for a job and employment background checks, such as finger printing etc will also be provided. Employment Services of Weld County(ESWC)will provide case management and subsidized internship and development opportunities to 30 TANF individuals. Internships are intended as a supplement to rather than a substitute for regular required TANF activities. Internship participants will be placed with public or private employers to work part-time for a period of 3-6 months. Through this experience, participants will receive training in important, marketable workplace skills and increase their future employability. Additionally, participants will take part in a variety of assessments and trainings at different stages throughout the program. The results of an initial vocational assessment will support the selection an internship placement that will be meaningful and relevant to the employment goals of the participant. Participants will also be required to complete a personal financial literacy course and interviewing skills training. Other assessments and training which may be recommended by staff include but are not limited to job search, resume writing, ABE, Career Ready Certification, Ready4Work, Career Ready 101, typing and computer tutorials, and skills tests beneficial to the employment goals of the participant. Skills test categories include software, office/professional, accounting, health care, financial, translation and writing, industrial, technical, call center, and legal. These assessments and will increase the likelihood of a successful internship placement, validate participants' current skills, and give participants an opportunity to improve or develop new skills leading to self-sufficiency, Weld County will be providing emergency (i.e. rent, utilities, clothing etc.) and health (i.e. vision, dental, etc.) services to individuals and families to stabilize the household, maintain, or improve the self-sufficiency of the household. There is a more comprehensive list of services in the Cost Description and Budget. The Weld County Youth Conservation Corps (WCYCC)will serve 10 CSBG-eligible youth between the ages of 17-24 through CSBG. With the support of CSBG, an employment opportunity for each youth participant designed to establish and enhance basic work maturity skills to include but not limited to arriving to work on time, following instructions, completing assigned tasks, verbal communication skills, effective listening, community engagement, working in a team environment, setting goals and meeting project sponsors expectations. The youth participants will build a solid foundation of work maturity skills and will be able to effectively apply the skills in future unsubsidized employment ventures. Youth participants will gain hands on experience such as conservation techniques, general maintenance, landscaping, basic construction and carpentry. Such skills will include but are not limited to small tools and equipment usage and safety protocol. Youth 18 and over and those who are identified as appropriate and able may also use technical equipment to include chainsaws and other powered tools. Certifications will be awarded as earned and appropriate. Projects (worksites)will include continued support of Weld County flood recovery efforts as appropriate, addressing community needs, historic preservation, environmental and conservation efforts focusing on land, water and energy. Additionally, youth participants will be provided with learning opportunities promoting life skill development and may include but is not limited to: High School Equivalency (GED) learning and testing, employment interest inventory, CPR, First Aid, AED, financial literacy, conflict resolution, S212 Certification (chainsaw training), transitioning assistance to include transitioning high school students into post secondary education and or workforce as well as foster youth ageing out of services and venturing into post secondary education or workforce. 3. A description of the expected outcome for the client or community. of COLORADO a CO `' Department of Local Affairs 6 oiviston of Local Government Without additional services that CSBG can provide, individuals will not be able to focus on a more direct job marketing endeavor. Individuals will not consider certain job offers due to the upfront financial cost incurred when accepting employment that is out of town or requires immediate transportation funds. More in-depth assessment of client abilities and skills, employment interests can lead to a better job selection. These types of services are not supported by other program funds. If CSBG funds can be utilized to provide additional support to a job seeker it will enhance an individual's employability skill set. Overall, individuals served by CSBG will become more self sufficient and improve their ability to move out of poverty as a result of receiving additional services not provided by other programs. Provide information on how to apply for state and federal assistance programs to 90%of the homeless population. Stabilize or improve self-sufficiency for 85% of the eligible applicants of emergency assistance. Youth will gain invaluable employment and life skills critical to their future workforce success. The community will be positively impacted by the youth serving with WCYCC to address local needs to include but not limited to water and energy conservation, community service based initiatives 4. The projected number of clients and percentage of success expected. Projected number of clients to receive case management services: 300. 20% of clients served in case management will obtain employment at exit. 100 individuals will receive additional supportive services other than transportation assistance Overall CSBG projected percentage of success: 20% of the clients who received CSBG funds will find employment and will retain employment, 1 quarter after exit. Provide shelter and case management to over 110 homeless individuals with an 85% success rate for the program year. Provide emergency assistance to approximately 150 individuals/families per year with an 85% success rate in stabilizing or improving self sufficiency. . A minimum of 10 youth will be enrolled in CSBG and WCYCC. WCYCC expects to achieve a 90% success rate as defined by the number of youth completing their identified term of service with WCYCC and increasing their work maturity skills. 5. A description of the measurement tool that will be used to determine success. ,^ DOLA COLORADO CO If Department of Local Affairs 7 DivIston of Local Government Data will be entered from the Employment Services Program Application, client intake forms as the clients come in to register. Monthly follow-up contacts are maintained and recorded within the client electronic and/or paper record. Gas vouchers and bus passes will be used to provide transportation assistance. Assessments and skills testing will be documented in case files and recorded as services within the Job Link System. Case record documents will track additional support services. Both adhoc and management reporting tools within the Job Link/Connecting Colorado data base tracking system will be used to report outcomes and performance. Outcome reporting of services provided will be maintained within the client case records and formal reports will be compiled from the Job Link data base tracking system. Copies of outcome statistical reports will be provided to the County's Business office and a copy will be maintained on site within the Employment Services Division administrative office. Reports will be provided to the County's Business Office on a quarterly basis. Internal monitoring reports are provided to the Employment Services Division on a monthly basis. Measurement tool: Survey in-take form or attendance log within the Department and by participating outside agencies. Data Source: Access Database Data will be collected when the assistance is initiated and ended (if different dates). WCYCC will use Pre and post employment assessments to document gains related to work ethic and maturity. 6. A detailed budget to support each program activity. 7. A description of how coordination will occur with other public and private entities. Case managers will work closely with Workforce Center programs including Employment First to identify additional employment and training services which clientele may be eligible for. Case managers will assist clientele in the transitioning and application process for additional training services through the Workforce Center. The emergency/health services outreach coordinator works with other community and governmental agencies to ensure there are no duplication of resources being provided to these individuals/families and to identify additional resources that may be used to stabilize, maintain or improve the household. In addition, other community non-profits and governmental agencies contact us to see if we can assist individuals/families as well. Other funds within the Department may also be used to further benefit the individuals/families. WCYCC youth participants are provided with a bi-monthly living stipend and uniform to include but not limited to boots, pants, shirts,jackets, gloves, safety glasses and hard hats. The funds provided by CSBG are critical and necessary to extend employment opportunities to at-risk youth however; the CSBG funds do not fully support WCYCC. WCYCC applies for contracted grant awards to perform projects related to conservation, such as Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), to generate additional funds to support the program and youth are co-enrolled into programs when possible to diversify staff related costs. Additionally, through the Corporation of National and Community Services, each participating youth will be provided with the ability to earn an education award to be used within seven (7) years of successful completion of their experience with WCYCC. Education Awards are contingent upon successful completion of a minimum of 300 hours of participation with WCYCC; number of hours to be completed will be based on individual needs and will be identified at time of enrollment. Upon successful completion, youth participants will earn a minimum of$1,175 and up to $2,775 based on the identified number of hours completed. CO7COLORADO Department of Local Affairs 8 Dmmon of Local Government 8. A description of how CSBG funds will be leveraged with other public and private resources, which include resources beyond financial. Additional funds will be secured to operate the Employment First Food Stamp Job Search program. The agency will also work closely with the Workforce Investment Act to secure training services as needed for this client group. Individuals will need to meet eligibility criteria and agree to post exit follow-up contact for 1 year after training has been completed. The emergency/health services outreach coordinator works with other divisions within our Department, United Way 211, other community and governmental agencies with referrals to counseling, support groups, parenting classes, etc. WCYCC youth participants are provided with a bi-monthly living stipend and uniform to include but not limited to boots, pants, shirts,jackets, gloves, safety glasses and hard hats. The funds provided by CSBG are critical and necessary to extend employment opportunities to at-risk youth however, the CSBG funds do not fully support WCYCC. WCYCC applies for contracted grant awards to perform projects related to conservation, such as Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), to generate additional funds to support the program and youth are co-enrolled into programs when possible to diversify staff related costs. Additionally, through the Corporation of National and Community Services, each participating youth will be provided with the ability to earn an education award to be used within seven (7) years of successful completion of their experience with WCYCC. Education Awards are contingent upon successful completion of a minimum of 300 hours of participation with WCYCC; number of hours to be completed will be based on individual needs and will be identified at time of enrollment. Upon successful completion, youth participants will earn a minimum of$1,175 and up to$2,775 based on the identified number of hours completed. 9. A description of innovative community and neighborhood-based initiatives being undertaken or planned to be undertaken. Not Applicable 10. If carrying out Linkages, provide a comprehensive description of what linkages will be developed or strengthened to assure effective delivery of services and the expected outcome of such linkages. Not Applicable ,* DOLA COLORADO CO q Department of Local Affairs 9 DMmon of Local Government t .: CI ?".1, in , rNn v N 4-0 c o aJ oA, U Oaq ' O ` O c E N N c G x g t > .,„ wco ai � - U Q .7 o , ; ;auEma 'EE m it aw COHi is� 3 O i V O o o („) doh u1 N N 'Cr in N sJ c i ctb -Y a 4 M N N 4O u 0 pX � c .E O on C c c O Q E E E �/� ` Y yi�t{% W ^ (l r^j I'J i u o 'co— in W ' ��,,., Q r = F di U 7r r%1 on o un N W E c > o N O D = L "_. cVT ›.U m o a ., c CLa) c c J - s �L: .n >, L •w - O O N j c N Q X �, <. �, co_ }' w o �+ OO c o E CEi to c o^ u Y Nto T 0 a+ c C U V U. y rt°r E n 'ECU vL an CO nn O D d w �. _ v a, > u o v NQ 0 a •ov � QJN 111 - � � UL O J O. O a ".,r ; E � o � E JZ C N N W v1 to U..' a x I! .: c in c c * d G Z, a) c N U * U O W w ° LA i o a E on a U VI L+ Q 1++ 2 .z o. o. 7 O C 7 4J ' yC•, - w N H O O �yy•.'1 k W W C 2 W v1 Z J N 2 OJ 0 e ° '..W L- N r"1 7 vi .G R. m Oz 6 L. y o a c = 3 u ia 3 a+ h V-• O O.On C in d 0 t p wcc � F .a p C 42 0 3 H4+ 11_ 0 m N JON J o • Do O a c u CL W • a) c 0 E aL-• u u R E 10 L O 3 « C O J▪ J . • > a E0 ° A N d " C C O J (1) L J C L n to d O 4..4• N d in = C O> • 3 W C d 4 m 4j V C w d d 011.! 5.C � z aa, >. A a111 E • E o O• L O O C ▪ Y Oq� W c/ x C J � Affidavit of Publication STATE OF COLORADO ss. County of Weld, I Kiara K. Garrett of said County of Weld, being duly sworn, say that I am an advertising clerk of THE GREELEY TRIBUNE, that the same is a daily newspaper of general circulation and printed and published in the City of Greeley, in said county and state; that the notice or advertisement, of which the annexed is a true copy, has been published in said daily newspaper for consecutive(days): that the notice was published in the regular and entire issue of every number of said newspaper during the period and time of publication of said notice, and in the newspaper NOTICE proper and not in a supplement thereof; that the The Weld County Department of Human Services plans to sub- mitofsaidnoticewascontainedin a Community Services Block Grant(CSBG)application to the State of Colorado,Department of Local Affairs. CSBG funds are Twentieth day of January A.D. 2015 and the last intended to fill gaps in services that impact the low-income pop- ulation of Weld County. The application being considered focus- publication thereof: in the issue of said newspaper es on employment,providing general assistance and transporta- tion for the low-income citizens of Weld County. A public hearing bearing the date of the will be held at 9:00 a.m.on Monday,January 26,2015 at Weld County Commissioners Hearing Room at 915 10th Street, Twenty-sixth day of January A.D. 2015 that said Greeley,Colorado,to obtain citizen input and questions. The Greeley Tribune has been published The Tribune January 20,21,22,23,24,25,26,2015 continuously and uninterruptedly during the period of at least six months next prior to the first issue thereof contained said notice or advertisement above referred to; that said newspaper has been admitted to the United States mails as second-class matter under the provisions of the Act of March 3, 1879, or any amendments thereof; and that said newspaper is a daily newspaper duly qualified for publishing legal notices and advertisements within the meaning of the laws of the State of Colorado. January 20, 21, 22,23,24,25,26,2015 Total Charges: $24.38 26th day of January 2015 My Commission Expires 6/14/17 Notary Public 02015-0.273 2015-2018 Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Application and Community Action Plan ROMA SUMMARY (Each Grantee/Sub-grantee applying for CSBG dollars must complete this form for all CSBG-Funded Activities) FEDERAL OBJECTIVE (SELECT ALL APPROPRIATE OBJECTIVES TO BE ADDRESSED) ®Employment ❑Nutrition ['Linkages ❑Income Management O Self-Sufficiency ❑Housing ®Emergency Services O Education O Health National Goal (Select All Appropriate Goals to be Addressed) Grantee will be expected to report on the results of all CSBG-funded programs in relation to these goals in the CSBG IS Final Reports. ® Goal 1 Low-income people become more self-sufficient. (Family) O Goal 2 The conditions in which low-income people live are improved. (Community) ❑ Goal 3 Low-income people own a stake in their community. (Community) ❑ Goal 4 Partnerships among supporters/providers of services to low-income people are achieved.(Agency) ❑ Goal 5 Agencies increase their capacity to achieve results. (Agency) Z Goal 6 Low-income people, especially vulnerable populations, achieve their potential by strengthening family and other supportive systems. (Family) Co® COLORADO Department of Local Affairs 12 Ditston of Local Government 0an N in 'n0 O N +-' N L N a0 H V-- N N _ — O H �O 4./1. E. C1 v 4. a) NU : � 0 3Pri — r o MI x'in l .c-I . • L =,� U — a vic n.14 0s`.. : U w p S ' cIC O ea m a) O O E Y •vlav 7 � Oar a E = -o o u o s ,a▪ lp c o a 0in 0 c in U • O c on x i .p 4- 4- E in 7 y c o " i c U V V- u a) c . 9 CO z ) ,. La, c OA E ) m La 0.1 CU v � a, j E • a• , E E,;4 vl � -- v ° � v ate) � EE > m> c; � .wtin ^ nw Cv) ai � — a, rvL a, . .-u ` -o a 11.) • v r• O O .L - O m e cn a) CQ c r v. O Lai L N It M 0 7 'n N , t O O O a 0- 0I .- * v.c a) an fa i a) n L L Co CCIi✓ . 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N '0 C Pi:2 0 M k a .C C N tt O „HA N N N A • W< ♦43 0 o o •Pi+W X 0 0 O H O L H N N M H H CC 0Oi H 3 N H,C ✓C LI0 IE N N H O pI 3W pI --,.C H 1-1 CI 10 C p p' N .0 a W ✓H E0 0 0 0 it ill N N 11 .{{ < 4., W E N N 0 0'00 0 a uni y' CU N HP) C NNO'OHCVI V 0 > £ H £ W N < 4.1 0 > £ £ W N .C N N H H N M d V110 l.CO P O N N O Ci N v N M C VI 10 r-GO GI H N N HI C C H H H 01 01 UNITED WAY OF WELD COUNTY 2-1-1 United 2014 Region 1 Results Way UNITED WAY OF WELD COUNTY ■Utility Bill Assistance Term Definitions: 1. Presenting Need: The . ■Clothing/Personal/Ho initial reason a client usehold Needs calls 2-1-1. N Rental Assistance 2. Referrals: The connecting links ■Transportation between people in need ■Food/Meals of human services and providers who may be able to meet those e Other needs. 3. Unmet Needs: No Top Reasons People Called 2-1-1,Annual 2014 referrals were available Why Track Presenting Needs and Referrals? By recording reasons people call 2-1-1 and the number and type of referrals provided, 2-1-1 is able to identify community trends and demonstrate an ability to offer clients resources to improve their lives. Category Presenting Need-2014 Referral Provided-2014 wv- ate is i§ 5s z' ♦-y;� ,, , Arts,Culture and Recreation ,' Oa ` _.� Child Care 58 52 Clothing/Personal/Household Needs ,7867 „1105 Dental Clinic 25 20 Disaster Services ,,:' 8 = . 7 T=x Donations 13 10 Education ,.:.. 20 xr< 24� =Y Employment 15 36 Food/Meals 4 444 466 5t,., Health Care 441 450 Housing/Utilities E 295 „, `° .,„ 233, Income Support/Assistance 19 19 Individual,Family/CommunitySupport y 242O,.;' 4„- .-`F -x267 Information Services 138 120 Legal,Consumer&Public Safety , ,• 356 fie7'' -;,. 390 '`",,,.. n'-.n Medical Clinic-Health Care 50 36 Mental Health/Addictionstl r . * ''"4" 26 "' x ' ` 1 /"`' ;, Other Government/Economic Services 7 4 Rental Assistance 'l I ,,n Wit, 738 7.' r'' *,Z1'l .air' e'4 Seasonal -Education 51 36 Seasonallt Health Care t r6 „A s r Seasonal -Holiday Assistance 256 179 r Seasonal -Income Tax Related x , ' 434 f fze 453 z; Senior Services 71 84 Shelter/Transitional Housing 422 r AR`_ s.,,,,,,,,,,, � , Transportation 483 334 Utility Bill Assistance 44„,, _ _____22077 w₹. '' 15! m,,,,4: Volunteer 22 21 Youth Programs ,,1.2,- Total 7610 6574 2-1-1 Caller Demographics The following information was collected for Annual 2014 from among 13,769 calls handled. • 71%are women • 47%are unemployed • 61%are under 55 years of age • 35%have an annual income under$10,000 ($833 per month) • 41%are Caucasian • Average income$11,461 per year • 30%are Hispanic • 45%are single,divorced,separated or widowed • 23%are calling from outside Greeley/Evans • 3%are calling from outside Weld County Since March 2013, we have surveyed 24%of our callers. Using 2-1-1 referrals, 60%of them received assistance. 88% reported receiving excellent 2-1-1 customer service and 90% reported feeling comfortable recommending 2-1-1 to friends and family. Unmet Needs-Listed in order of frequency: Rental Assistance/Transportation/Utility Bill Assistance/Shelter/Transitional Housing/Seasonal Holiday What Makes 2-1-1 Valuable to Weld County and Northeastern Colorado? • Full service referral help web base,smart phone app and 2-1-1 Call Center. • Proven ability to effectively uncover additional client needs over and above the initial reason a call is made to 2-1-1, resulting in more holistic service to clients. • Cost effective, time efficient approach for clients and practitioners to help locate human service/ referral needs with one call. • Significant cost savings to communities through better resource coordination, avoiding service duplication and by dedicating staff to comprehensive Call Center and data base operations. 2014 2013 2012 2011 Calls Handled 13,769 14,010 15,056 12,993 Web Hits 2,042 2,845 1,900 2,233 After Hours Calls 1,088 1,608 1,030 751 Annual Overview In addition to the demands on 2-1-1 to respond to the needs of households in our community; our call center operated at the normal level of efficiency and offered excellent customer service. 2-1-1 Colorado launched a Smart Phone App., as another opportunity for access to the database. We began to take steps to expand our 2-1-1 services in our community, increase visibility, and accessibility. We are hoping for a productive year operationally in 2015. LIVE UNITED "`r..\; LIVE UNITED United a iP r _ United 1 Way �`J r p Way "y United Way 3 United Way of Morgan Countyof Weld County Weld County Human Services Committee Minutes of Meeting December 12, 2014 Committee Members Present: Elizabeth Barber, Beth Danielson, Ryan Gray, Jodi Hartmann, Rose Kinane, Tom Teixeira, and Commissioner Bill Garcia(filling in for Commissioner Sean Conway). Staff Present: Karin Crandall, Kathy Tegtman The meeting began with introductions and a review of the July 18 meeting minutes. The minutes were unanimously approved by motion from Tom Teixeira, seconded by Elizabeth Barber. The attendees at the October 30 ROMA training, Karin, Jodi and Rose, gave brief updates about the training. Jodi mentioned that she had appreciated learning more about this excellent management/planning/evaluation model after having heard about it for years. She particularly liked the tools that were presented on evaluation. Karin said that the training was to help regions prepare for the eventual outcome requirements that will be placed on CSBG subrecipients. Karin presented an update on Weld County's current enrollment figures related to the Affordable Care Act. The county's CHP+ enrollment has decreased from 4,494 in 2010 to 3,521 in October, 2014—a 21% decrease—due to the expansion of Medicaid eligibility. The County's Medicaid enrollment has increased from 24,094 in 2008 to 61,994 in October, 2014—a 157% increase, with at least an 8.5% increase in that number being projected for 2015. Karin also reported that there continue to be glitches in the enrollment process with 50% of Connect for Colorado applications being held up because of the Medicaid eligibility process. The new retail location at the King Soopers shopping center for Connect for Colorado enrollment is now open. Representatives state that they are seeing between 20-25 people enrolling every day; half are walk-ins and half have appointments. Karin also reported on the County's recently completed CIA re-organization of the Assistance Payment Division. Essentially the department no longer assigns one technician to every applicant. There are now five divisions: Applications, Re-Certifications, Call Center, Mail, and Walk-in's. The model slogan is "One and Done." So wherever an applicant is in the process of enrolling in benefits, they will work directly with that department. All walk-ins are guaranteed to be processed and leave with benefits if they have all of their paperwork with them., They may have to wait awhile, but they will be seen. Technicians are cross-trained and rotate between the departments every couple of months. Karin reviewed the proposed CSBG three year budget for the application that is due February 1. She explained the $200,000 carryover the county incurred from last year's grant. The majority of the carryover was due to two pilot Subsidized Employment programs that had been included in the budget but were not actually able to be implemented during the grant term due to the lateness of the final amended contract(October 15). There was also carryover from an Americorps position that was not filled, and emergency shelter funds that had not been applied for. In the proposed three year budget,the County is proposing that AAA funding be removed (they have other funds that can replace this grant), and the addition of Employment First programs. The county is also recommending that the shelter funding be increased to in years two and three. The budget must be approved by the County Commissioners, and a 30-day public comment period must transpire before the application can be sent to the Department of Local Affairs for final approval. Next year's committee meeting schedule was discussed and it was decided that the committee will continue to meet on the third Friday of the first month of each quarter. Karin will send that schedule out to the committee. Meeting adjourned at 10:00 a.m. Respectfully submitted, / (Ftzr` Jodi Hartmann Committee Secretary CE1MPJ . a_ z Building Better Communities Weld County Assessment of Needs and Strengths January 2005 Prepared for Compass Needs Assessment Steering Committee By Robbyn R. Wacker, Ph.D University of Northern Colorado se) UNC C EaL MPASS Building Better Communities Weld County Assessment of Needs and Strengths January 2005 Prepared for Compass Needs Assessment Steering Committee By Robbyn R. Wacker, Ph.D University of Northern Colorado UNC Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Acknowledgements Conducting a comprehensive needs assessment of individuals who reside in Colorado's Weld County required the assistance of numerous individuals. I wish to thank the individuals who worked behind the scenes to make this project a reality. First, I wish to acknowledge the support from the businesses and organizations that provided the funding that made this assessment possible. Aims Community College Banner Health System City of Greeley The Community Foundation of Greeley & Weld County Greeley Tribune Kodak— Colorado Division Monfort Family Foundation United Way of Weld County Weld County School District 6 Weld County Government Next, I want to thank the Compass Steering Committee and the Data and Media Subcommittees of the Compass Steering Committee for their support and input through out the entire process. These committees consisted of community members who participated in numerous meetings and assisted me in the selection of respondents, refinement of the questionnaires used in this study, and worked to inform the community about the Compass process and results. These individuals include: Compass Steering Committee Members Randy Bangert — Greeley Tribune Gary Boehler — Kodak— Colorado Division Alvina Derrera — Rocky Mountain SER Mike Geile — Weld County Commissioner Julianne Haefeli — Community Volunteer Gene Haffner— North Colorado Medical Center Jean Hoshiko — The Community Foundation of Greeley & Weld Frank Lakin — Community Volunteer May Martinez Hendershot — State Farm Insurance Michael Muskin — United Way of Weld County Keith Rangel — Family Physicians of Windsor Walt Richter— Aims Community College Linda Roberts — Anderson and Whitney Becky Safarik — City of Greeley Don Sandoval — State of Colorado, Local Affairs Kevin Schwindt — RR Donnelley Norwest Jeannine Truswell — United Way of Weld County Cheryl Wangeman — Weld School District 6 Study Results 2 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Compass Data Collection Subcommittee Alvina Derrera — Rocky Mountain SER Julie Givan — Union Colony Civic Center Betsy Holder— City of Greeley Frank Lakin — Community Volunteer Monica Mika — Weld County Government Michael Muskin — United Way of Weld County Keith Rangel — Family Physicians of Windsor Walt Richter— Aims Community College Becky Safarik — City of Greeley Don Sandoval — State of Colorado, Local Affairs Robbyn Wacker— University Of Northern Colorado Cheryl Wangeman — Weld School District 6 Compass Media Subcommittee Randy Bangert — Greeley Tribune Bruce Bormann — North Weld Herald Juan Cruz — Greeley Police Department Julianne Haefeli — Community Volunteer Gene Haffner— North Colorado Medical Center Karen Height — United Way of Weld County May Martinez Hendershot — State Farm Insurance Michael Muskin — United Way of Weld County Gloria Reynolds — University of Northern Colorado Robbyn Wacker— University of Northern Colorado Next, I could not have completed the research without the efforts of two research assistants, Sonja Rizzolo and Richard Dougherty. Both Sonja and Richard worked on the research team from the beginning, helping to identify randomly-selected respondents, coding and entering the data, and generally being available when their assistance was needed. I also want to thank Dr. Susan Collins, Dr. Faye Hummel, and April Hummel who assisted me in the survey process. Also aiding us in the comprehensive assessment process were RSVP volunteers. They folded, stuffed, labeled, and stamped hundreds of questionnaires for mailing. We couldn't have done this project without them! Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I want to thank the individuals in all aspects of data collection who graciously consented to participate in the study by returning the completed mail survey and participating in focus groups. Without their input and responses, this project could not have been completed. All of these individuals contributed to the collection of invaluable data that will assist community leaders in developing programs and resources to help address the needs of Weld County residents. 1/cite Dr. Robbyn R. Wacker Project Director Study Results 3 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables 7 List of Figures 9 Executive Summary 12 Study Results Summary 12 Community and Neighborhood Strengths 12 Economic Issues 13 Community Economic Concerns 13 Household Economic Concerns 13 Educational Issues 14 Community Educational Concerns 14 Household Educational Concerns 14 Environmental Issues 15 Community Environmental Concerns 15 Household Environmental Concerns 15 Health Issues 15 Community Health Concerns 15 Household Health Concerns 16 Housing Issues 16 Community Housing Concerns 16 Household Housing Concerns 17 Leisure Activities 17 Community Leisure Concerns 17 Household Leisure Concerns 18 Safety Issues 18 Community Safety Concerns 18 Household Safety Concerns 18 Social Issues 18 Community Social Concerns 18 Household Social Concerns 19 Transportation Issues 20 Community Transportation Concerns 20 Household Transportation Concerns 20 Section I — Final Report 21 Background 21 Objective 21 Report Organization 21 Understanding the Results 21 Statistical Results 21 "Don't Know" and "Not an Issue" Responses 22 Comparing Subgroup Responses 22 Self Report Data 23 Scope of the Needs Assessment 23 Section II -Methodology 24 Questionnaire Development 24 Initial Committee Input 24 Study Results 4 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Questionnaire Refinement 24 Sample - Household Survey 24 Sampling Frame 24 Sample Stratification 24 Sample — Key Informant Surveys 25 Sampling Frame 25 Methods and Procedures 25 Survey Procedures 25 Time Period 25 Staff 25 Random Sample With Replacement 25 Interviewing Spanish-Speaking Respondents 26 Focus Groups 26 Coding and Data Entry 27 Analysis and Report Writing 27 Survey Analysis and Reporting 27 Section III - Results of the Weld County Needs Assessment 28 Population Demographics 28 Sociodemographic Characteristics Household Respondents 33 Sex 33 Age 33 Race/Ethnicity 33 Education 33 Household Characteristics 33 Respondent Household Location 33 Languages spoken in the household 34 Income 34 High school graduate or GED 35 Community and Neighborhood Strengths 45 Economic Issues 48 Secondary Data 48 Community Economic Issues - Survey Results 53 Household Economic Issues - Survey Results 55 Household Economic Issues by Subgroups 57 Educational Issues 61 Secondary Data 61 Community Educational Issues — Survey Data 63 Community Educational Issues by Subgroup 65 Household Educational Issues — Survey Data 65 Household Educational Issue by Subgroups 69 Environmental Issues 70 Secondary Data 70 Community Environmental Issues — Survey Data 70 Community Environmental Concerns by Subgroup 71 Household Environmental Issues — Survey Data 72 Health Issues 75 Secondary Data 75 Study Results 5 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Community Health Issues- Survey Data 78 Community Health Issues by Subgroup 80 Household Health Issues — Survey Data 81 Household Health Issues by Subgroup 82 Community Housing Issues — Secondary Data 86 Community Housing Issues — Survey Data 87 Community Housing Issues by Subgroup 89 Household Housing Issues — Survey Data 89 Household Housing Issues by Subgroups 92 Leisure Activities 95 Secondary Data 95 Community Leisure Activities — Survey Data 95 Community Leisure Needs by Subgroups 98 Household Leisure Issues — Survey Data 99 Household Leisure Issues by Subgroups 100 Safety Issues 101 Secondary Data 101 Community Safety Issues — Survey Data 104 Community Safety Issues by Subgroups 107 Household Safety Issues — Survey Data 107 Household Crime by Subgroups 108 Social Issues 109 Secondary Data 109 Teen Pregnancy 109 Child Care 110 Child Care 111 Community Social Issues — Survey Data 112 Community Social Issues by Subgroups 115 Household Social Issues- Survey Data 116 Household Social Issues by Subgroups 119 Transportation Issues 121 Secondary Data 121 Community Transportation Issues- Survey Data 122 Community Transportation Issues by Subgroups 125 Household Transportation Issues- Survey Data 125 Household Transportation Issues by Subgroup 127 Summary 128 References 129 Appendix 132 Study Results 6 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Respondent's Demographic Characteristics 35 Table 1 (cont.) Respondent's Demographic Characteristics 36 Table 1 (cont.) Demographic Characteristics 37 Table 2. Demographics Characteristics of focus group participants 38 Table 3. Household Respondent's Perception of Neighborhood and Community Strengths 46 Table 4. National, State and County Income in 1999 48 Table 5. Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Greeley, CO PMSA, November 2003 50 Table 6. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Community Economic Concerns Are a Minor, Moderate, or Major Issue 53 Table 7. Number and Percent of Respondents Reporting that Selected Economic Concerns were a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 55 Table 8. National, State and County Educational Indicators 61 Table 9. Colorado Department of Education 5-Year Trend Dropout Rates Including Alternative Schools 1998-1999 To 2002-2003 62 Table 10. Rate of Graduates for Weld County Schools and State (2003) a 63 Table 11. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating that Community Educational Concerns Are a Minor, Moderate, Major Issue 64 Table 12. Number and Percent of Respondents Reporting that Educational Concerns were Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue for Their Household 65 Table 13. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating that Environmental Concerns Are a Minor, Moderate, or Major Issue for their Community 70 Table 14. Number and Percent of Households Respondents Reporting Environmental Concerns as Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 73 Table 15. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating Community Health Concerns Are an Issue 78 Table 16. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating that Health Concerns were Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 81 Table 17. Characteristics of Housing Value and Rates for Weld County, Colorado and United States 86 Table 18. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Housing Concerns Are a Minor, Moderate, or Major Issue 88 Table 19. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating that Housing Concerns were Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 90 Table 20. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Leisure Concerns Are an Issue for their Community 96 Table 21. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating That Leisure Activities Are an Issue For Their Household 99 Table 22. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Community Safety Issues Are a Concern 104 Table 23. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating That Safety Concerns Are Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate, or Major Issue 107 Study Results 7 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 24. Total Number and Percent of Teen Births Among 109 Table 25. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Community Social Issues Are a Concern 112 Table 26. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating That Social Concerns Are Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate, or Major Issue 116 Table 27. Number and Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Community Transportation Issues Are an Issue 123 Table 28. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating That Transportation Concerns Are Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate, or Major in Their Household 126 Study Results 8 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Percent of Weld County Adults Aged 65+ Living in Poverty by Geographical Location 29 Figure 2. Percent of Hispanic Population by Weld County Geographic Location 30 Figure 3. Percent of Persons Below the Poverty Level by Geographical Location 31 Figure 4. Percent of Related Children Under Age 18 Living Below the Poverty Level (1999) 32 Figure 5. Household Respondent's Gender 41 Figure 6. Household Respondent's Race/Ethnicity 41 Figure 7. Household Respondent's Education Level 42 Figure 8. Household Composition by <18 Years and Over Age 65 42 Figure 9. Respondent's Household Income 43 Figure 10. Difficulty making ends meet 43 Figure 11. Respondent's Age 44 Figure 12. Languages Spoken at Home 44 Figure 13. Unemployment Rates by County, Not Seasonally Adjusted, November 2004 49 Figure 14. Number of Weld County Residents Employed from 1994 - 2004 51 Figure 15. Number of Weld County Residents Unemployed from 1994 - 2004 51 Figure 16. Unemployment Rate in Weld County from 1994 - 2004 51 Figure 17. Percent of Civilian Labor Force that is Unemployed by Geographical Location 52 Figure 18. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household (HH) Respondents Reporting Economic Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue' 54 Figure 19. Percent of Households Reporting Economic Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 57 Figure 20. Percent of Household Respondents Reporting Inadequate Wages as a Moderate or Major Issue by Education Level 58 Figure 21. Percent of Household Respondents Reporting Difficulty Paying for Basic Needs as a Moderate or Major Issue by Education Level 59 Figure 22. Percent of Household Respondents Reporting Not Being Able to Find Work as a Moderate or Major Issue by Education Level 59 Figure 23. Percent of Household Respondents Reporting Difficulty Paying for Basic Needs as a Moderate or Major Issue by Age Group 60 Figure 24. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Educational Issues as a Moderate or Major Community Problem 64 Figure 25. Percent of Households Reporting Educational Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 66 Figure 26. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Environmental Issues as a Moderate or Major Issue 71 Figure 27. Percent of Households Reporting Environmental Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 73 Figure 28. Alcohol Hospital Discharge Diagnoses, Mean Rate, 1993-1997 75 Figure 29. Drug Hospital Discharge Diagnoses Mean Rate by County, 1993-1997 76 Figure 30. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Health Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 79 Study Results 9 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 31. Percent of Households Reporting Health Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 82 Figure 32. Percent of Households Reporting Not Having Enough Money to Pay Doctor, or Buy Prescription Drugs or Get Medical Insurance as a Moderate or Major Issue by Income 83 Figure 33. Percent of Households Reporting Not Having a Primary Doctor or Care Provider as a Moderate or Major Issue by Income 85 Figure 34. Percent of Housing Units Built before 1940 87 Figure 35. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Housing Concerns as a Moderate or Major Issue 88 Figure 36. Percent of Households Reporting Housing Issues as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 90 Figure 37. Percent of Households Reporting Not Having Enough Money to Pay for Housing Rent or Mortgage was a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue by Income 93 Figure 38. Percent of Households Reporting Not Having Enough Money to Pay for Utilities was a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue by Income 94 Figure 39. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Leisure Concerns as a Moderate or Major Issue 96 Figure 40. Percent of Households Reporting Leisure Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 99 Figure 41. Percent of Households Reporting Not Being Able to Afford Cultural or Entertainment Activities a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue by Income 100 Figure 42. Violent Crime Total in Weld County 1990-2002 101 Figure 43. Total Number of Property Crimes in Weld County 1990- 2002 102 Figure 44. Total Number of Forcible Rape and Robbery in Weld County 1990-2000 ... 103 Figure 45. Total Number of Burglary, Larceny-Theft, and Motor Vehicle Theft in Weld County 1990-2002 103 Figure 46. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Community Safety Concerns as a Moderate or Major Issue 105 Figure 47. Percent of Households Reporting Safety Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 108 Figure 48. Percent of Total Births to Girls Aged 10-17 for Weld County and Colorado 1990-2003 110 Figure 49. Fertility Rates (Live Births per 1,000) for Girls Aged 10-17 for Weld County and Colorado 1990-2003 110 Figure 50. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents Reporting Community Social Concerns as a Moderate or Major Issue 113 Figure 51. Percent of Households Reporting Social Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 117 Figure 52. Percent of Households Reporting Not Being Able to Afford Legal Help a Minor, Moderate or Major Problem by Income 120 Figure 53. Age-adjusted motor vehicle traffic death rates by county of residence, 1996-1998 121 Figure 54. Total Deaths and Crude Death Rates Due to Motor Vehicle Injuries in Weld County 1990-2003 122 Study Results 10 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 55. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Community Transportation Concerns as a Moderate or Major Issue 123 Figure 56. Percent of Households Reporting Transportation Issues as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 126 Study Results 11 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The data collection undertaken in this report is part of a larger community improvement process called Compass. Compass is a multistage process where data are collected from multiple sources that can help communities identify their strengths and needs. Once those strengths and needs are identified, citizens can join together to effect positive change in their community. Survey results contained in this report include information from key informants (n= 63), household respondents (n=370), and focus group participants (n=32) about their perceptions of community strengths and challenges, and household economic and social concerns. The full report contains both secondary data from the US Census and other non-profits and survey results. However, the executive summary described below contains only the results from the survey. Study Results Summary Community and Neighborhood Strengths Key informants were split almost equally among those that agreed and disagreed with the following statements about their community: ▪ "Actively promotes positive relations among people from all races, genders, ages, and cultures" ▪ "Is one where people and organizations from all geographic regions get together to address mutual concerns" • "Is one where all religious groups come together to address pressing social concerns" C "Is one where associations in neighborhoods from various parts of the community share strategies and work together" C "Is one in which there exists a great deal of mutual respect among all leaders from all sectors of the community" L "Is one where leaders from all sectors of the community share vision for the community" The greatest agreement among key informants on community strengths were in two areas: L "Your community is one where leaders from business, labor, government, education, religious, neighborhoods, nonprofit and all other sectors come together and work productively to address critical issues" C "Your community is one that actively supports and strengthens connections between families, neighborhoods, and the whole community" Household respondents reported a positive sense of community and neighborhood with regard to: Study Results 12 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 - "People who are different from one another participate together in community activities, come together to work on common goals, and gather together formally and informally" r "People in your neighborhood trust each other and consider the same things important" Over half of the respondents said they had little or no opportunity to affect how things happen in their neighborhood and community. Economic Issues Community Economic Concerns I Almost 75% of key informants and 44% of household respondents indicated that unemployment or underemployment and lack of jobs were serious community issues. 1 26% of household respondents indicated that lack of jobs was a major issue for their community. • Other community economic issues mentioned by respondents were lack of educational skills training, no job opportunities for people over 50, and low wages. Household Economic Concerns C 64.2% of household respondents indicated that inadequate wages were an issue, of those, 24% indicated that it was a major issue for them or someone in their household. 53.8% of individuals with less than a high school degree reported that inadequate wages was a major problem. 1 53% of respondents with some college, 51% of respondents with an associates degree, and 48.4% of high school graduates reported that inadequate wages were a moderate or major problem. More than 40% of respondents with an education level of some college or less reported that having enough money to buy household items or paying bills for basic items was a moderate or major problem. L Not having enough money to buy household items was a moderate or major problem for approximately one-third of all age groups with the exception of those aged 55-64 (20%). L Over half of respondents said that not having enough money to buy household items was an issue. L Not being able to find work and inadequate household transportation was a moderate or major problem for 76% and 61.6%, respectively, for respondents with less than high school education. C 33.4% indicated that being able to find work was a moderate or major issue. Study Results 13 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 ▪ Non-whites' were two times more likely than whites to report that all five economic concerns were a major issue for themselves or someone in their household. Educational Issues Community Educational Concerns - 48.4% of key informants and 43.7% household respondents believed that overcrowded classrooms were either a moderate or major community issue. 40.3% of key informants and 38.7% of household respondents believed the lack of equipment was a moderate or major issue. • 28% of whites and 49.3% of non-whites believed that an unsafe school environment was either a moderate or major issue. 1 66% of those living in Evans, 44% of those respondents living in south-central Weld, and 43% living in south-west Weld believed that an unsafe school environment was either a moderate or major issue. - Overcrowded classrooms was seen as a moderate or major problem for communities in south-central Weld (57.7%), south-west Weld (67.5%), west- central Weld (50.1%), east-central Weld (50.0%), Greeley (55.4%), and Evans (84.2%). Household Educational Concerns L Inadequate educational opportunities, children unsafe at school, and discrimination in school were seen as issues for 36.6%, 40.7% and 43.8% of households, respectively. L Focus group respondents identified language barriers and safety, including bullying, as two key educational issues in rural and urban Weld County. L Other comments about educational concerns included lack of educational opportunities for children with special needs, discrimination, the need for preschools, lack of music and art education, and underpaid teachers. C Inadequate educational opportunity was seen as a major household issue for individuals living in rural Weld compared to those living in the Greeley/Evans area (11.2% vs. 5.3%). C Respondents who were non-white were more likely to report that inadequate educational opportunities were either a moderate or major issues for their household than white respondents (32.1% vs. 12.2%). ▪ 36% of non-white respondents said children being unsafe at school was a moderate or major issue for their household compared to 14.1% of white respondents. Throughout this report non-whites were respondents who indicated they were either American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic and were grouped together for additional analyses (n=88). Study Results 14 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Environmental Issues Community Environmental Concerns ▪ Air pollution was the biggest environmental concern as 37.1% of household respondents and 34.9% of key informants believed this was a moderate or major community issue. L 57.2% of the respondents in living in south east Weld, 39.1% of respondents living in west-central Weld and 33.4% of respondents living in Evans report that water pollution was a moderate or major problem. C The concern over air pollution was greatest among residents in south-west Weld (50.0%), Evans (50.0%), west-central Weld (45.5%), central-south Weld (44.8%), and Greeley (39.4%). C Those reporting too much light or noise were more likely to live in east-central Weld (42%), central-south Weld (41.3%), west-central Weld (40.9%), Evans (39.1%), and Greeley (36.8%). ▪ Other community environmental concerns mentioned by respondents were threats of West Nile Virus, trash in neighborhoods, traffic pollution, habitat destruction, stench from processing plants, and the need for more recycling programs. Household Environmental Concerns ▪ Over half of respondents indicated that air pollution was either a minor, moderate or major household issue. ▪ Too much noise or light was seen as a moderate or major household issue by 17.9% of respondents. ▪ Drinking water was the primary environmental issue raised by focus group participants. Health Issues Community Health Concerns Over half of the respondents indicated that lack of affordable medical care was an issue and 34.1% of those respondents reported that the lack of affordable medical care was a major community concern. ▪ More than half of key informants indicated that the following issues were a moderate or major concern — mental illness or emotional issues (51.6%), alcohol abuse (65.1%), drug abuse (71.4%), and lack of affordable health care (72.6%). ▪ Focus group participants indicated that substance abuse, alcohol abuse and other drug abuse, was a community problem in the urban setting. ▪ Concern about the lack health care was a moderate or major concern for residents in communities located in central-south Weld (81.5%), west-central Weld (75.0%), east-Weld (70%), south-west Weld (67.6%), Evans (65.0%), south east Weld (57.2%), and Greeley (53.8%). C Other community health concerns mentioned by respondents included access to mental health services, medical care for low income families, increase in the number of uninsured, lack of prenatal care, high cost of insurance, and care for older adults. Study Results 15 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Household Health Concerns E 45% of respondents said that having a lot of anxiety or stress and 38.9% said not having enough money to pay the doctor, or buy prescriptions or get medical insurance were a moderate or major household issues. E Not having a primary doctor or care provider was a moderate or major household issue for 19% of the respondents. E 69.2% for those with incomes <$14,999 and 60.9% for those with incomes between $15,000 - $34,999 were more likely to report that not having enough money to pay for medical needs was a moderate or major household issue. Not having enough money for medical needs was also seen as a moderate or major household issue by more non-white respondents than white respondents (56.7% and 31.0%, respectively). L Focus group participants in Greeley reported dissatisfaction and problems with access to, quality of and affordability of health care and dental services. - Stress or anxiety was a moderate or major household issue for those with low incomes, non-whites and those under age 34 and between ages 35-54. - Although a small percentage of people reporting that alcohol or drug abuse was a household issue, those with incomes between $15,000-$34,999 and $50,000- 74,999 were more likely to say that these were a moderate or major issue than those in other income brackets. Non-whites were more likely than whites to report that alcohol and drug abuse were moderate or major issues for them or someone in their household (15%, and 5.5%, respectively for alcohol abuse, and 13.5% and 4.1%, respectively for drug abuse). - Non-whites were more likely than whites to report not having a primary doctor or care provider was a moderate or major issue (27.5% vs. 16.2%, respectively). - 43% of those with incomes below $14,999 said not having a doctor or care providers was a moderate or major household issue. Housing Issues Community Housing Concerns I Of the housing issues listed, the highest percent (40.6%) of household respondents felt that the shortage of affordable housing was either a moderate or a major community issue. I A higher percentage of key informants indicated that the following was a moderate or a major community issue - shortage of affordable housing (73%), substandard housing (44.5%), and homelessness (41.3%). I Other comments about community housing included the need of low-income housing and affordable housing, and the need for housing for chronically and mentally ill individuals, housing for older adults, and more Medicaid beds and assisted living housing. I Individuals living in east Greeley were more likely to respond that affordable housing was a major community problem (22.5%) compared to those respondents who lived in west Greeley (7.9%). Study Results 16 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 ▪ In every area in Weld County except in the Windsor area, over 40% of the respondents thought that a shortage of affordable housing was a moderate or major community issue. Household Housing Concerns E 35.5% of respondents indicated that not having enough money to pay for rent or mortgage and 33.6% indicated that not having enough money to pay for utilities were an issue for their household. - Focus groups expressed the following difficulties with regard to housing - availability and affordability, language barriers and documentation needed to rent, acceptable housing, landlord exploitation, and community growth. L Not having enough room in their house for all the people who live there was a moderate or major issue for non-whites and those residents with lower incomes. _ Living in substandard housing that needs repairs was an issue of concern for individuals with lower incomes, non-whites, those living east of 35th Avenue in Greeley, and residents in north Weld, central-south Weld, and south-east Weld. L 34% of individuals with incomes below <$14,999 and 23% of those with incomes between $15-34,999 reported that not having enough money to pay for housing rent or mortgage was a moderate or major household issue. E 30.2% of respondents living east of 35th Avenue were more likely to report not having enough money to pay for housing rent or mortgage was a moderate or major issue. ▪ 40% of individuals with incomes below <$14,999 and 27.7% of those with incomes between $15-34,999 reported not having enough money to pay for utilities was a moderate or major household issue. ▪ Non-whites compared to whites were more likely to report that not having enough money to pay for utilities was a moderate or major household issue (31.7% and 15.8%, respectively). 26% of non-whites compared to 8.6% of whites reported that people living with them who can't afford their own housing was a moderate or major household issue. Leisure Activities Community Leisure Concerns L 35.4% of key informants thought that the lack of cultural activities was a moderate or major community concern. L 40.9% of household respondents indicated that lack of cultural activities was either a moderate or major community issue, 39.1% thought that a shortage of community recreational facilities was an issue of concern. C Other comments about community leisure needs included the lack of leisure opportunities in rural areas, lack of recreational opportunities for groups such as teenagers, "latch key" children, older adults and persons with disabilities, the need for dog parks, more neighborhood activities, and the desire to have UNC reinstate outdoor concerts. Study Results 17 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 ▪ 71.5% of those living in east-central Weld, 64% of those in north Weld, 54% of those in east Weld and 52% of those in Evans reported the lack of recreational facilities as a moderate or major community issue. ✓ Respondents in rural Weld felt that a lack of outdoor recreational activities was also a moderate or major community issue compared to Greeley/Evans residents (41% vs. 30.9%, respectively). L Residents in rural communities were more likely to report that a lack of cultural activities was a moderate or major community issue than did respondents living in the combined Greeley/Evans area (50.4% vs. 35.1%). Household Leisure Concerns L Not being able to afford cultural or entertainment activities was reported as a moderate or major household issue by 27.2% of respondents, followed by not being able to afford recreational activities (26.6%) and lack of access to outdoor recreation opportunities (19%). ▪ 69% of respondents under age 34 and 52.7% of respondents between the ages of 35-54 reported that not being able to afford recreational activities was a household issue. Safety Issues Community Safety Concerns C Most key informants thought that crime (63.5%) and gangs (65.1%) were moderate and major issues in their communities. C Of the safety issues listed, the highest percent of household respondents (44.6%) felt that crime was a moderate or major issue. L Focus group participants expressed concerns about gangs in Greeley and neighborhood disparity in police protection. L Other comments about community safety concerns included crime and burglaries, speeding traffic, and increase in traffic fatalities. Household Safety Concerns ▪ 12% of household respondents indicated that experiencing crime was a moderate or major household issue and 9.3% indicated that household threats from gangs was moderate or major issue. - 48% of respondents living east of 35th Avenue reported that crime was either a minor, moderate or major household issue, with 11.4% indicating crime as a major issue. L Over 85% of respondents in all county areas, with the exception of central-south Weld, Evans, and Greeley, reported that household threats from gangs was not an issue. Social Issues Community Social Concerns - The majority of the key informants viewed teen pregnancy (65.1%), racial or ethnic discrimination (53.9%), family violence, abuse of children or adults Study Results 18 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 (74.6%), illiteracy (60.3%) and lack of affordable child care (68.2%) as moderate or major issues for people in their communities. E Approximately one-third of the household respondents felt that teen pregnancy, racial or ethnic discrimination, family violence and illiteracy were moderate or major community concerns. E Lack of affordable child care was seen as the issue of greatest community concern to household respondents as 27.5% indicated that this was a major community issue. ▪ Other community social concerns mentioned by respondents included bilingual education, social changes brought on by community growth, and lack of services for elders and persons with disabilities, drug abusers, and those needing pre- natal care. There were numerous comments reflecting community racial tensions. ▪ Teen pregnancy was perceived to be a moderate or major community issue by residents in west-central Weld (81.3%), Evans (68.6%), and central-south Weld (60.0%). _ Greeley respondents had the highest percentage of all other Weld community respondents who reported that racial or ethnic discrimination was a major problem (23.8%). Respondents living in Evans (78.6%), south east Weld (67.2%), west central Weld (58.8%) and central south Weld (53.8%) had concerns about illiteracy. _ With the exception of north central Weld and east Weld communities, over 50% of respondents in all other Weld communities indicated that lack of affordable child care was either a moderate or major issue. Household Social Concerns L Three social issues were identified as household issues by over one-quarter of the respondents — not able to afford legal help (38.2%), not being able to find or afford child care (25%), and not being able to get care for an elder or adult with a disability or serious illness (23.5%). • 20% of non-whites indicated that not being able to afford legal help was a major issue compared to 8.6% of whites. C Almost 30% of respondents with incomes below $15,000 reported that not being able to afford legal help was a major issue. C 35% of households with incomes between $15,000 - $34,999 and 34% of households with incomes below $15,000 indicated that not being able to get care for an elder or an adult with a disability or serious illness was an issue. ▪ 16% of respondents with incomes below $15,000 and 40.2% of non-whites indicated that not being able to get care for an elder or an adult with a disability or serious illness was a major issue. ▪ Almost 50% of individuals living in central south Weld, 29.2% of residents in west central Weld, 28.6% of residents living in south east Weld, and 22% of residents living in Greeley reported getting care for an elder or disabled adult was an issue. L Not being able to find or afford child care was an issue among non-white respondents (48.1%) compared to white respondents (16.5%). Study Results 19 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Transportation Issues Community Transportation Concerns ✓ The majority of the key informants and the household respondents indicated that inadequate public transportation (60.6% and 41 .7%, respectively) and poor or unsafe traffic conditions (hazards or speeding) or congestion were moderate to major issues for the people in their communities (56.7% and 52.9%, respectively). ▪ Other community transportation concerns mentioned by respondents included the need for transportation for persons with disabilities and elders, after school transportation for children, the lack of regional transportation service. deteriorating roads, and speeding through neighborhoods and on rural roads C Inadequate community transportation was a moderate or major concern for over 30% of the respondents in all Weld communities. L Poor bike or pedestrian safety was also reported as a moderate or major community concern for respondents in Evans (45%), north Weld (47.1%), south west Weld (56.9%), central south Weld (60.7%), and west central Weld (67.2%). P Poor and unsafe traffic was viewed as a moderate or major issue by more than 50% of respondents Greeley (51%), south east Weld (57%), Evans (66.7%), and west central Weld (77.2%). Household Transportation Concerns • Not being able to afford or access public transportation was reported as a household issue for 28.4% of respondents,10.4% of whom indicated that it was a major issue. 26% of respondents indicated that not being able to afford reliable transportation was a household issue. • Not being able to get transportation for a person with a disability or elder was an issue for 18.2% of the households. C Difficulty with affording and accessing public transportation was reported by 41.5% of non-white respondents, 48.1% of respondents with incomes below $14,999, and 40.8% of respondents with incomes between $15,000 - $34,999. ▪ Not being able to get transportation for a person with a disability or an elder was a household issue among those with incomes below $14,999 (30.2%) and 31% of non-whites. Study Results 20 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 SECTION I - FINAL REPORT Background The data collection undertaken in this report is part of a larger community improvement process called Compass. Compass is a multistage process where data are collected from multiple sources — secondary data, households, key informants, businesses, associations, and service providers — that can help communities identify their strengths and needs. Once those strengths and needs are identified, citizens can join together to effect positive change in their community. Objective The objective of the all the data collected and presented in this report was to provide an overview of the social and economic strengths and needs of communities in Weld County. Report Organization The Executive Summary, located prior to this section, presents a synopsis of the report. This introductory section, Section I, provides some background regarding the origin of the needs assessment, delineates the objectives that the research project was designed to meet, and describes the layout of the report. Section II outlines the methods that were used to collect, analyze, and report the data. Section III offers secondary data and detailed findings derived from the quantitative portion of the needs survey and focus group data for the following 9 issues covered in the survey — 1) Economic Issues 2) Educational Issues 3) Environmental Issues 4) Health Issues 5) Housing Issues 6) Leisure Issues 7) Safety Issues 8) Social Issues and 9) Transportation Issues. Section IV offers a summary of the key findings that may be used to assist the Compass Steering Committee in their efforts to address key concerns identified in the County. The Appendix contain survey instruments and tables of the results. Understanding the Results Statistical Results One of the goals of social surveys is that the statistical results obtained reliably reflect the issue being studied and this is in part accomplished by surveying an appropriate number of people. According to the 2000 census, the population of Weld County was 180,963. To achieve a statistical reliability of +5.0% at the 95% confidence level, 360 Study Results 21 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 respondents needed to be surveyed. By December 2004, a total of 370 respondents had returned a completed survey. Therefore, this study ensures that the findings are statistically reliable at +5.0%. This means that if 65% of the respondents answered "yes" to a question, and that if the entire population of Weld County households had been asked, anywhere from 60-70% would have answered "yes" to the question 19 out of 20 times. Therefore there is a 90 percent certainty that the actual percentage falls somewhere in a range of plus or minus the margin of error. "Don t Know" and "Not an Issue" Responses Throughout this report there are instances where "not an issue" answers were not presented in the table of results and only those answers indicating issues were a minor, moderate, or major are reported. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Thus percentages contained in some tables may not add to 100%. Sometimes researchers excluded "don't know" responses from the results. However, in this study these responses were included in the results so readers could gain a sense of how much respondents felt they knew about certain issues. Comparing Subgroup Responses Throughout the report comparisons are made between different subgroups by income, race, education, and by geographical areas in Weld County. Throughout this report the term "non-whites" represents respondents who indicated they were either American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic and were grouped together for additional analyses (n=88). Breaking the sample down into even smaller subgroups reduces the number of respondents and therefore caution should be used when interpreting differences. Unless otherwise noted, only differences between groups that are "statistically significant at p.<.05 are reported. In order to compare how respondents in different areas of Weld County felt about the issues investigated in this needs assessment, Weld County was divided into nine geographical locations. The following geographical groupings were used in various analyses: North Central Weld East Weld Central South Weld South West Weld Nunn Galeton Briggsdale Fort Lupton Fredrick Berthoud Pierce Lucerne New Raymer Platteville Firestone Dacono Ault Kersey Grover La Salle Longmont Erie Eaton Gill Hereford Gilcrest Lochbuie Brighton Stoneham West Central Weld South East Weld Windsor Area Johnstown Hudson Windsor Evans Milliken Keenesburg Severance Mead Fort Collins Post Office but in Greeley Weld County Study Results 22 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Self Report Data Survey results include respondent's perceptions of community strengths and challenges as well as community economic and social problems. Although perceptions may not be in line with more objective data, perceptions drive behavior and opinions. For example, older adults report having higher levels of fear that they will be a victim of crime than younger adults, even though statistically they are the least likely to be a victim of a crime. This perceived fear, even though it doesn't fit with crime statistics, may cause older adults to alter or limit their activities. Thus perceptions are important to measure and in this report are indicators of how people view their communities. In addition, the household survey asked respondents to indicate how much of an issue certain economic and social issues were for them or someone in their household. Respondents will often underreport personal or household problems, especially in areas such as alcohol or drug abuse. Scope of the Needs Assessment The needs assessment, while comprehensive in its coverage of Weld County respondents, assessed only broad economic and social community and household issues. The needs assessment did not investigate any one area in great detail, but rather was designed to give community leaders insights into problem areas. For example, the survey results indicated that 23% of Greeley respondents reported that racial and ethnic discrimination was a major issue in their community. The survey does not provide information about why and under what circumstances individuals feel there is discrimination. Thus as community leaders look into issues of concern, there may be a need for additional focus group or community discussion. In addition, secondary data from government and non-profits was included on each topic covered. Including secondary data was meant to help readers of this needs assessment understand the broader context of the issues being assessed. However, for some of the topics covered in this assessment, secondary data were not available and it was not possible to include data about every economic and social issue. Therefore the exclusion of secondary data is not meant to reflect relative importance of one issue over another. Study Results 23 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 SECTION II - METHODOLOGY Questionnaire Development Initial Committee Input Dr. Wacker met with the Compass Planning Committee to determine the overall nature and type of information to be collected. A subcommittee was formed to specifically assist in the process of developing the surveys. The Compass Planning Committee was also instrumental in notifying the Weld County community of the Needs Survey via direct phone contacts with key informants and ads and letters to the editor placed in the Greeley Tribune. Questionnaire Refinement The Compass process and written questionnaire were developed by the United Way of America and is used in many communities across the country. The questionnaire was modified slightly so it would reflect the needs of Weld County. There were five different questionnaires used in the Compass process to survey opinions from associations, service providers, business, key informants, and Weld County residents. Dr. Wacker refined all of the questionnaires with assistance from the Data Subcommittee. The final questionnaires were reviewed and approved by both the Data Subcommittee and the Compass Planning Committee (copies of the Household and Key Informant questionnaires are located in the Appendix). The household survey was translated into Spanish by staff at Weld School District 6. Sample - Household Survey Sampling Frame To obtain a representative sample of eligible respondents, a list of households in Weld County was obtained from a database company. The database company randomly selected 50% of the total number of households (n= 52,141) which was 26,070 households. The list indicated each householder's name, mailing address, and race of each potential respondent. A list of all Hispanic households in Weld County was also obtained and totaled 10,863 households. In addition, focus groups of Hispanic and/or low income individuals were conducted by Dr. Faye Hummel and April Hummel in various locations around Weld County. Focus groups were asked the same types of questions used in the household questionnaire and discussions were held in Spanish where appropriate. Sample Stratification It was important that the total sample demographics closely reflect the demographic characteristics of the county with regard to geographic location and race. Thus, the sample was stratified into rural and urban families and Hispanic households were specifically selected to receive the questionnaire. Hispanic households were randomly Study Results 24 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 "oversampled" in order to gain adequate representation in the sample. In addition, focus groups were primarily comprised of Hispanic respondents in order to add to the representation of Hispanic residents. To ensure equal chance for inclusion in the study, every 30th name on the database list of urban (Greeley/Evans) and rural households for each age group was selected to be interviewed. Surveys were received from respondents residing in every town in Weld County. Sample - Key Informant Surveys The purpose of this aspect of the Compass process was to assess what community key informants believed to be the strengths and needs of Weld County communities. Thus, this portion of the survey process employed a "purposive" sampling process and was not concerned with the generalizability of the results to all key informants living in Weld County. Sampling Frame Key informants were randomly selected from city council members, the local hospital, the university and community college, local foundations, Weld County Government employees, school district leaders and board members, and leaders in the faith community. A total of 63 key informants participated in the study. Methods and Procedures Survey Procedures Time Period Key informant questionnaires were sent during the months of March 2004 and April 2004. Household surveys were mailed during the months of May 2004 through December 2004. Focus groups were conducted from November 2004 to January 2005. Staff Dr. Wacker was in charge of the survey process and was assisted by Dr. Susan Collins, Sonja Rizzolo, and Richard Dougherty. Volunteers from RSVP assisted in the mailing of the questionnaires. Dr. Faye Hummel and April Hummel conducted the focus groups. Random Sample With Replacement To achieve the designated number of household respondents, a "random sample with replacement" method was used. When respondents refused or could not be reached because of a bad address a replacement was selected from the sampling frame. In order to achieve the target number of households in different geographical locations and by race, the records were divided into urban and rural subgroup and by race. Study Results 25 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Interviewing Spanish-Speaking Respondents The sample frame of Hispanic respondents received a questionnaire in both English and Spanish. The focus groups were also conducted in Spanish when needed. Focus Groups Even though the list of households provided by the data base company was considered representative of Weld County, this list may have excluded portions of our community due to resource disparities, and language or literacy issues. As a result, five focus groups were conducted, aimed at ameliorating the identified limitations and designed to supplement the written surveys. Focus groups were used to supplement the data collection process of survey and were conducted to collect qualitative data about the perspectives and contexts of the Weld County residents who participated. Purposive sampling was used to recruit focus group participants who were monolingual Spanish speaking in rural and urban areas of Weld County as well as English speaking Hispanic and Anglo residents in rural Weld County. The focus groups were purposely selected to capture experiences in and unique knowledge about Weld County. Groups were recruited through English as a Second Language classes, education and community resources and health care services. Five focus groups were conducted in September 2004, in elementary schools, 2 community centers, a church and health care clinic. Three focus groups were conducted in Greeley, one in Southeastern Weld County and one in South Central Weld County. Four focus groups were conducted in Spanish and one was conducted in English. A total of thirty-two persons volunteered to participate in the focus groups. The focus group size ranged from 3 to 15 persons. The focus groups were composed of individuals with various educational and economic backgrounds as well as individuals from urban and rural areas. The duration of each focus group session ranged from sixty to ninety minutes. The focus group discussions were guided and directed by an interview guide that was created from the items on the household survey tool. The interview guide served two important purposes: (1) as a tool to ensure that broader issues of the community assessment were discussed and (2) to provide a guide around which specific issues could be addressed by the participants in the focus groups. At each focus group, two skilled moderators provided structure and direction to the group discussions. The primary moderator of the Spanish speaking focus groups was Ms. April Hummel who is bilingual. The English speaking focus group was moderated by Dr. Faye Hummel. All focus groups were tape recorded after verbal permission was obtained from the participants. The Spanish-speaking focus group tapes were translated from Spanish into English and transcribed by Ms. April Hummel, the bilingual moderator of the focus groups. Ms. Hummel also transcribed the English language focus group tape as well. Study Results 26 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Coding and Data Entry Dr. Wacker and Sonja Rizzolo created the coding key for data entry so that all data would be coded exactly the same. Ms. Rizzolo entered the coded all the surveys into SPSS statistical program. Analysis and Report Writing Survey Analysis and Reporting The quantitative data derived from surveys were analyzed by Dr. Wacker and Ms. Rizzolo using the SPSS statistical analysis program. In addition, support staff typed all comments made by respondents during the interview. The responses to the open- ended questions are reported in the final report. Dr. Wacker, with assistance from Ms. Rizzolo wrote the report describing the data output and created the graphs and tables. The cut-and-sort technique was used in the analysis of the data generated by the focus groups. This method yielded a set of sorted information that is the basis for the development of this summary report. The various pieces of interview transcription were used as supporting materials and incorporated within an interpretative analysis. The analysis relied on two analysts, Dr. Hummel and Ms. April Hummel, to increase reliability of major themes and issues. Study Results 27 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 SECTION III — RESULTS OF THE WELD COUNTY NEEDS ASSESSMENT Results from the data derived from the household survey and focus groups, key informant survey, and secondary data are presented in this section. The report and the charts/graphs are based on the "valid percentage" in which the base number includes only the respondents for whom a factual (i.e., "valid") response is available, thus excluding missing data. Throughout this report there are instances where "not an issue" answers were not presented in the table of results and only those answers indicating issues were a minor, moderate, or major are reported. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Thus percentages contained in some tables may not add to 100%. Population Demographics Weld County is the third largest county in Colorado and covers an area of 3,992 square miles in north central Colorado. The population of Weld County in 2000 was 180,9361. The city of Greeley, with a population of 76,9302 (2000) is the county seat and is located in the west central part of the county. Most of the remaining population resides within a 20 to 30 miles radius of Greeley; the northeastern part of the county is sparsely populated. There are 31 incorporated towns in Weld County. 1 - e„„96 w°.. 11 Weld uxeta Pierce ere�9n i0, s°"N,m Colorado "Greeley La Salle� 46]Mlplren.EHnz 34 1_ J� x°99en •• BB� .aimmm. mn ure V IIB ppmonx {frzil,AG Ge D-n].wptonM"Amn aa. �6 eM1ewe Weld County is in the top 100 fastest growing counties in the United States. Weld ranks 32nd in the country with an estimated 16.8% change in population expected from 2000 to 2003. From 1990 to 2000, the Weld County population increased 37.3% making it the 3rd fastest growing county in Colorado. The average household size is 2.78 and the average family size is 3.25. 3 ° Twenty-eight percent of the Weld population is under 18 and 9% of the population is over age 65. White persons, not of Hispanic or Latino origin, represent 70% and persons of Hispanic or Latino origin represent 27% of the county's population. Twenty- six percent of the population is classified as never married, 58.6% married and 9.1% divorced and 49.9% of the population are female. Seventy-nine percent of Weld's Study Results 28 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 population has educational attainment level of high school or higher. According to the 2000 census, 58% of Weld residents have incomes below $50,000. Upon further investigation, different subpopulations are concentrated in different geographic locations in the County. For example, according to the US Census, a high percent of those over age 65 who live below the poverty level are located in the central, northern and eastern regions of the county (see Figure 1). 5 Figure 1. Percent of Weld County Adults Aged 65+ Living in Poverty by Geographical Location 25 Mfr Data Classes r -. to s I.@ ' ' 1 - I' Study Results 29 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 2 shows the percent of Hispanic population by geographical location. The highest percent of Hispanic residents live in the central and southern areas of the county. b The percent of Hispanics living in Weld County increased from 21% in 1990 to 27% in 2000. Figure 2. Percent of Hispanic Population by Weld County Geographic Location I J 1-71 r__ _ ..thart kr I Data Classes Fcr:c 3 - ... I 0.3 - 10.3 e_2 ___.1.5 - 1,1 E Study Results 30 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 As shown in Figures 3 and 4, there is a high percent of persons and children living below poverty who live in the north central and north eastern parts of the county. ' Figure 3. Percent of Persons Below the Poverty Level by Geographical Location ____ - ' i - • i } s f ISI ._ I hi ll It it )----7-----1- 441- -- Data Classes Fort_-: ;.1 - - '.7 I' . Study Results 31 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 4. Percent of Related Children Under Age 18 Living Below the Poverty Level (1999) 4 1 , ..._.±, t- -- L411Z--- Data Classes Pc r. 1".3 - 12.1 1 .3 - __._ The next section reviews the results of the household and key informant surveys, and focus groups. Study Results 32 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Sociodemographic Characteristics Household Respondents The sociodemographic characteristics of the household respondents are presented in Tables 1-2. Figures 5-12 graphically illustrate the various sociodemographic characteristics of respondents. Sex Of the 370 respondents completing the survey, 48.4% were females, 51.6% were males. Age The ages of the respondents ranged from 19 to 75 or over. Almost half were in the age category of 35 to 54 years of age. Race/Ethnicity Seventy-six percent of respondents were white (n=276) whereas 20% were of Hispanic origin (n=74); the remainder (n= 14) classified themselves as being of mixed race, American Indian, or Asian American. Education The largest percentage (24.5%) of respondents reported their highest level of education as being some college with no degree. The rest reported their educational attainment (in descending frequency) as having a bachelor's degree (23.4%); a high school or GED degree (18.3%); a graduate degree (17.2%); an associate's degree (12.8%) or less than high school (3.8%). Household Characteristics Eighteen percent of respondents had persons under the age of 5 years living in the household, 19.7% had children between the ages of 5-12 years living in the household and 23% had children between the ages of 13-18 living in the household. Nineteen percent had individuals over the age of 65 living in the household. Respondent Household Location Fifty-three percent (n=194) of respondents lived in Greeley/Evans; the remainder 47% (n=173) in rural areas in Weld County. Surveys were received from residents living in every Weld town. Study Results 33 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Languages spoken in the household Almost all of the respondents spoke English, and 16.8% indicated they also spoke Spanish. Four percent indicated an additional language was spoken at home. Income Respondents were asked to identify their yearly net income level. Over half of the respondents (56.5%) had incomes less than $50,000. The majority of respondents (20.5%) listed their incomes between $35,000 and $49,999. Fourteen respondents refused to divulge their annual household incomes. Thirty percent indicated that it was very difficult or difficult to "make ends meet" each month. Focus Groups Focus group respondents were primarily Hispanic, Spanish-only speaking adults, with a high school or lower education level, and low household incomes (see Table 2). Study Results 34 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 1. Respondent's Demographic Characteristics Demographics Number Valid Percent Age 19 or younger 2 .5 20-25 19 5.2 26-34 51 13.9 35-54 175 47.7 55-64 63 17.2 65-74 30 8.2 75 or over 26 7.1 Missing 1 .3 Sex Male 178 48.4 Female 190 51.6 Race/ Ethnicity American Indian 2 .5 Asian or Pacific Islander 2 .5 Black or African Amer 0 0 Hispanic 74 20.3 White 276 75.8 Mixed Race 9 2.5 Other 1 .3 Education Less than high school, no diploma or GED 14 3.8 High school graduate or GED 67 18.3 Some college with no degree 90 24.5 Associates Degree 47 12.8 Bachelors Degree 86 23.4 Graduate Degree 63 17.2 Study Results 35 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 1 (cont.) Respondents Demographic Characteristics Demographics Number Valid Percent Total household net income last year Less than $5,000 11 3.1 $5,000-$9,999 18 5.1 $10,000-$14,999 26 7.3 $15,000-$19,999 17 4.8 $20,000-$24,999 19 5.3 $25,000-$34,999 37 10.4 $35,000-$49,999 73 20.5 $50,000-$74,999 70 19.7 $75,000-$99,000 39 11.0 over $100,000 46 12.9 What languages are spoken in your home? English 364 98.6 Spanish 62 16.8 Other 13 3.5 How difficult do you find it to make the ends meet? Very difficult 52 14.2 Difficult 57 15.5 Somewhat difficult 149 40.6 Not at all difficult 109 29.7 How many people contribute to the overall household income? 1 131 35.8 2 210 57.4 3 18 4.9 4 or more 7 1.9 How many people live in your household 1 67 18.4 2 130 35.6 3 61 16.7 4 67 18.4 5 22 6.0 6 15 4.1 7 1 .3 8 1 .3 9 1 .3 Study Results 36 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 1 (cont.) Demographic Characteristics Demographics Number Valid Percent How many are under 5 0 296 82.7 1 41 11.5 2 20 5.6 3 1 .3 Between ages 5-12 0 286 80.3 1 47 13.2 2 16 4.5 3 4 1.1 4 3 .8 Between ages 13-18 0 275 77.2 1 58 16.3 2 21 5.9 3 2 .6 Between ages 19-64 0 52 14.4 1 68 18.8 2 199 55.1 3 28 7.8 4 11 3.0 5 3 .8 Age 65 or older 0 280 81.2 1 46 12.9 2 21 5.9 Do your own or rent your home? Own 305 83.3 Rent 61 16.7 Do you have Internet access? Yes 265 84.7 No 48 15.3 Rural 171 47.2 Urban (Greeley/Evans) 191 52.8 Study Results 37 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 • Table 2. Demographics Characteristics of focus group participants Age Range I Number I Percent I 19 or younger 1 3.0 20-25 9 28.0 26-34 10 31.2 35-54 9 28.0 55-64 0 3.0 65-74 2 6.0 75 or over I 1 I 3.0 Gender Number Percent Male 12 37.5 Female 20 62.5 Racial / Ethnic Group Number Percent American Indian 1 3.0 Hispanic 26 81.2 White 4 12.5 Mixed Race 1 3.0 Language Spoken in Number Percent Home I English I 5 I 15.6 I Spanish 16 50.0 Spanish and English 11 34.3 Highest Level of Number Percent Education Less than high school, 12 37.5 no diploma or GED High school graduate or 10 32.3 GED Some college with no degree or associates 6 18.7 degree Associates Degree 2 6.0 No Response 2 6.0 Study Results 38 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 2. Demographic Characteristics of Focus Group Participants How difficult to make Number Percent ends meet Very difficult 10 31.2 Difficult 11 34.3 Somewhat difficult 10 31.2 Not at all difficult 0 No response 1 3.0 Total Household Income Number Percent Range Less than $5,000 2 6.0 $5,000-$9,999 6 18.7 $10,000-14,999 6 18.7 $15,000-19,999 6 18.7 $20,000-24,999 5 15.6 $25,000-34,999 2 6.0 $35,000-49,999 1 3.0 No Response 4 12.5 Number of People Who Contribute to Household Number Percent Income 1 12 37.5 2 12 37.5 3 3 9.3 4 or more 3 9.3 No response 2 6.0 Number of People Living Number Percent in Household 1-3 8 25.0 4-5 13 40.6 6-8 8 25.0 9-11 0 12-13 2 6.0 No Response 1 3.0 Study Results 39 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 2. Demographic Characteristics of Focus Group Participants Age Range of Number Percent Dependent Children Under age 5 17 53.1 Age 5 to 12 18 56.2 Age 13-18 11 34.3 Home Ownership Status Number Percent Own 6 I 18.7 Rent 24 75.0 No Response 2 6.0 Computer in house Number Percent Yes 11 34.3 No 20 62.5 No Response 1 3.0 Internet Access Number Percent Yes 7 21.8 No 24 75.0 No Response 1 3.0 Study Results 40 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 5. Household Respondent's Gender Male 48.4% Female 51.6% Figure 6. Household Respondent's Race/Ethnicity Other 3.9% Hispanic 20.3% White 75.8% Study Results 41 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 7. Household Respondents Education Level Graduate <HS Degree o 3.8% HS 17.2 /0 18.3% Bachelors Degree 23.4% Some College 24.5% Assoc Degree 12.8% Figure 8. Household Composition by <18 Years and Over Age 65 65 or older, <5 years 19.8% 17.3% 5 to 12, 13 to 18, 19.7% 22.8% Study Results 42 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 9. Respondent's Household Income 30.9% 19.7% 15.5% 12.9% 10.1% 11% <$14,999 $15-24,999 $25-49,999 $50-74,999 $75-99,999 $100,000+ Figure 10. Difficulty making ends meet Very Difficult Not at all 14.2% Difficult 29.7% Difficult 15.5% Somewhat Difficult 40.6% Study Results 43 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 11. Respondent's Age 47.7% 17.2% 13.9% 5.7% 8.2% 7.1% <25 26 to 34 35 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75+ Figure 12. Languages Spoken at Home Spanish Other 16.8% ¶Th5910 English 98.6% Study Results 44 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Community and Neighborhood Strengths Key informants (n=63) and household respondents (n=370) were asked to identify community and neighborhood strengths - the extent to which they felt connected to and trusted their neighbors, felt welcomed in their neighborhood, and that community leaders worked together to solve community problems. Key informants were split on their agreement regarding the following community characteristics: - "Your community is one that actively promotes positive relations among people from all races, genders, ages, and cultures" (60% agree vs. 40% disagree); I "Your community is one where people and organizations from all geographic regions get together to address mutual concerns" (49.2% agree vs. 50.8% disagree); ▪ "Your community is one where all religious groups come together to address pressing social concerns" (44.2% agree vs. 39.3% disagree); L "Your community is one where associations in neighborhoods from various parts of the community share strategies and work together" (42.7% agree vs. 47.6% disagree); ▪ "Your community is one in which there exists a great deal of mutual respect among all leaders from all sectors of the community" (55.7% agree vs. 42.6% disagree) L "Your community is one where leaders from all sectors of the community share vision for the community" (47.5% agree vs. 49.2%) The greatest agreement on community strengths were in two areas - I- Seventy-one percent of key informants agreed that "Your community is one where leaders from business, labor, government, education, religious, neighborhoods, nonprofit and all other sectors come together and work productively to address critical issues." ▪ Seventy percent of the key informants agreed that "Your community is one that actively supports and strengthens connections between families, neighborhoods, and the whole community." Household respondents were also asked to comment on the strengths of their community and neighborhood. Table 3 shows the percent of respondents who agreed and disagreed about the strengths of their neighborhood and community. Study Results 45 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 3. Household Respondents Perception of Neighborhood and Community Strengths Neighborhoods and Community Don t Strengths Agree Disagree know n % People in your neighborhood gather 136 37.0 203 55.2 29 7.9 together formally and informally (for example at picnics or meetings). People in your community gather 229 63.3 101 27.9 32 8.8 together formally and informally (for example at picnics or meetings) People in your neighborhood consider 203 54.9 83 23.4 84 22.7 the same things important. People in your community consider the 173 47.8 132 36.5 57 15.7 same things important. People in your neighborhood come 132 26.9 187 50.8 49 13.3 together to work on common goals. People in your community come together 201 55.8 123 34.2 36 10.0 to work on common goals. People and groups in your neighborhood 204 55.3 127 34.4 38 10.3 come together to help each other out when they have a problem. People and groups in your community 215 59.6 104 28.8 42 11.6 come together to help each other out when they have a problem. People in your neighborhood trust each 212 57.5 107 29.0 50 13.6 other. People in your community trust each 152 42.1 152 42.1 57 15.8 other. People who are different from one 137 37.2 179 48.6 52 14.1 another (e.g. young and old, established residents and newcomers, black and white, etc.) participate together in neighborhood activities. People who are different from one 182 50.6 137 37.1 41 11.4 another (e.g. young and old, established residents and newcomers, black and white, etc.) participate together in community activities. Study Results 46 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Household respondents reported a more positive sense of community vs. neighborhood with regard to: - People who are different from one another participate together in community activities - People in your community come together to work on common goals; ▪ People in your community gather together formally and informally (for example at picnics or meetings) There was a more positive sense of neighborhood (vs. community) with regard to: ▪ People in your neighborhood trust each other; - People in your neighborhood consider the same things important. A high percentage of people felt that communities and neighbors come together to help each other out when they have a problem. Household respondents were also asked to indicate how much opportunity they had to affect how things happen in their neighborhood and community. Fifty-three percent of respondents said they had little or no opportunity to affect how things happen in their neighborhood and community. The next section of this report discusses the each of the nine economic and social issues assessed in this study. Household respondents and key informants were asked to indicate if a wide variety of social, environmental, and economic issues were not an issue, a minor issue, a moderate issue, a major issue in their neighborhood or community. In addition, household respondents were asked to indicate the extent to which they or someone in their household were challenged by various social and economic issues. Nine topics were addressed in this assessment — 1) economic issues, 2) educational issues, 3) environmental issues, 4) health issues, 5) housing issues, 6) leisure issues, 7) safety issues, 8) social issues, and 9) transportation issues. Each issue is discussed by first reporting secondary data available on the topic from such sources as the US Census, followed by the findings of what respondents thought were community and household concerns. Study Results 47 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Economic Issues Secondary Data According to the 2000 Census, the median Weld household income was $42,321 and the median family income was $49,569. Male full-time year-round and female full-time year-around median incomes were $35,037 and $25,757, respectively. As shown in Table 4, 1999 Weld per capita income, median household income and median family income was lower than the Colorado and Larimer County incomes, but Weld had a higher median household and family income compared to national income levels. 8 Table 4. National, State and County Income in 1999 Personal and Household National Colorado Weld Larimer Income' County County Per-Capita Income $25,288 $24,049 $18,957 $23,689 Median household Income $38,005 $47,203 $42,321 $48,655 Median Family Income $44,568 $55,883 $49,569 $58,866 1 A family consists of two or more people,one of whom is the householder,related by birth, marriage,or adoption and residing in the same housing unit. A household consists of all people who occupy a housing unit regardless of relationship.A household may consist of a person living alone or multiple unrelated individuals or families living together. Table 5 presents occupational and wage data for Weld County in 2003. Occupations with the highest number of employees and its corresponding median annual wage in 2003 were office and administrative support (12,280; $27,780), production (7,620; $26,780), sales and related occupations (6,590; $28,250), transportation and materials (6,520; $26,220), construction and extraction (5,570; $35,510), and food preparation and serving (5,390; $17,220). g The net job growth during 1990-1995 was 11,193 and for the period between 1995 — 2000 the net job growth was 6,906.10 As shown in Figure 13, Weld is among the counties in state with the highest unemployment rate, as it ranks 13'h out of 64 counties in Colorado." The Weld unemployment rate has fluctuated over the last 10 years (see Figures 14-16). 12 The unemployment rate has ranged from a low of 3.4% in 2000 to a high of 6.7% in 2003. As of November 2004, the unemployment rate was 5.9%. Study Results 48 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 13. Unemployment Rates by County, Not Seasonally Adjusted, November 2004 f /U In 99 OU In 09 i U In 59 u In 49 3U In 39 UU In ¢9 Study Results 49 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 5. Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for Greeley, CO PMSA, November 200313 Occupation Title Employment Median Mean Mean Hourly Hourly Annual All Occupations 70,440 $13.22 $16.30 $33,900 Management Occupations 3,230 $32.55 $36.68 $76,300 Business and Financial Operations 2,190 $23.58 $25.58 $53,210 Occupations Computer and Mathematical Science 950 $26.12 $26.87 $55,900 Occupations Architecture and Engineering 1,110 $27.81 $32.41 $67,410 Occupations Life, Physical, and Social Science 420 $20.97 $22.51 $46,810 Occupations Community and Social Services 850 $15.64 $16.67 $34,680 Occupations Legal Occupations 220 $20.96 $28.44 $59,150 Education, Training, and Library 4,790 $18.31 $19.77 $41,120 Occupations Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, 570 $12.00 $13.77 $28,640 and Media Occupations Healthcare Practitioner and 2,570 $23.48 $28.27 $58,810 Technical Occupations Healthcare Support Occupations 1,670 $11.76 $12.97 $26,970 Protective Service Occupations 1,180 $15.96 $16.60 $34,530 Food Preparation and Serving 5,390 $7.65 $8.28 $17,220 Related Occupations Building and Grounds Cleaning and 1,870 $9.16 $9.92 $20,640 Maintenance Occupations Personal Care and Service 1,430 $9.17 $10.47 $21,780 Occupations Sales and Related Occupations 6,590 $10.29 $13.58 $28,250 Office and Administrative Support 12,280 $12.29 $13.36 $27,780 Occupations Farming, Fishing, and Forestry 480 $8.99 $11.03 $22,950 Occupations Construction and Extraction 5,570 $15.42 $17.07 $35,510 Occupations Installation, Maintenance, and Repair 2,940 $17.15 $17.82 $37,060 Occupations Production Occupations 7,620 $11.63 $12.87 $26,780 Transportation and Material Moving 6,520 $11.91 $12.61 $26,220 Occupations Study Results 50 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 14. Number of Weld County Residents Employed from 1994 - 20041 employment iuu,uuu 1� 90,000 80.000- 70,00-0 n n i ) 01131 01105 01>1M 01ST 01139 Wee Wee 01101 0101 othn 01101 lionh Figure 15. Number of Weld County Residents Unemployed from 1994 - 2004 unemployment 7,000 e,000 5,000 ++ 4,000 3,000 01 01 h 01 rf 01 ti 01 01 H m 01 Mare Figure 16. Unemployment Rate in Weld County from 1994 - 2004 unemployment rata 7 5 3 01 01 01 01 i 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 1 Employed Persons are persons 16 years and over in the civilian noninstitutional population who, (a) did any work at all (at least 1 hour) as paid employees, and (b) all those who were not working but who had jobs or businesses from which they were temporarily absent; Unemployed persons are persons 16 years and over who had no employment and were available for work; Unemployment rate represents the number unemployed as a percent of the labor force. Study Results 51 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Unemployment rates are highest in Greeley and surrounding areas as well as in the Fort Lupton area (see Figure 17). 14 Figure 17. Percent of Civilian Labor Force that is Unemployed by Geographical Location ---InjI 25 1 I 2.,-..- I! r' .{ Data Classes Fccc-' ;L.' - 1.c 3.3 - 3.3 3.' - I._2 1 - .. I In addition to wage and income data, other county economic indicators include poverty levels, food stamp use and food insecurity, and government assistance programs. With regard to poverty, approximately 8% of Weld families, 12.5% of individuals, 8.5% of individuals aged 65 and over, and 14.6% of children 18 and under live below the Study Results 52 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 poverty level. The number of applications for the Low Energy Assistance Program in Weld County in 2004-2005 totaled 3,082.15 In addition, the number of individuals in Weld County who receive Supplemental Security Income in 2003 was 2,402, up from 2,272 in 2000.16 The number of food stamp participants increased from 5,207 in 2000 to 6,561 in 2002.17 Locally, the Weld Food Bank distributed 4.78 million pounds of food in 2003, including 13,848 boxes of food, 57,250 packages to children, mothers and elderly adults, 2,917 mini food boxes to elderly or disabled adults, and approximately 3,232 meals served by Kid's Cafe.18 The latest survey (2001) of Food Bank clients indicated that 52.1% reported having to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities, 39.4% had to choose between paying for food and paying for medical care, and 38.7% between paying for food and rent or mortgage.19 Community Economic Issues - Survey Results Respondents were asked to indicate whether unemployment or underemployment, poverty and lack of jobs were not an issue, a minor issue, a moderate issue or a major issue in their community. The extent to which economic issues are of concern to key informants and household respondents appear in Table 6 and Figure 18. Table 6. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Community Economic Concerns Are a Minor, Moderate, or Major Issuea Economic Issues Minor Issue Moderate Major Issue Dona Issue know Key HH Key HH Key HH Key HH Informant % Informant % Informant % Informant Unemployment or 22.6 19.7 33.9 22.1 40.3 22.2 1.6 12.4 underemployment Poverty 22.6 21.0 27.4 21.3 46.8 14.9 1.6 9.7 Lack of jobs 21.0 20.3 43.5 18.1 33.9 26.6 1.6 12.1 a Throughout this report, the percent of respondents who reported concerns were "not an issue"were excluded from the charts and tables. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Clearly key informants felt more strongly that unemployment or underemployment, poverty, and lack of jobs a more serious community issue than did the household respondents. Almost 75% of key informants thought these economic issues were either a major or moderate community concern compared to 35% to 44% of household respondents. However, 26.6% and 22.2% of household respondents reported that unemployment or underemployment and lack of jobs were major community issues. Respondents commented about other economic issues in their community: "Some residents lack skills to achieve financial success which promotes community success...areas of concern...HS graduation rates...immigrant populations." Study Results 53 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 "Promoting educational training to meet the skill needs of future workers" "Cost of living is way too high for the wages the people get in Greeley." "Not much job opportunities for people over 50 to become employed." "Not in poverty, however, the jobs out there are not keeping up with inflation, so people are just getting by and are not able to save for retirement or education for their children." "I live in a rural community and there is no economic opportunity for young people." "Wages is low for this area. We need more companies in this area to grow and provide employment opportunities for people." "There are zero job opportunities in Briggsdale, unless you are in education or farming or ranching." Figure 18. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household (HH) Respondents Reporting Economic Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue' • Minor Issue 50 • Moderate Issue 45 IT Major Issue 40 35 30 a 25� _ 20 15 . . . 10 5 0 KI HH KI HH KI HH Under or Poverty Lack of Jobs Unemployment 1 Throughout this report, the percent of respondents who reported concerns were "not an issue"were excluded from the charts and tables. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Study Results 54 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Additional analyses were conducted to determine if perceptions of concern about economic issues varied by geographic location, income, neighborhood, or race. Only statistically significant differences (p<.05) are reported. Greeley residents living east of 35th Avenue were more likely to report that poverty in their community was either a moderate or major issue compared to those Greeley residents living west of 35th Avenue. Household Economic Issues - Survey Results Respondents were asked to indicate if they or anyone in their household had inadequate wages, did not have enough money to buy household items (e.g., clothing, household goods), found it difficult to pay bills for basic needs (e.g., utilities, food), not being able to find work, and had inadequate transportation were not an issue, a minor issue, a moderate issue or major issue. Results are presented in Table 7 and Figure 19. Table 7. Number and Percent of Respondents Reporting that Selected Economic Concerns were a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue Minor Moderate Major Economic Issues Issue Issue Issue n % n 0/0 n % Inadequate wages 74 20.2 73 20.2 83 24.0 Not having enough money to buy household items (clothing, household 82 22.4 61 16.9 56 16.7 goods, etc.) Finding it difficult to pay bills for basic 71 19.5 61 17.0 60 17.8 needs (utilities, food) Not being able to find work 47 12.9 50 13.7 67 19.7 Inadequate household transportation 61 16.8 37 11.1 24 6.8 Inadequate wages was the economic issue of greatest concern listed by respondents. For 24% of the respondents, inadequate wages was a major issue. In addition, 44% of respondents indicated that inadequate wages, 34.8% difficultly to pay bills for basic needs, and 33.4% being able to find work were either a moderate or a major issue. A prevalent theme of all focus group discussions was the lack of job opportunities. Participants described difficulty with finding a job. All the focus groups, rural and urban, expressed concern about the lack of employment opportunities. "The biggest problem is that there aren't jobs." This is a very big problem." For those with jobs, they expressed concern with a trend in the work place to reduce the number of hours individual employees work. While this policy maintained the number of workers on the job, the reduction of hours worked reduced family incomes thus perpetuating other family issues. Study Results 55 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 "...the companies want you to do more work in fewer hours. You have to work four hours because there is no more work. We have to deal with this." Two key findings related to unemployment were 1) documentation, and 2) language. "Unemployment is a problem. It affects Hispanics more than others. Many times people don't have proper documents to get work and this is a problem." "There aren't many jobs and if there are, they ask for English." "It's difficult mainly because of social security. My husband has his social security number, he has his papers and nobody wants to give him a job. They aren't just withholding a job. They're withholding the opportunity to pay rent, pay bills, and to get a normal life like everyone else." The majority of the focus group participants have incomes below the federal poverty guidelines. Federal poverty guidelines, based on family size and income, are primarily used to ascertain program eligibility and do not correspond to an adequate standard of living for families. Focus group participants expressed a concern with poverty. "Poverty is a problem. It is related to unemployment. If people don't have jobs then they are poor. It is a cycle." "Poverty is a problem because it's going to cause the people to need more programs and more programs." Food insecurity and hunger emerged as a significant issue. Maintaining food security among these families is difficult due to job uncertainty, price increases, reduction in purchasing power and other financial demands. All focus groups acknowledged many families in their community don't have adequate food and families in Weld County experience hunger. "There are people who don't have enough food at the end of the month. If their paycheck is very small and they have a big family, then they cannot buy enough food. Also, you have to pay bills and there isn't enough money for everything. There are services. I know at the church they give food to families with kids or the elderly, but there is no where for everyone else to go." "When you earn little money you have to buy things that cost less..." "If you don't have a job, you don't have food." "A lot of refrigerators are bare." "There are people who don't have enough food." A single mother of four children under the age of 6 stated: "Food is very expensive...when I buy meat it costs $13 a package...I could get a package of meat in Texas for $6 a package. I have to buy food for my kids. Study Results 56 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 The cost of living here is very expensive. I sometimes run out of food at the end of the month. I have to live from month to month. I sometimes can get a job at $7/hour but mostly $5.15/hour. I have to pay $600 in rent every month." Others noted: "...Sometimes I see food in a store and I think, "oh, how expensive". "You have to go to different stores to find the best price." "It is expensive because there are a lot of taxes." A father in a rural community related that even though there are services for food in the community, these food resources limit the number of times a month a family can get food. As a result of this policy, many families did not have enough food to feed all members of the family. Frequently, community food resources target the very young and old. He expressed concern that the adults in the family who needed to work were the last ones to eat. Figure 19. Percent of Households Reporting Economic Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 25 ■Minor Issue II .Moderate Issue 20 ri ❑Major Issue l 1lurE° I1 1 11 1 5 ii .! ! ! ! 1 0 Inadequate Buying Paying Bills Finding work Household Wages Household Transportation Items Household Economic Issues by Subgroups There were differences in economic issues by different subgroups of respondents. Within the Greeley area, those respondents living east of 35th Avenue were more likely that those living in west Greeley to report that inadequate wages were a major issue (40.9% vs. 14.0%), that they did not have enough money to buy households items (23.3% vs. 9.3%), and found it difficult to pay bills for basic needs (33.3% vs. 9.3%). Study Results 57 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Further analyses also indicated that inadequate wages was a more severe problem for lower income compared to higher income individuals. Some 53.8% of individuals with less than a high school degree reported that inadequate wages was a major problem. Respondents with other educational levels also reported that inadequate wages were a moderate or major problem. Fifty-three percent of respondents with some college, 51% of respondents with an associates degree, and 48.4% of high school graduates reported that inadequate wages were a moderate or major problem. Approximately one-third of respondents with a bachelor's or graduate degree reported that inadequate wages were a moderate or major problem. Not having enough money to buy household items and paying bills for basic items, such as utilities and food, was significantly more of an issue for respondents with lower education levels (see Figures 20, 21, and 22.). More than 40% of respondents with an education level of some college or less reported that having enough money to buy household items or paying bills for basic items was a moderate or major problem compared to those with higher education levels. Those with less than a high school education had the most difficulty with over 65% reporting having moderate or major economic problems. Not being able to find work and inadequate household transportation was a moderate or major problem for 76% and 61.6%, respectively, for respondents with less than high school education. Figure 20. Percent of Household Respondents Reporting Inadequate Wages as a Moderate or Major Issue by Education Level 60� 50— •Moderate Issue O Major Issue 40— Y d 30— i d 20r � I iI . i . i _ 10r 0 -a < HS HS Grad Some AA Degree Bachelors Graduate College Degree Degree Study Results 58 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 21. Percent of Household Respondents Reporting Difficulty Paying for Basic Needs as a Moderate or Major Issue by Education Level 45- 40 •Moderate Issue 35 O Major Issue 30 d 25 u a 20 r . 15 . . . 10 . . . . 5 0 < HS HS Grad Some AA Degree Bachelors Graduate College Degree Degree Figure 22. Percent of Household Respondents Reporting Not Being Able to Find Work as a Moderate or Major Issue by Education Level 60---- ■Moderate Issue 50---- ❑Major Issue 40--- 'E d — L 30 d a 20 10 0 < HS HS Grad Some AA Degree Bachelors Graduate College Degree Degree Study Results 59 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Non-whites' were two times more likely than whites to report that the following were major issues for themselves or someone in their household - inadequate wages (38.3% vs. 18.5%), not having enough money to buy household items (51.9% vs. 26.7%), finding it difficult to pay bills for basic needs (53.8% vs. 28.2%), not being able to find work (35.8% vs. 13.0%), and inadequate transportation (17.3% vs. 3.3%). There were also differences in household economic issues by age (see Figure 23). The youngest age groups, those less than 35 years of age were more likely than their older aged counterparts to report that inadequate wages, not having enough money to buy household items, and finding it difficult to pay bills were moderate or major problems. Those reporting that inadequate wages were either a moderate or major issue were those aged 35-54 (45.8%), aged 55-64 (37.7%) and those aged 75+ (33.3%). Not having enough money to buy household items was a moderate or major problem for approximately one-third of all age groups with the exception of those aged 55-64 (20%). Figure 23. Percent of Household Respondents Reporting Difficulty Paying for Basic Needs as a Moderate or Major Issue by Age Group 25 •Moderate Issue O Major Issue 20 I 1151 r ■ a 101 1 1 1 1 5 l 0 <34 35-54 55-64 65-74 75+ ' Throughout this report non-whites were respondents who indicated they were either American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic and were grouped together for additional analyses (n=88). Study Results 60 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Educational Issues Secondary Data Data in Tables 8 and 9 provide comparative data for level of educational attainment, school dropout rates and graduation rates for Weld County. As shown in Table 8, the educational attainment level in Weld County has improved from 1990 levels. There are fewer individuals with educational attainment levels of high school graduates or less and an increase in the percentages of individuals with an educational level higher than high school. Compared to Colorado levels, overall, the educational attainment percentages are higher at all levels with the exception of high school graduate (23.2% vs. 26.9%) and associates degree (7.0% vs. 7.3%). The percent of high school graduate or higher and bachelor's degree or higher in Weld has increase from 1990 levels. ACT composite scores have also improved slightly from 1990 levels, although for each of these indicators, Weld is slightly below State or National levels. Table 8. National, State and County Educational Indicators Weld Weld Education Indicator National Colorado County County 2000 1990 2000 Educational Attainment (Persons 25 years and older) Less than 9th Grade 7.5% 4.8% 12.0% 9.8% 9th to 12th Grade, no diploma 12.1% 8.2% 13.0% 10.5% High school graduate 33.8% 23.2% 29.1% 26.9% Some college, but no degree 17.2% 24.0% 20.9% 23.8% Associates degree 7.5% 7.0% 6.3% 7.3% Bachelor degree 16.4% 21.6% 11.9% 14.6% Advanced degree 7.9% 11.1% 6.4% 7.1% ACT scores composite 21.0 21.5 WC WC School School District 6 District 6 20.9 21.1 % high school graduate or 80.4% 86.9% 74.9% 79.6% higher % bachelors degree or higher 24.4% 32.7% 18.4% 21.6% Study Results 61 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 9. Colorado Department of Education 5-Year Trend Dropout Rates Including Alternative Schools 1998- 1999 To 2002-2003 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 Dropout Rates Dropout Rates Dropout Rates Dropout Rates Dropout Rates Including Alternative Schools Including Alternative Schools Including Alternative Schools Including Alternative Schools Including Alternative Schools Pupil Pupil Pupil Pupil Pupil County/School District Count Dropouts Rate Count Dropouts Rate Count Dropouts Rate Count Dropouts Rate Count Dropouts Rate WELD Weld County RE-1 972 52 5.3% 967 38 3.9% 983 28 2.8% 981 21 2.1% 1,007 13 1.3% Eaton RE-2 733 20 2.7% 761 28 3.7% 743 20 2.7% 737 19 2.6% 793 19 2.4% Keenesburg RE- 3(J) 731 1 0.1% 784 38 4.8% 815 4 0.5% 819 12 1.5% 850 25 2.9% Windsor RE-4 1,202 33 2.7% 1,202 26 2.2% 1,284 28 2.2% 1,344 21 1.6% 1,431 10 0.7% Johnstown-Milliken RE-5J 740 43 5.8% 770 17 2.2% 810 29 3.6% 769 36 4.7% 831 28 3.4% Greeley 6 6,698 318 4.7% 7,174 275 3.8% 8,253 446 5.4% 7,336 238 3.2% 7,611 158 2A% Platte Valley RE-7 524 13 2.5% 532 10 1.9% 556 11 2.0% 533 13 2.4% 536 3 0.6% Weld County RE-8 1,299 81 6.2% 1,371 22 1.6% 1,247 26 2.1% 1,247 37 3.0% 1,177 15 1.3% Ault-Highland RE-9 457 14 3.1% 472 18 3.8% 494 22 4.5% 498 19 3.8% 511 16 3.1% Briggsdale RE-10 64 0 0.0% 69 0 0.0% 66 0 0.0% 72 0 0.0% 72 0 0.0% Prairie RE-11 65 0 0.0% 75 1 1.3% 68 2 2.9% 65 0 0.0% 56 0 0.0% Pawnee RE-12 66 0 0.0% 70 0 0.0% 72 0 0.0% 71 0 0.0% 71 0 0.0% *Average Rates for Weld 13,551 575 4.2% 14,247 473 3.3% 15,391 616 4.0% 14,472 416 2.9% 14,946 287 1.9% Study Results 62 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 As shown in Table 9, the overall dropout rates in Weld County School Districts have dropped from 4.2% in 1998-1999 to 2.9% in 2002-2003. Some districts, such as WC Gilcrest RE-1 and WC RE-8 have dropped markedly (5.3% and 6.2%, respectively in 1998-1999 to 1.3% and 1.3%, respectively in 2002-2003). The average graduation rate for Weld County is 81.3% which is slightly lower than the State average of 83.6% (see Table 10). Graduation rates across school districts in Weld County ranged from 72.9% in the Ault-Highland District to 91.7% in the Windsor RE-4 district. In 9 out of the 10 school districts in Weld County, the graduation rates for whites was higher than Hispanic students. The difference in white and Hispanic graduation rates varied from 31.4% in Eaton RE-2 to 3% in Ault-Highland RE-9. Table 10. Rate of Graduates for Weld County Schools and State (2003) a County/School District Graduates Rate Rates by Race State Totals WELD Whites Hispanics Whites Hispanics All Weld County Gilcrest RE-1 95 85.6% 93.0% 71.1% Eaton RE-2 105 82.7% 89.1% 57.7% Keenesburg RE-3(J) 85 78.0% 80.4% 62.5% Windsor RE-4 187 91.7% 92.8% 86.2% Johnstown-Milliken RE-5J 89 74.8% 83.1% 59.0% Greeley 6 814 81.0% 89.7% 64.4% Platte Valley RE-7 69 87.3% 93.7% 64.3% Weld County RE-8 131 73.2% 86.0% 58.4% Ault-Highland RE-9 62 72.9% 73.8% 70.8% Briggsdale RE-10 10 100.0% 100% NA Prairie RE-11 8 88.9% 87.5% 100% Pawnee RE-12 6 100.0% 100% NA *Average Rates for Weld 1,661 81.3% 87.5% 69.6% 83.6% a. Includes Alternative Schools Community Educational Issues — Survey Data Key informants and household respondents were asked to indicate whether unsafe school environment, rundown building, overcrowded classrooms or lack of equipment was not an issue, a minor, moderate, or major issue for their community. Respondent perceptions of the extent to which educational concerns are an issue for their community appear in Table 11 and Figure 19. The majority of respondents did not feel that schools were unsafe or that the buildings were "rundown". However, an almost equal percent of key informants and household respondents (48.4% and 43.7%, respectively) thought that overcrowded classrooms were either a moderate or major issue. A similar pattern was seen for lack of equipment as 40.3% of key informants and 38.7% of household respondents thought the lack of equipment was a moderate or major issue, although 22.3% indicated they didn't know if lack of equipment was an issue for schools. Study Results 63 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 11. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating that Community Educational Concerns Are a Minor, Moderate, Major Issue' Minor Issue Moderate Major Issue Don t Educational Issue know Issues Key HH Key HH Key HH Key HH Informant % Informant % Informant % Informant Unsafe school 33.9 20.0 33.9 18.6 4.8 10.1 4.8 14.5 environment Rundown 30.6 19.5 21.0 12.6 4.8 9.0 9.7 11.0 building Overcrowded 29.0 18.6 24.2 20.5 24.2 23.2 16.1 18.0 classrooms Lack of 29.0 20.1 30.6 22.5 9.7 16.2 21.0 22.3 equipment a Throughout this report, the percent of respondents who reported concerns were "not an issue"were excluded from the charts and tables. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Figure 24. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Educational Issues as a Moderate or Major Community Problem 35— i ■ Moderate 30 ❑ Major 25 es d 20 I I ■ a 15 ■ ■ ■ 10 ■ ■_ 1 1 05 _ 11 II 11 II II KI HH KI HH KI HH KI HH Unsafe Rundown Overcrowded Lack of Environment Buildings Classrooms Equipment Study Results 64 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Community Educational Issues by Subgroup No significant differences by the general categories of rural or urban households regarding any community educational issues were found. However, 28% of whites reported that an unsafe school environment was either a moderate or major issue, while 49.3% of non-whites' indicated that an unsafe school environment was either a moderate or major issue. Those with the lowest incomes (<$14,999) reported that lack of equipment was a moderate or major issue compared to those with higher incomes who most often reported that lack of equipment was either a minor or moderate issue. There were significant differences in respondent's perception of community educational issues depending on where they lived in Weld County. Sixty-six percent of those living in Evans, 44% of those respondents living in south-central Weld, and 43% living in south-west Weld reported that an unsafe school environment was either a moderate or major issue. Rundown buildings were a moderate or major issue for 35% of respondents living in south-west Weld and 30% of those living in west-central Weld. Overcrowded classrooms were seen as a moderate or major problem for six community areas in Weld County. These areas were south-central Weld (57.7%), south-west Weld (67.5%), west-central Weld (50.1%), east-central Weld (50.0%), Greeley (55.4%), and Evans (84.2%). Finally, lack of equipment was viewed as a moderate or major problem by respondents living in central-south Weld (64%), south-west Weld (65.7%), east- central Weld (50.0%), and Evans (86.7%). Household Educational Issues — Survey Data Respondents were asked to indicate if they or anyone in their household had experienced educational challenges such as inadequate educational opportunities, children being unsafe at school, or discrimination in school. The results are shown in Table 12 and Figure 25. Table 12. Number and Percent of Respondents Reporting that Educational Concerns were Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue for Their Household Not an Minor Moderate Major Educational Issues Issue Issue Issue Issue % n Inadequate educational 232 63.4 67 18.3 35 9.6 32 8.7 opportunities Children being unsafe at 216 59.3 72 19.8 41 11.3 35 9.6 school Discrimination in school 203 56.2 65 18.0 42 11.6 51 14.1 (because of gender, race or economics) Throughout this report non-whites were respondents who indicated they were either American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic and were grouped together for additional analyses (n=88). Study Results 65 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 The majority of household respondent indicated that these were not educational issues they faced. However, of those who reported that these were minor, moderate, or major issues, discrimination in school because of race, gender, or economics was an issue for the highest percent of respondents. Inadequate educational opportunities, children unsafe at school, and discrimination were seen as issues for 36.6%, 40.7% and 43.8% of households, respectively. Figure 25. Percent of Households Reporting Educational Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue •Minor Issue •Moderate Issue 20 / ❑Major Issue 16 / 14 / — 12 11 2 10 al a 8 / ■ ■ ■ 6 / 4 al 2 al 0 Pia Inadequate Educ Unsafe at School Discrimination in Opportunity School Education was viewed by focus group participants as an important means for successful community integration and enculturation. English language and literacy were adult educational issues identified in the community. "Illiteracy is a problem for some people who come from Mexico. That's why I'm getting my GED because it is something very important." Another informant stated, "Literacy in English is a big issue." The majority of focus group participants were in community ESL classes and/or GED classes. Participants placed a high value on education for their children. Focus group participants are involved in the education of their children and did so by attending parent teacher conferences and school functions as well as arranging individual meetings with teachers. Parent participation was enhanced when language barriers were absent. Study Results 66 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 That is, when parents spoke English and/or when personal encounters and meetings were conducted in and/or translated to Spanish. Many focus groups participants expressed satisfaction with the schools their children attended. "As far as education wise, I think the teachers care and they go out of their way big time for the kids." Nonetheless, key issues emerged regarding the education system in rural and urban Weld county related to, 1) language, and 2) safety including bullying. One mother expressed concern with the way teachers in her neighborhood elementary school treated monolingual children. "In my neighborhood, the school where I am, the school is not very good. They treat the kids like they are all dumb. I have seen other schools where they do things very differently. They pay more attention; they communicate more with the parents. They don't pay as much attention to the kids in my neighborhood." Focus group participants thought communication with their children's' teachers was imperative for successful learning of their children. In discussing the problems of education, they expressed frustration with language barriers that exist between teachers and parents. "I want to communicate with the teacher but I think it's a language problem. When we talk, like on the first day, she half-explains things to me and I half- understand, but we can't come to an understanding." "I think this is a problem that many, many people have. More than the style of teaching, it's the problem of language." "I think it's a problem of the language more than the school. In Mexico, the school system is very different than in the United States." More often than not, teachers speak only English. Even though a translator may be available, some informants expressed a lack of contentment with the interaction. "I have had a translator before but for me it's not the same. I don't know if there are problems or not." "You don't know if the person is telling the teacher correctly what you said." A few focus groups participants expressed concerns related to issues of safety in rural and urban high schools. Study Results 67 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 "...In Mexico, the students have to clear backpacks so the teachers can see if they're bringing in drugs or weapons. I think they should do this here. I think they can do more." "I've heard nothing but horror stories about the high school. It's so bad to the point that I tell my husband that we have two years to get out because my son starts high school in two years." At a rural elementary school, parents discussed the issue of bullying: "Bullying is a major problem there. She got bullied so bad last year there." Participants were vigilant about the issues in the school system and communicated with teachers and school officials when problems arose. Other open comments about educational issues from the household survey included the following: Educational opportunities: L Special programs needed for gifted/talented charter schools and disabled students r Not enough care for kids with special needs Overcrowded schools _ Developments not paying its way causing over crowded schools - Class room sizes increasing due to population expanding Growth and its impact on public education...over crowding, school facilities, transportation...Schools are being asked to do more with less Racism - Shortage of "experienced" teachers that truly care about the success of our Hispanic students - Also the division in schools between Latinos or between Mexican-American and the Immigrant community is a major issue...Also many immigrants have no education beyond grade school Quality Needs Concerns _ Achievement disparities by race and income - Ensuring the competency of students in the basics of reading, writing and math...Ensuring cultural/bilingual needs are being met. I Not enough electives that are the same as other schools I Need preschools desperately, Montessori, Waldorf etc. Both public and private r Inadequate elementary music education in public schools I Dropping music and art in local schools Study Results 68 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 - Computer equipment, gym equipment, books School Funding ▪ Teachers underpaid, under supplied E Seriously unpaid teachers (under funded, teacher compensation) L Poor teacher pay and recruitment ▪ Pay of employees and support of the people Household Educational Issue by Subgroups Additional analyses were conducted to examine any differences in educational issues by race, income, and geographical location. Inadequate educational opportunity was reported as a major issue for individuals living in rural Weld compared to those living in the Greeley/Evans area (11.2% vs. 5.3%). Respondents who were non-white' were more likely to report that inadequate educational opportunities were either a moderate or major issues for their household (32.1% vs. 12.2%) than white respondents. Non-white respondents were also more likely to report that "children being unsafe at school" was an issue compared to white respondents. Thirty-six percent of non-white respondents said this was a moderate or major issue for their household compared to 14.1% of white respondents. Results indicated that discrimination in school was more likely a moderate or major issue for respondents in households with incomes below $14,999 (47.1%) compared to individuals in households with higher income levels. Discrimination was a moderate or major issue for 44.3% of non-white households compared to white households (18.8%). Finally, respondents in households in three geographic locations in Weld County were more likely to report discrimination as a moderate or major issue compared to respondents in other Weld areas. These respondents lived in Evans (50.0%), south east Weld (42.9%), and central south Weld (42.8%). Throughout this report non-whites were respondents who indicated they were either American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic and were grouped together for additional analyses (n=88). Study Results 69 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Environmental Issues Secondary Data According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment the major source of air pollution in the State is motor vehicle emissions20 The average travel time to work for residents of Weld County in 2000 was 23.7 minutes21. In Weld County, 24,604 workers aged 16 and over traveled 30 minutes or more to work and 27, 880, or 32% of workers 16 and over worked outside the county. Community Environmental Issues — Survey Data Key informants and household respondents were asked to indicate whether water pollution, air pollution, noise or light pollution and neighborhood trash was not an issue, a minor, moderate, or major issue for their communities. Respondent perceptions of the extent to which environmental issues were of concern in their community appear in Table 13 and Figure 26. Table 13. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating that Environmental Concerns Are a Minor, Moderate, or Major Issue for their Community a Environmental Minor Issue Moderate Major Issue Don t Issues Issue know Key HH Key HH Key HH Key HH Informant % Informant % Informant % Informant % Water pollution 38.1 19.7 14.3 17.0 3.2 8.5 3.2 10.1 Air pollution 42.9 22.0 28.6 24.2 6.3 12.9 1 .6 4.9 Too much noise 52.4 23.6 11 .1 21.6 0.0 9.6 1 .6 2.7 or light Neighborhood 44.4 21.9 9.5 16.4 11.1 12.6 0.0 2.7 trash a Throughout this report, the percent of respondents who reported concerns were "not an issue"were excluded from the charts and tables. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Environmental issues in the community were not seen as a moderate or major issue by the majority of respondents. Of the environmental concerns listed, air pollution was the biggest environmental concern as 37.1% of household respondents and 34.9% of key informants saw these as a moderate or major community issue. Study Results 70 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 26. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Environmental Issues as a Moderate or Major Issue 30— ■ Moderate Issue 25-- ❑ Major Issue 20 c 0 15-- • a 10 ■ 7R I 1 ■ T1 CI5 1 ■ 1 1 ■ 1 1 KI HH KI HH KI HH KI HH Water Air Light or Noise Neighborhood Pollution Pollution Pollution Trash Community Environmental Concerns by Subgroup The extent of community environmental concerns varied across Weld County. Over half of the respondents in living in south-east rural Weld (57.2%), 39.1% of respondents living in west-central Weld and 33.4% of respondents living in Evans reported that water pollution was a moderate or major problem. The concern over air pollution also varied by Weld County location. Those living in close to the major traffic corridors in Weld County (Highway 85, 1-76 and 1-25) and in the urban areas of Greeley/Evans were more likely to view air pollution as a moderate or major problem. These areas were south- west Weld (50.0%), Evans (50.0%), west-central Weld (45.5%), central-south Weld (44.8%), and Greeley (39.4%). Those reporting too much light or noise were more likely to live in east-central Weld (42%), central-south Weld (41.3%), west-central Weld (40.9%), Evans (39.1%), and Greeley (36.8%). Other environmental concerns mentioned by respondents included: West Nile and Mosquitoes Mosquitoes Mosquito spraying West Nile Study Results 71 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Trash Trash from new housing developments. The rural neighbors see unsightly trash from new home construction - Junky yards...unkept vehicles w/ no license tag...trash from old vehicles Number of vehicles parked on lot Lots of cars not from neighborhood - Junk cars...lack of yard upkeep...junk in yards [No] code enforcement, lack of upkeep by landlords Traffic Issues ❑ "Too many traffic, neighbors teenage...gas and oil wells employees...we need Rd. 23 surfaced with asphalt" ❑ "Non-agriculturally friendly/ too much traffic- drivers rude to equipment operators on Hwy 66" ❑ Speeding ❑ County road condition ❑ Cars, trucks, motor cycles-speeding down 35th Avene. ❑ People run stop signs and drive too fast ❑ Traffic pollution Miscellaneous ❑ Habitat destruction ❑ The stench from the processing plants ❑ I believe that new development should be required to keep some kind on ground cover on the open lots instead of letting the dust and dirt blow away ❑ Greeley does not have a recycling program ❑ Need more recycling Household Environmental Issues — Survey Data Respondents were asked to indicate if they or anyone in their household had experienced environmental issue such as experiencing air pollution or water pollution, septic or sanitation issues or too much noise or light. The results are shown in Table 14 and Figure 27. Study Results 72 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 14. Number and Percent of Households Respondents Reporting Environmental Concerns as Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue Not an Minor Moderate Major Environmental Issues Issue Issue Issue Issue Experiencing air pollution 174 47.7 100 27.4 62 17.0 29 7.9 Experiencing water 231 63.3 83 22.7 34 9.3 17 4.7 pollution Experiencing septic or 266 73.1 62 17.0 21 5.8 15 4.1 sanitation issues Too much noise or light 192 52.7 107 29.4 44 12.1 21 5.8 Results indicated that with the exception of air pollution and too much noise or light, the majority of household respondents indicated that environmental issues were not of concern. Over half of respondents indicated that air pollution was either a minor, moderate or major issue, and of those one-quarter indicated that air pollution was a moderate or major issue. Too much noise or light was seen as a moderate or major household issue by 17.9% of respondents Figure 27. Percent of Households Reporting Environmental Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue •Minor Issue 30 I •Moderate Issue 25 / CI Major Issue ii 0 5I Air Pollution Water Sanitation Noise or Light Pollution Study Results 73 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Drinking water was the primary environmental issue raised by the focus groups. While many of the respondents complained about the bad smell and foul taste of the drinking water in municipal water supplies, most drank the water because they were unable to afford bottled water. "The water is bad but we can't buy bottled water..." Another participant stated, "Well, the water is better here than in Mexico. At least it doesn't stain your teeth." Other environmental issues that emerged related to noise pollution from barking dogs, trains and trucks. Trash in some neighborhoods was an ongoing problem whereas in other communities, trash was a transient issue and was related to events with a large number of people such as county fairs. Household Environmental Issues by Subgroups Respondents living in central-south Weld, south-east Weld, and west-central Weld were more likely to report that experiencing air pollution as a moderate or major issue than were respondents living in other regions of the county. Finally, respondents with incomes less than $35,000 were more likely to report experiencing water pollution than were those with higher incomes. Respondents with less than $14,999 were twice as likely as to report experiencing a septic or sanitation issue than were respondents with higher incomes. Study Results 74 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Health Issues Secondary Data The community health issues examined in this study included alcohol and drug abuse, mental health, lack of affordable medical care, and HIV/AIDS. Secondary data on the scope of alcohol and drug abuse, mental health, medical care and HIV/AIDS is presented below. Alcohol and drug abuse Measures of the extent of alcohol and drug abuse in Weld County are difficult to obtain as such data are spread across multiple local, state and national government entities. However, the Colorado Department of Human Services recently published selected drug and alcohol indicators for the State of Colorado and Weld County22. Indicators included drug and alcohol diagnoses, hospital discharge rates, alcohol and drug treatment mean rates, and alcohol-related traffic fatality rates. As shown in Figure 28, the average annual mean rate during 1993-1997 for alcohol hospital discharge diagnosis was 372, compared to a state total of 482 and 252 in Larimer County. Figure 28. Alcohol Hospital Discharge Diagnoses, Mean Rate, 1993-1997 apn len[x;m uunnm. !a:k:ou Bj.dtt -.Uea[L:e:b Lrume : lrn•:et -R[�wzk ake. Mon.oiotia I /Weld 1n5m f'h;lli . Clint luoBIWIW Gn[d --T--.__ Yuma r dpi -- W I inicu Ckun 0ar9eld Fc f•,a APaq i putI Ba6crt LNd Carau co� :c as 'Delia \'� � J <[mm�ism' � F1 Pmv [iueolni�7uyume� Mhmhm �._�. flemml -- _ %ioma Inn Mi ud Samudic Outer Podan L'da , Pr,we5 V fir tcnut • -14 a. ![[41,10,3:!. L.E.'vncu: Baca liord Ct1il!a Tdla Rnkrinie :hchui Eta .i1»csa Per 100,000 . 101 .247 1247.355 1355.616 616.3628 Study Results 75 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 As shown in Figure 29, the average annual mean rate during 1993-1997 for drug hospital discharge diagnosis was 134, which was lower than the state total of 183, but higher than Larimer County which was 90. The drug treatment client mean rate for Weld County during this same time period per 100,000 was 208 and was lower than the state rate of 227, but higher than Larimer County's rate of 108. The Alcohol treatment client mean rates for Weld County was 857 which was higher than the state mean rate of 667 and Larimer County's mean rate of 324. Figure 29. Drug Hospital Discharge Diagnoses Mean Rate by County, 1993-1997 .1)E g51Ii ..p tf .F71Ci Lai wag Trap •i ' r,ad I2ti iF,oBlnro - - 'Ater nat;,i pus. f11Atd fair' ',Elram lnuu --liffllml i` ltl�a� hifft Sm�ndle {►de� nchE'�'In,. - - _ r•+I:, .Si.l(n - ( N ... -$ I Miter,''lltl f.'liA _ to r' ) l[CO It,.1.1110, BM 111G. L,uI I rail] idlc !IU i.TIf11; �rtiL ida 1.111A Per 1C0.00J 3.77 17.119 119.185 183.132S Study Results 76 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Mental Health and Emotional Issues Data regarding the mental health needs at the state level might provide some insights into those that likely exist in Weld County. A study of state-wide mental health needs found the following:23 _ One out of five people in Colorado needs mental health services each year, yet fewer than a third of them receive care; ▪ Children and adolescents make up nearly one-quarter of Colorado's population, but experience over one-third of the severe mental health needs in the State; - In 2001, Colorado ranked 31st nationally for publicly funded mental health care; C Public mental health spending continues to lose ground as a result of state budget cuts; - Significant disparities exist in access to mental health care for racial, ethnic and sexual minority groups, for people with disabilities and people living in rural areas; - Colorado lacks... providers with specialized skills. Shortages are most acute for children and older adults, and in rural areas of the state. Estimations of the prevalence of the need for public and private severe mental illness (SMI) and severe emotional disturbance (SED) for Weld County indicate that 6.6% of the Weld County population or 12,011 individuals are in need of public or private SMI or SED services. When broken down by age, the demand for SMI/SED services is 8.3% for youth aged 0-20, is 6% for adults aged 21-64, and is 4.2% for adults over age 65, which are higher than those for the State in each age group. In an assessment of mental health resources, it was reported that the northern front- range region, which includes Weld County, has the following gaps in the public mental health system:24 L Lack of inpatient beds for children and adolescents ▪ Lack of Residential Treatment Center beds for children and adolescents Lack of community adult inpatient beds - Rapid expansion of waiting lists for uninsured and non-Medicaid populations I There is only 1 nursing home with mental health services in the region Another key indicator of mental health is the suicide rate. The average crude death rate (age-adjusted) for suicides in Weld County from 1990 to 2003 was 16.0 and ranged from a high of 27.6 in 1991 to a low of 14.1 in 2002.25 The average crude suicide rate (per 100,000) for individuals aged 15 to 19 in Weld County was 14.4 and 22.3 for individuals aged 65 years and older. Lack of Affordable Health Care Weld County ranks 18th among Colorado counties in the percent of individuals who are uninsured.2b The estimated percent of the uninsured of all ages in the County during 1997-1999 was 18.9%, compared to the estimated State average of 15.9%. In 2001, Study Results 77 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Weld County was a federally designated medically underserved area or population. The Fort Lupton area was an area in the county designated as a Health Professional Shortage Area as it is an area that exceeds a state population to health professional ratio. HIV/AIDS In 2001, there were 95 AIDS and 53 HIV cases in Weld County.27 Community Health Issues- Survey Data Key informants and household respondents were asked to indicate whether alcohol abuse, drug abuse, mental illness or emotional issues, lack of affordable medical care and HIV/AIDS were not an issue, a minor, moderate, or major issue in their community. Respondent perceptions of the extent to which health issues were of concern appear in Table 15 and Figure 30. Table 15. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating Community Health Concerns Are an Issued Health Minor Issue Moderate Major Issue Don t Issues Issue know Key HH Key HH Key HH Key HH Informant % Informant % Informant % Informant % Alcohol 22.2 19.7 30.2 15.8 34.9 12.0 9.5 20.8 abuse Drug abuse 19.0 15.3 27.0 17.5 44.4 13.9 9.5 22.1 Mental 33.9 17.8 29.0 12.6 22.6 7.4 9.7 28.4 illness or emotional issues Lack of 17.7 10.1 12.9 14.4 59.7 34.1 3.2 17.4 affordable medical care HIV/AIDS 27.0 10.8 22.2 5.8 1.6 5.5 28.2 38.7 a Throughout this report, the percent of respondents who reported concerns were "not an issue"were excluded from the charts and tables. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Of those who expressed an opinion, lack of affordable health care was the number one health concern. Over half of the respondents indicated that lack of affordable medical care was an issue and 34.1% of those respondents reported that the lack of affordable medical care was a major community concern. Interestingly, a noticeable percent of household respondents reported they did not know if the health concerns listed were an issue. Among the key informants, over half felt that the following issues were a moderate or major concern — mental illness or emotional issues (51.6%), alcohol abuse (65.1%), drug abuse (71.4%), and lack of affordable health care (72.6%). Study Results 78 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Focus group participants indicated that substance abuse, alcohol abuse and other drug abuse, is a community problem in the urban setting. Alcohol abuse was identified as a community problem. "It depends on the case, sometimes the fathers drink too much, or people who drive too fast after drinking or are outside drinking. It is a big problem." Focus group participants talked about evidence of drug abuse in their neighborhoods. They described young men "hanging around the streets smoking marijuana" and "people in some apartments not far from my house that sell drugs out of their house." "I have seen them on the corner" smoking marijuana. Focus groups members discussed the relationship between drug abuse and gang activity. "It affects everything because everything goes together. For example, what's happening here in Greeley now is that some gangs, who are rivals, they walk around drugged out." Figure 30. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Health Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 60 50� • Moderate Issue ❑ Major Issue 40- ++ c a L 30 a� 20 " I '101 . 111 .I 1 I I _ ■_ 0 KU HH KI HH KI HH KI HH KI HH Alcohol Drug Abuse Mental or Lack of HIV/AIDS Abuse Emotional affordable medical care Study Results 79 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Community Health Issues by Subgroup Alcohol and Drug Abuse Respondents who felt alcohol abuse was a moderate or major concern for their communities were more likely to live in central-south Weld (52.2%), west-central Weld (47.0%), and Evans (42.1%). Drug abuse was more likely to be perceived as a moderate or major community or neighborhood problem by five areas in Weld County. These were central-south Weld (70.8%), west-central Weld (61.6%), Evans (50.0%), south-west Weld (43.7%), and Greeley (40.4%). Lack of Affordable Medical Care Over 50% of respondents in all areas in Weld County, with the exception of north- central Weld and the Windsor area, said lack of affordable medical care was a moderate or major problem in their communities. Concern about the lack health care was a moderate or major concern for residents in communities located in central-south Weld (81.5%), west-central Weld (75.0%), east-Weld (70%), south-west Weld (67.6%), Evans (65.0%), south-east Weld (57.2%), and Greeley (53.8%). Respondents in rural areas were more likely to view lack of affordable health care as a moderate or major concern than did respondents in the Greeley/Evans area. Other community health concerns mentioned by respondents included: Access to Mental Health Services Lack of mental health facilities/ professionals to address mental health issues. • North Range Behavioral Health is understaffed, under funded and overworked to effectively address these issues • Poor mental health services Medical Care Concerns r Lots of low income families with children in desperate need of dental and vision care. Weld County health and other clinics are too full in Greeley to make room for surrounding small towns to go to. And even clinics charge something and people can not afford it. L Growing number of uninsured...Ability of medical facilities to provide urgent care L Lack of affordable medical insurance...lack of pre-natal care...immunizations not current. L High cost of insurance...high rate of uninsured residents...shortage of culturally competent services...shortage of dental care for low income residents I Drug costs I Lack of affordable insurance Study Results 80 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Not enough medical staff and doctors that help tax needy Uninsured people Care for Older Adults E There are a couple of elderly families that are in ill health L Caring for the elderly Some residents have fallen and are injured; some are elderly and not very well Household Health Issues — Survey Data Respondents were asked to indicate the extent to which six different health related issues - 1) not having enough money to pay the doctor, or buy prescription medications, or get medical insurance, 2) having a lot of anxiety or stress, 3) experiencing an alcohol issue, 4) experiencing a drug issue, 5) experiencing behavior or emotional problems and 6) not having a primary doctor or care provider - were an issue for them or someone in their household in the last twelve months. The results are shown in Table16 and Figure 32. Table 16. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating that Health Concerns were Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue Not an Minor Moderate Major Household Health Issues Issue Issue Issue Issue Not having enough money to pay the doctor, or buy 162 44.4 61 16.7 43 11.8 99 27.1 prescription medications, or get medical insurance Having a lot of anxiety or 104 28.3 98 26.7 84 22.9 81 22.1 stress Experiencing an alcohol 302 82.3 34 9.3 21 5.7 10 2.7 issue Experiencing a drug issue 315 85.6 27 7.3 18 4.9 8 2.2 Experiencing behavior or 254 69.2 67 18.3 31 8.4 15 4.1 emotional problems Not having a primary 262 71.4 31 8.4 27 7.4 47 12.8 doctor or care provider The results indicated that a high percentage of respondents reported that two household health issues were a moderate or major issue. These were having a lot of anxiety or stress (45.0%) and not having enough money to pay the doctor, or buy prescriptions or get medical insurance (38.9%). Not having a primary doctor or care provider was a moderate or major issue for 19% of the respondents. Study Results 81 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 31. Percent of Households Reporting Health Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 30 I ■Minor Issue •Moderate Issue 25 20 I■ ' ❑Major Issue � 15I� I 0. 10 I 5 I ''T 1 of 1 .7 ■7 1 Paying for Anxiety Alcohol Drug Issue Behavior No Primary Medical Issue Prob Doc Care Household Health Issues by Subgroup Paying for Medical Care Additional analyses were conducted for each of the health issues listed by subgroups based on income, age, race, and county location. Not surprisingly, those with the lowest incomes were significantly more likely to report that not having enough money to pay for medical needs was a moderate or major issue. Sixty-nine percent of those with incomes <$15,000 and 60.9% for those with incomes between $15,000 - $34,999 reported that not having enough money to pay for medical needs was a moderate or major issue (see Table 32). Not having enough money for medical needs was also seen as a moderate or major issue by more non-white' respondents than white respondents (56.7% and 31.0%, respectively). In rural Weld County, focus group participants consistently reported acceptable access to and availability and affordability of high quality health care services in their Throughout this report non-whites were respondents who indicated they were either American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic and were grouped together for additional analyses (n=88). Study Results 82 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 communities. Unanimously, rural county participants reported high satisfaction with not only health care services but dental services as well. On the other hand, focus group participants in Greeley reported dissatisfaction and problems with access to, quality of and affordability of health care and dental services. Access to health care did not always result in acceptable treatment and differentials in health care were noted. At a local community clinic, many informants reported waiting many hours to see a doctor, some waited for hours without being seen by a doctor and others reported the quality of care was poor. Many had to take off from work to be seen in the health care clinic and were frustrated with the health care encounter. "At the clinic, they make you wait and they don't treat you well. I don't know if it is because all the patients are Mexican or what. I think that is why the services are so bad". Even though dental services are available in Greeley, these services are expensive and rationed to one problem per visit. This policy creates a burden for those who are working as they must take multiple times off of work for each dental problem. As one informant explained, "It's expensive but if you have an appointment and there is more than one problem, you have to make another appointment. And I said, "Why? I have to work." Figure 32. Percent of Households Reporting Not Having Enough Money to Pay Doctor, or Buy Prescription Drugs or Get Medical Insurance as a Moderate or Major Issue by Income 60� •Moderate Issue ❑Major Issue 50� 40� Y C N 30r L a 20� 10 0 <$14,999 $15-34,000 $35-54,000 $55-74,000 $75,000+ Study Results 83 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Health care costs were a significant issue for the focus group participants in Greeley. Many conveyed personal experiences with expensive health care costs at clinics and hospitals and the burden of expensive health care bills to pay. Some participants thought it was important to have health insurance to help decrease health care costs yet many stated health insurance was too expensive. As one participant observed: "But when you don't earn very much, it is pay the insurance or eat. It's too much. I have to pay rent, take care of my family. It's not that I don't want to pay for it. I don't know what you guys earn, but for me I earn very little. It's too much. It's more than too much, it's difficult Stress and Anxiety Having a lot of anxiety and stress was a moderate or major issue for many of the respondents, but those with the lowest incomes reported the highest degree of stress. Some 63.5% of those with incomes below $15,000 reported stress or anxiety was a moderate or major issue, followed by those with incomes between $15,000-$34,999 (48.6%), those with incomes between $50,000-$74,999 (47%), and those with incomes between $35,000-$49,999 (42.9%). Non-whites were also more likely than whites to report that having a lot of stress and anxiety was either a moderate or major issue (56.3%, 40%, respectively). Finally, approximately one-third or more of individuals across all age groups reported that having a lot of stress or anxiety was a moderate or major issue. However those under age 34 and between ages 35-54 were more likely to report having moderate or major amounts of stress (54.9% and 45.8%, respectively) than were those in other age groups. Alcohol or Drug Abuse The majority of respondents (70% and over) reported that alcohol and drug abuse was not an issue for them or anyone in their household and of those who reported these as an issue, most said it was a minor issue. However, of the respondents who did report that alcohol and drug abuse was a moderate or major issue, individuals with incomes between $15,000-$34,999 and $50,000-74,999 were more likely to say that these were moderate or major issues (11.1% and 13.3%, respectively for alcohol abuse, and 13.9% and 10.3% for drug abuse) than did individuals in other income brackets. Similarly, non-whites were more likely than whites to report that alcohol and drug abuse were moderate or major issues for them or someone in their household (15%, and 5.5%, respectively for alcohol abuse, and 13.5% and 4.1%, respectively for drug abuse). Respondents in one county area, central south Weld, were more likely to report that alcohol and drug abuse was a moderate or major issue for them or someone in their household (31% for alcohol abuse, and 27.5% for drug abuse), than were other geographically located respondents. Study Results 84 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Emotional or Behavioral Problems Experiencing emotional or behavioral problems was reported as a moderate or major issue for non-whites compared to whites (27.6% vs. 9.6%, respectively). Not Being Able to Afford a Primary Doctor or Care Provider Not having a primary doctor or care provider was a more significant issue for lower income individuals than for higher income individuals. Forty-three percent of those with incomes below $14,999 said not having a doctor or care providers was a moderate or major problem, compared to those with incomes between $15 - $34,999 (29.2%), those with incomes between $50-$74,999 (17.7%), those with incomes between $35 - $49,999 (15.5%) and those with incomes over $75,000 (1.2%). Non-whites were more likely than whites to report not having a primary doctor or care provider was a moderate or major issue (27.5% vs. 16.2%, respectively, see Figure 33). Figure 33. Percent of Households Reporting Not Having a Primary Doctor or Care Provider as a Moderate or Major Issue by Income 35� ■Moderate Issue 30� ❑Major Issue 25� Y aa) 20 C1 i a 15� 10 5 0 <$14,999 $15-34,000 $35-54,000 $55-74,000 $75,000+ Study Results 85 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Community Housing Issues - Secondary Data The home ownership rate for Weld County in 2000 was 68.6% which was slightly lower than Adams County (70.6%), but was slightly higher than Larimer County (67.7%).28 The percent of vacant housing units was 5.85% in 2003 and the median value of a single-family owner-occupied home in 2000 was $140,400. The Weld County rental vacancy was 4.0% in 2000.29 Homelessness in Weld is difficult to track. One indicator is the number of people spending the night in shelters. According to a United Way of Weld County report, people spent 54,000 nights in Greeley shelters in 2002. There is a need to gather better data on the extent of homelessness in the County. The median value of owner occupied units in Weld County has more than doubled in the 10 year period from 1990 to 2000 from $67,500 to $140,400 (see Table 17). The median value of Weld County homes is less than the State median value of $166,600 and higher than the National median value of$119,600. The median rental price — both for vacant and renter occupied units is $553 and $509, respectively. The percentage of gross rent as a percent of income is higher than the State and National percentages for individuals with incomes below $35,000. Those with incomes below $10,000 are spending 19.4% of their incomes on housing compared to the State average of 13.9%. The average rent in Greeley is estimated to be $693.00 and the average home price is estimated to be $213,900. Table 17. Characteristics of Housing Value and Rates for Weld County, Colorado and United States U.S. Colorado Weld Weld (2000) (2000) (1990) (2000) Median Value of Owner $119,600 $166,600 $67,500 $140,400 Occupied Units Median Price Asked for Vacant $89,600 $155,300 148,300 for Sale Housing Units Median Rental Price Asked for $469 $653 $553 Vacant-for-Rent Housing Units Median Rent for Renter $519 $611 $307 $509 Occupied Housing Units Gross Rent as a Percentage of Income HH Incomes less than $10,000 17.8% 13.9% 19.4% HH Incomes $10-19,999 19.0% 17.3% 20.9% HH Incomes $20-34,999 24.5% 26.4% 27.7% HH Incomes $35,000 + 38.7% 42.5% 32.0% Study Results 86 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Many of the homes in Weld County are over 60 years old. As shown in Figure 34, there are a high percentage of homes built before 1940 in central and northern Weld County. Figure 34. Percent of Housing Units Built before 1940 I i Tl> 25 I Off �'at._. ` airtes€crass: Data Classes 1 , - 1[, - 13.= - 11.5. 1=..1 - 15.1 211 - 13. ' - c3,- Community Housing Issues — Survey Data Key informants and household respondents were asked to indicate whether a shortage of affordable housing, substandard housing, overcrowded housing or homelessness were not an issue, a minor, moderate, or major issue. Respondent perceptions of the extent to which housing issues were of concern appear in Table 18 and Figure 35. Study Results 87 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 18. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Housing Concerns Are a Minor, Moderate, or Major Issues Minor Issue Moderate Major Issue Don t Issue know Housing Issues Key HH Key HH Key HH Key HH Inform % Inform % Infor % Infor % 0/0 m % m % Shortage of 14.3 18.5 38.1 21.3 34.9 19.3 4.8 9.0 affordable housing Substandard 34.9 17.5 28.6 18.0 15.9 11.2 4.8 13.7 housing Overcrowded 33.3 18.1 22.2 15.1 15.9 9.9 7.9 15.1 housing Homelessness 25.4 16.3 28.6 10.7 12.7 7.4 6.3 16.0 a Throughout this report, the percent of respondents who reported concerns were "not an issue"were excluded from the charts and tables. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Of the housing issues listed, the highest percent of household respondents (40.6%) felt that the shortage of affordable housing was either a moderate or a major issue. In contrast, a higher percentage of key informants indicated that the following were moderate or major issues - shortage of affordable housing (73%), substandard housing (44.5%), and homelessness (41.3%). Figure 35. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Housing Concerns as a Moderate or Major Issue 40-- ■ Moderate Issue Fl Major Issue 35 30 .. 25 c 2 20 m a 15 10 1 1 5 KI HH KI HH KI HH KI HH Shortage of Substandard Overcrowded Homelessness Affordable Housing Housing Housing Study Results 88 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Open comments about housing issues included the following: Affordable Housing - Low-income housing very scarce in this area- partly due to society believing that low income people are dirty, disease ridden and will ruin any new housing. - Cost of housing in Greeley is too much - High housing cost leaves little income for property upkeep Many families are for the first time in their life facing financial crisis, substantiated by record foreclosures...Lack of support services i.e. financial counseling _ Quality of housing that is affordable Housing for Subpopulations - Not enough housing for chronically, mentally ill folks Housing diversity - UNC is ruining the off campus market for the private landlords. They are building too many ugly dorms L Senior housing needed Housing such as assisted living...Medicaid bed shortage Community Housing Issues by Subgroup Additional analyses show that individuals living in east Greeley were more likely to respond that affordable housing was a major community problem (22.5%) compared to those respondents who lived in west Greeley (7.9%). Differences were also noted in various locations in Weld County. In every area in Weld County except in the Windsor area, over 40% of the respondents thought that a shortage of affordable housing was a moderate or major issue. Thirty-six percent of residents living in Evans, 33.3% of residents living in central-south Weld, and 26.3% of residents living in west-central Weld felt that a lack of affordable housing was a major issue. Substandard housing was seen as a moderate and major issue for communities in east- central Weld (42.9%), Evans (50%), and central-south Weld (51.8%). Respondents in these same communities were more likely than respondents in other communities to see overcrowded housing and homelessness as a concern as well. Household Housing Issues - Survey Data Household respondents were asked if five housing issues — 1) not having enough room in your house for all the people who live there, 2) living in housing that needs major repairs to fix substandard housing, 3) not having enough money to pay for housing rent or mortgage, 4) people living with you who can't afford their won housing, and 5) not having enough money to pay for utilities - were a concern to them or anyone in their family over the last 12 months. The results indicated that most respondents did not Study Results 89 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 experience a housing issue over the last twelve months. However, some 35.5% of respondents indicated that not having enough money to pay for rent or mortgage and 33.6% not having enough money to pay for utilities were issues (see Table 19 and Figure 36). Table 19. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating that Housing Concerns were Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue Not an Minor Moderate Major Housing Issues Issue Issue Issue Issue n % n % n % n Not having enough room in 303 83.2 32 8.8 17 4.7 12 3.3 your house for all the people who live there Living in housing that needs 290 79.9 34 9.4 24 6.6 15 4.1 major repairs to fix substandard housing Not having enough money to 233 64.5 59 16.3 32 8.9 37 10.2 pay for housing rent or mortgage People living with you who 291 80.2 24 6.6 18 5.0 30 8.3 cant afford their won housing Not having enough money to 241 66.4 46 12.7 38 10.5 38 10.5 pay for utilities Figure 36. Percent of Households Reporting Housing Issues as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 18 / ■Minor Issue 16 / •Moderate Issue / ❑Major Issue 1412 ri 10 a 6 ' rEl 4 0 Ii Ii Not enough Substandard Paying for People living Paying room housing housing w/ you can't utilities afford own housing Study Results 90 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 While some focus group informants living in both urban and rural areas felt they lived in a nice neighborhood, many had experienced multiple problems with housing. Key findings related to housing include: 1) Availability and affordability. Respondents stated that a central issue for Weld County is adequate housing with "reasonable rent". Focus group participants stated that there is a very limited amount of available housing at reasonable rates in Weld County, but "the housing that is affordable is very small or in bad shape" and "it is difficult to find." 2) Language and documentation. The ability to communicate in English and having a social security number is crucial in finding affordable and acceptable housing. Consequently housing may not be available to all members of our community. Further, those who are unable to speak English or who lack proper documents must rely on others for shelter. "It's hard to find housing if you don't speak English." "You can rent a little apartment or something but it you don't have a social security number, you can't rent an apartment with amenities." "All the apartments ask for a deposit so they shouldn't ask for a social security number. 3) Acceptable housing. For respondents, housing is more than a physical space; it is a place to maintain family relationships, socialize and nurture children, and practice significant cultural values and practices. Therefore, finding housing where families can maintain cultural integrity is of importance. "Because you are paying less you have less freedom to express yourself. You can't run outside, you can't play your music, you can't cook came asada. My husband looked at lots of apartments before we got the trailer and everyone wanted a social security number. We didn't choose the cheapest, but the cheapest with the option that they didn't ask for a social security number and have the opportunity to have your children play freely. "There are condominiums that are cheap and you can rent if you don't have a social security number but there are lots of restrictions. You can't park an old car at the condominiums. There are many limits." 4) Landlord exploitation. "They are abusive. They abuse many people, not just me." "And they don't return the deposit or anything" Study Results 91 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 5) Community growth Rural informants expressed contentment with their small and quiet communities where "everybody waves at everybody. It makes you feel good." While rural residents lamented a lack of services, job opportunities and transportation in their communities, they expressed appreciation for individuals and informal resources that community residents could count on when assistance was needed. These rural individuals valued their tranquil environment and small town environment and worried that impending growth would negatively impact their rural way of life. "We want to maintain a small town." "But we're just small people; we don't really have a say-so in anything. When a big company comes in and they own the land, they can do what they want. We can try to vote against it but our word don't get heard. They got attorneys. We got our words, that's all." Household Housing Issues by Subgroups Additional analyses of housing issues were conducted by income, neighborhood, geographical location and race. Not having enough room in their house for all the people who live there was a moderate or major issue for non-whitest (18.3%) more than whites (4.9%). This was also more likely to be an issue for those residents with lower incomes. Twelve percent of those with incomes $15,000 or less and 11.1% of those with incomes between $15-34,999 reported not having enough room in their house for the people that live there was a moderate or major issue. Living in substandard housing that needs repairs was an issue of concern for individuals with lower incomes, non-whites, those living east of 35th Avenue in Greeley, and three different areas in Weld County. Twenty percent of those with incomes $14,000 or less and 15.3% of those with incomes between $15-34,999 reported living in housing that needs major repairs to fix substandard housing was a moderate or major issue. Sixteen percent of non-whites compared to 8.6% of whites reported living in housing that needs major repairs to fix substandard housing was a moderate or major issue. Finally, of respondents living east of 35th Avenue were more likely to report living in housing that needs major repairs to fix substandard housing was a moderate or major issue compared to respondents living west of 35th Avenue (13.6% vs. 0%, respectively). Three areas in Weld County — north Weld, central-south Weld, and south-east Weld were more likely to report that living in housing that needs major repairs to fix substandard housing was a moderate or major issue than other geographical areas in the county. Twenty-nine percent of respondents living in south-east Weld, 21.4% of those living in central-south Weld, and 17.9% of those living in north Weld reported that living in housing that needs major repairs to fix substandard housing was a moderate or major issue. Throughout this report non-whites were respondents who indicated they were either American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic and were grouped together for additional analyses (n=88). Study Results 92 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Not having enough money to pay for housing rent or mortgage was an issue for those with low incomes, non-whites, and those living in different areas in Greeley. Thirty-four percent of individuals with incomes below <$14,999 and 23% of those with incomes between $15-34,999 reported that not having enough money to pay for housing rent or mortgage was an moderate or major issue (see Figure 37). Figure 37. Percent of Households Reporting Not Having Enough Money to Pay for Housing Rent or Mortgage was a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue by Income •Minor Issue 30 •Moderate Issue I 25 I ❑Major Issue P.1 20 I I 1 a 151 ' 1 5I 1 1 r 1 1111111 0 III 7 <$14,999 $15-34,999 $35-49,999 $50-74,999 $75,000+ Twenty-six percent of non-whites compared to 15.8% of whites reported that not having enough money to pay for housing rent or mortgage was a moderate or major issue. Finally, respondents living east of 35th Avenue were more likely to report that not having enough money to pay for housing rent or mortgage was a moderate or major issue. compared to respondents living west of 35th Avenue (30.2% vs. 11.9%, respectively). Twenty-six percent of non-whites compared to 8.6% of whites reported that people living with them who can't afford their own housing was a moderate or major issue. Respondents living east of 35th Avenue were more likely to report that having people living with them who can't afford their own housing was a moderate or major issue compared to respondents living west of 35th Avenue (20.5% vs. 2.4%, respectively). The final housing issue, not having enough money to pay for utilities was a concern among those with low incomes and among non-whites. Forty-percent of individuals with incomes below <$14,999 and 27.7% of those with incomes between $15-34,999 reported not having enough money to pay for utilities was a moderate or major issue Study Results 93 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 (see Figure 38). Non-whites compared to whites were more likely to report that not having enough money to pay for utilities was a moderate or major issue (31.7% and 15.8%, respectively). Figure 38. Percent of Households Reporting Not Having Enough Money to Pay for Utilities was a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue by Income 30 •Minor Issue ill •Moderate Issue , 25 i ❑Major Issue 20 Ii I im 15I I I a ■ r 15 / 1 1 o f 1 1 I . 1 _ . <$14,999 $15-34,999 $35-49,999 $50-74,999 $75,000+ Study Results 94 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Leisure Activities Secondary Data According to County data, there are over 35 parks in Weld County and five public or private golf courses30. Efforts have been made in recent years to expand outdoor recreational activities, most notably is the creation of the Poudre River Trail. The Trail is a 19-mile long trail under construction that will extend from Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley, Colorado to the Weld/Larimer County line along the Cache la Poudre River. The Trail offers non-motorized recreational opportunities including: biking, walking, running, and rollerblading. Recent recreation initiatives include the construction of the Greeley Family FunPlex, located at 20th Street and 65th Avenue in Greeley and the Ice Haus, located at 900 8th Avenue, which will offer open skating, figure skating and hockey programs, and special events. Outdoor recreation and parks projects funded in Weld County through grants from Great Outdoors Colorado include: Carbon Valley Pool Improvement/Carbon Valley Recreation District Ault West Park/Town of Ault Milavec Reservoir Park Improvements/Town of Frederick Town of Windsor Ball Field Enhancement/Town of Windsor Pierce East Side Park Project/Town of Pierce Thompson Rivers Ballfield Renovation/Thompson Rivers Park District UNC Xeric Demonstration Park/City of Greeley Eaton Baseball Field Project/Town of Eaton Butler Elementary School/Playground & Park/Town of Fort Lupton Riverside Park Ballfields/Town of Evans Weld County Missile Site Park Improvements/Weld County Poudre River Trail Windsor Poudre Trail Sections/Town of Windsor Riverside Park Trail/Town of Evans Greeley Open Space Implementation Plan/City of Greeley Weld County Open Space Comprehensive Plan/Weld County Community Leisure Activities — Survey Data Key informants and household respondents were asked to indicate whether shortage of recreational facilities, lack of outdoor recreational opportunities or lack of cultural activities were not an issue, a minor, moderate, or major issue. Respondent perceptions of the extent to which leisure issues were of concern appear in Table 20 and Figure 39. Study Results 95 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 20. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Leisure Concerns Are an Issue for their Communitya Leisure Issues Minor Issue Moderate Major Issue Don t Issue know Key HH Key HH Key HH Key HH Inform % Inform % Inform % Inform % Shortage of 45.2 21.6 19.4 20.5 6.5 18.6 0.0 3.3 recreational facilities (swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball hoops, etc.) Lack of outdoor 38.7 24.0 14.5 16.6 11.3 18.8 1.6 3.5 recreational opportunities (trails, parks, etc.) Lack of cultural 29.0 24.8 17.7 21.8 17.7 19.1 1.6 5.2 activities (concerts, museums, etc.) a Throughout this report, the percent of respondents who reported concerns were "not an issue"were excluded from the charts and tables. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Figure 39. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Leisure Concerns as a Moderate or Major Issue ■Moderate Issue 25' E Major Issue 20 15 ■ 1 1 a 10 5 0 1 1 1 1 1 KI HH KI HH KI HH Shortage of Lack of outdoor Lack of Cultural recreational facilities recreational Activities opportunities Study Results 96 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 The majority of key informants didn't think that leisure activities were a major concern; however, the highest percent (35.4%) thought that the lack of cultural activities were a moderate or major concern (see Figure 39). For the household respondents, 40.9% indicated that lack of cultural activities were either a moderate or major issue, followed by a shortage of recreational facilities (39.1%). Comments were made about the lack of community leisure activities included the following: Leisure needs in rural areas _ Rural America does not have the luxury of the leisure activit[ies] E In the country, there's no parks on trails to go walking. We have to go into the town for any of the above activities. - Not much for kids to do. Community finally built a swimming pool but its 2.50/day which is too much for income level of large part of population. New people can afford it w/ their $250,000 homes so there's another separation of classes. L Would be nice to have bike paths...they are working on Firestone trail Community recreational opportunities for specific groups E Lack of activities for teenagers ▪ Lack of senior of facility C Safe places for "Latch-key children" to "hangout" L Parks where children can play and ride their bikes C No park...kids always playing on road L Wish more places allowed dogs...Dogs motivate me to use parks and exercise but dogs aren't allowed anywhere L Not enough activities for young teens ▪ Lack of appropriate and accessible recreation and activities for people with disabilities - Senior citizens don't have much opportunity in the community to do things Leisure area for teenagers - No activities or events for youth to participate in - I think that a lot of the classes offered for children are done during the week which is fine but it seems that the people that organize events forget that most parents work til 5:00. Activities need to be offered at a time for working parents Other comments about the need for community events - City growing West and South, without development of any major parks like Bittersweet C Need more neighborhood activities L Lack of communication regarding upcoming activities...dint know a majority of events have occurred until after its over. Study Results 97 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 - There used to be concerts at UNC, but for the last 2 years they have been eliminated. We really miss them. UNC abolished the Garden Theater concerts which was attended by hundred of people of all ages as well as families I No swimming pools, recreation facility _ Funding to build more recreational facilities like a swimming pool for leisure/family use Focus group participants remarked that public spaces were important for leisure activities. However, for many, recreational activities were limited or didn't exist. "There is not much that families can do together. They can go to the park and that's it." Community Leisure Needs by Subgroups With the exception of Greeley and Windsor respondents, over 40% of respondents in all other Weld communities felt that a shortage of recreational facilitates was a moderate or major issue. Specifically, 71.5% of those in east-central Weld, 64% of those in north Weld, 54% of those in east Weld and 52% of those in Evans reported lack of recreational facilities as a moderate or major issue. Respondents in rural Weld felt that a lack of outdoor recreational activities was also a moderate or major issue compared to Greeley/Evans residents (41% vs. 30.9%, respectively). Rural residents in north Weld, in south-west Weld, and in central-south Weld felt that lack of outdoor recreational opportunities were a moderate or major concern (57%, 47.7% and 46.4%, respectively). Respondents living west of 35th Avenue in Greeley were more likely to report that a lack of outdoor recreational activities were a moderate or major issue for their community than did residents living east of 35th Avenue (41% vs. 30.9%, respectively). Residents in rural communities were more likely to report that a lack of cultural activities was a moderate or major issue than were those respondents living in the combined Greeley/Evans area (50.4% vs. 35.1%). Specific rural communities that had high percentages of respondent reporting a lack of cultural activities were located in central- south Weld (66.6%), west-central Weld (59.1%), south-west Weld (58.5%), and north Weld (50%). A high percent of respondents in Evans (47.6%) and south-east Weld (42.9%) also thought their communities lacked cultural opportunities. Respondents living west of 35th Avenue were more likely to report that a lack of cultural activities was a moderate or major problem for Greeley than were respondents living east of 35th Avenue (50.4% vs. 35.1%, respectively). Study Results 98 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Household Leisure Issues — Survey Data Respondents were asked to indicate if not being able to afford recreational activities, not being able to afford cultural or entertainment activities and lack of access to outdoor recreational opportunities were not an issue, a minor issue, a moderate issue, or a major issue. The results are presented in Table 21 and Figure 40. Table 21. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating That Leisure Activities Are an Issue For Their Household Not an Minor Moderate Major Leisure Activity Issues Issue Issue Issue Issue n % n % n % n % Not being able to afford 189 51.8 79 21.6 50 13.7 47 12.9 recreational activities Not being able to afford 185 50.7 81 22.2 51 14.0 48 13.2 cultural or entertainment activities (music, etc.) Lack of access to outdoor 228 62.8 66 18.2 47 12.9 22 6.1 recreation opportunities Slightly less than half of respondents indicated that affordability and access to leisure and recreational activities was an issue. Not being able to afford cultural or entertainment activities was reported as a moderate or major issue by 27.2% of respondents, followed by not being able to afford recreational activities (26.6%) and lack of access to outdoor recreation opportunities (19%). Figure 40. Percent of Households Reporting Leisure Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue •Minor Issue 2 I •Moderate Issue ❑Major Issue ii1i 5 / ■ ■ 5 . ■ ■ ■ Not able to afford rec Not able to afford Lack of access to activity cultural activity outdoor recreation Study Results 99 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Household Leisure Issues by Subgroups Examining which types of households were more likely to report difficulties with recreational and cultural activities revealed that lower income respondents were significantly more likely to report that not being able to afford recreational or cultural activities was a moderate or major issue (see Figure 41). Difficulty affording recreation and cultural activities were also reported by younger respondents. Sixty-nine percent of respondents under age 34 and 52.7% of respondents between the ages of 35-54 reported that not being able to afford recreational activities was an issue. An even higher percentage of respondents under age 34 reported not being able to afford cultural or entertainment activities was an issue (73.2%). Similarly 51.5% of respondents aged 35-54 reported not being able to afford these activities was an issue. These same age groups also were more likely to report having a lack of access to outdoor recreational activities. Figure 41. Percent of Households Reporting Not Being Able to Afford Cultural or Entertainment Activities a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue by Income 4� I ■Minor Issue •Moderate Issue ■ s ❑Major Issue 3, I 2 I r I■ ■ 2eir ■ ■ i, I� ■ ■ 1 5I ■ ■ ■ 7 � I I o <$14,999 $15-34,999 $35-49,999 $50-74,999 $75,000+ An examination of affordability of recreational and cultural activities by Greeley neighborhoods indicated that residents living east of 35th Avenue were more likely to report that not being able to afford recreational activities, and cultural and entertainment activities were moderate or major issues for them compared to residents living in the west Greeley area (34.1% vs. 11.9%, respectively and 41.1% vs. 11.9%, respectively). Study Results 100 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Safety Issues Secondary Data Figures 42-45 show selected crime data for Weld County from 1990 to 200231. As shown in Figure 42, violent crime in Weld County has remained less than 200 per year for the last 12 years with the exception of 1994 when it spiked to over 500. The lowest total was in 1996 with less than 100. Violent crimes has been increasing slightly during the years 1999 to 2002. Figure 42. Violent Crime Total in Weld County 1990-2002 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Years As shown in Figure 43, the total number of property crimes in Weld County has remained under 1400 over the last 12 years with the exception of 1994. The lowest total number of property crimes was in 1993, which was slightly less than 800 for that year. The number of property crimes has increased over the years 1999 — 2002. Study Results 101 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 43. Total Number of Property Crimes in Weld County 1990- 2002 2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 E 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Years The number of forcible rapes in Weld County over the 12 year period was the lowest in 1992 and 2000 and peaked in 1990, 1994, 1998 and again in 2002, which had the highest rate in the 12 year period of over 30 (see Figure 44). The rate has increased since 2000. The total number of robberies in Weld was the highest in 1991, 1994, and again in 1998 with the total each year around 15. In the years 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1999 the total robberies were below 5 for each year. The total number of robberies has increased each year from 1999 to 2002. Study Results 102 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 44. Total Number of Forcible Rape and Robbery in Weld County 1990- 2000 35 30 25 t Forcible Rape 20 Robbery E z' 15 10 5 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Years Figure 45. Total Number of Burglary, Larceny-Theft, and Motor Vehicle Theft in Weld County 1990-2002. 1200 1100 1000 900 800 700 t Burglary i 600 —M—Larceny-theft Motor vehicle theft 500 400 300 200 100 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Number Study Results 103 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 As shown in Figure 45, the total number of motor vehicle thefts was the lowest in 1993 and peaked in 2002. The total number of thefts has been above 100 since 1994 and has increased slightly since 2000. Yearly burglary totals have remained between 300 and 400 for the last 12 years except for the years 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, and 2002. In 1990, 1994 and 2002 the yearly burglary totals were above 400, and in 1993 and 1995 the yearly totals were below 300. As for larceny-theft, the yearly total peaked in 1990 and again in 1994. In 1993 and 1999, the yearly totals were the lowest in a 12 year period and fell below 500 Community Safety Issues — Survey Data Respondents were asked if they experienced safety issues in the community they live in, including crime, lack of police protection, lack of fire protection and gangs. Respondents indicated for each one if they believed it was not an issue, a minor issue, a moderate issue or a major issue for people in their community. Results are presented in Table 22 and Figure 46. Table 22. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Community Safety Issues Are a Concerns Minor Issue Moderate Major Issue Don t Issue know Safety Issues Key HH Key HH Key HH Key HH Inform % Inform % Inform % Inform % Crime 27.4 32.2 33.9 26.0 30.6 18.6 3.2 3.3 Lack of police 30.6 26.0 27.4 22.5 6.5 14.0 3.2 2.5 protection Lack of fire 38.7 25.5 6.5 11.8 1 .6 6.3 1.6 5.2 protection Gangs 19.4 17.5 37.1 12.7 29.0 19.1 3.2 11.1 a Throughout this report, the percent of respondents who reported concerns were "not an issue"were excluded from the charts and tables. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Most key informant respondents thought that crime (63.5%) and gangs (65.1%) were moderate and major issues in their communities (see Figure 46). Lack of police protection and lack of fire protection were not viewed as major community issues by household respondents. However, household respondents were much less likely to view crime and gangs as a moderate or major issues compared to key informants. Of the safety issues listed, the highest percent of household respondents (44.6%) felt that crime was a moderate or major issue. Study Results 104 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 46. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Community Safety Concerns as a Moderate or Major Issue • Moderate Issue 40� ❑ Major Issue 35 30 , 25 c 20 a 15 1 I r 10 1 I • U 5 I 1 � 1I I _NI I1 0 KI HH KI HH KI HH KI HH Crime Lack of police Lack of fire Gangs protection protection Some focus group participants expressed uncertainty about the issue of gangs in Greeley. "One doesn't know if gang members are living in a house or not. I lived here for twelve years and didn't know that someone was a gang member. I think lack of communication between neighbors is the reason for this." "In my neighborhood, sometimes I see children of a certain age who are going out. I wonder if they are in gangs." "It is possible to see young men hanging out on the street all together who look like they are in a gang." Other respondents believed that gangs are an issue in their Greeley neighborhood. Gangs become a concern as gang members tend to dominate public spaces of the community. "During the day, all these bald gang members hang out in the street. I see them and I am frightened and this is during the middle of the day!" "The biggest problem with crime that we have are the gangs." Study Results 105 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Focus group participants reported a disparity in police protection. Differences were based on locality in which some had police protection while others did not. This was true in urban as well as rural areas of Weld County. One informant in the urban area stated: "It depends on where you live...where I live it is very unsafe. There are alleys. There isn't light. The police don't pass by. The good thing is a neighbor that lives close by." "I live between 9th and 11th and I never see patrols pass through there." "So where is the protection for everyone? They pay attention to certain people or the person who complains and no one else." "It would be better if during the day, or at night there was a little more protection." For residents in rural areas, the lack of police protection and available law enforcement officers was a problem. Many focus group respondents desired more vigilance by the police in their neighborhoods. Universally focus group respondents reported fire protection as good. Other community safety concerns mentioned by respondents included the following: Crime and related behavior L Gangs and crime have become a serious problem in Greeley. There's no neighborhood that is left completely unaffected. - No gang intervention programs and gang activity is increasing - Hispanic gangs in the East side of town are a huge problem but citizens of Greeley don't see it I Meth labs are having a traumatic impact on families, neighborhoods, and communities. They created major health and safety issues I Our neighbor was robbed twice, Police say they have no control over the break in due to not catching the suspect. We have been burglarized many times...stereos out of cars, not proper lighting in neighborhoods. _ Increase in crime is direct reflection of increase in population. Law enforcement needs to join the 21st century but money is again an issue Traffic - Weld County roads are the site of disproportionate share of deaths...alarming given the population - Amount of auto deaths _ Speeding traffic - Sand and gravel truck traffic on farm roads. Speeding trucks on rural roads. Study Results 106 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 - Need signs and speed bumps, lots of vehicles speed and lot's of kids playing on road - People drive to fast in neighborhoods Speeders/ university drunkenness/ DUI - Safety of streets highways, to many DUI's Other Safety Issues _ Police brutality is a common problem...I have heard of several stories stating this is an issue that needs to be looked at more closely. - Our community is located in the east edge of Weld County. The sheriff department doesn't want to come out to investigate thefts in our area Police often don't get to disturbance calls in time to be effective - Public safety struggling to keep pace with growth and increased demand for services - Lack of neighborhood street lighting. Response time of Greeley P.D. when called...sometimes takes days Community Safety Issues by Subgroups Those respondents who thought crime and gangs were a major problem (18.5% and 20.1%, respectively) were more likely to live in the Greeley/Evans area compared to those living in rural Weld communities. Household Safety Issues — Survey Data As Table 23 and Figure 47 illustrates, few respondents indicated that experiencing a household crime or experiencing threats from gangs were a major or moderate household issue. Twelve percent of household respondents indicated that experiencing crime was a moderate or major issue and 9.3% indicated that household threats from gangs was moderate or major issue. Table 23. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating That Safety Concerns Are Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate, or Major Issue Not an Minor Moderate Major Safety Issues Issue Issue Issue Issue n % n 0/0 n % n % Experiencing household 258 71.1 61 16.8 28 7.7 16 4.4 crime Experiencing household 303 81.9 27 7.4 24 6.6 10 2.7 threats from gangs Study Results 107 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 47. Percent of Households Reporting Safety Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 18 / ■Minor Issue 16 •Moderate Issue 14 ❑Major Issue 12 Y d 10 / a 8 6 4 / 0 Experiencing a household crime Experiencing household threat from gangs Household Crime by Subgroups Significant differences in safety issues were found by Greeley neighborhoods, Weld County areas, and race. Forty-eight percent of respondents living east of 35th Avenue reported that crime was either a minor, moderate or major issue, with 11.4% indicating crime as a major issue. Seventeen percent of respondents living west of 35th Avenue indicated that crime was a minor or moderate issues, with no respondent indicating that crime was a major issue. There were no other significant differences by subgroup for experiencing household crime. Experiencing household threats from gangs differed among Weld County areas and race. Over 85% of all county areas, with the exception of central-south Weld, Evans, and Greeley, reported that household threats from gangs was not an issue. Although 84.1% of respondents in Greeley reported that household threats from gangs was not an issue, 6.7%, 6.1% and 3% of respondents indicated that it was a minor, moderate and major problem, respectively. Similarly 70% of respondents in Evans reported household threats from gangs were not an issue, 12.5% said it was a minor issue and 16.7% said it was a moderate issue. Finally, 43% of respondents in central south Weld indicated that household threats from gangs was an issue, 14.3%, 21.4%, and 7.1% reported this issue as a minor, moderate, and major issue, respectively. Study Results 108 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Social Issues Secondary Data Gathering secondary data about community social issues, such as illiteracy, child and elder abuse and neglect, teen pregnancy, child care, and discrimination are difficult to obtain at a county level. Therefore, gathering additional information about these and other social issue topics will need to be an on-going collaborative process with appropriate entities in the County. There are, however, secondary data regarding teen pregnancy and child care, which are presented below. Teen Pregnancy As listed in Table 24, Weld County ranks among the counties with the highest percent of total births to teens. However, as shown in Figures 48 and 49, the percent of total births and fertility rates for girls aged 10-17 has steadily declined since 1999. However, Weld rates continue to be higher than the State rates. 32 Table 24. Total Number and Percent of Teen Births Among Selected Colorado Counties, 200033 County Total Number of Percent of Total Births to Teens Births to Teens Boulder 276 7.1% Jefferson 532 7.9% Larimer 269 8.3% Arapahoe 718 10% El Paso 1,005 12.1% Adams 871 14.2% Denver City 1,607 14.6% Weld 489 15.4% Pueblo 369 19% Study Results 109 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 48. Percent of Total Births to Girls Aged 10-17 for Weld County and Colorado 1990-2003 25% 23% 21% Weld County 19% 17% 15% 13% Colorado 11% 9% 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 Figure 49. Fertility Rates (Live Births per 1,000) for Girls Aged 10-17 for Weld County and Colorado 1990-2003 8% Weld County 7% 6% 5o Colorado 4% 3% 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 Study Results 110 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Child Care A study about child care needs in Weld County was conducted in 1999.34 Results of that study indicated that: _ Respondents indicated that they relied on a variety of people, in addition to a spouse or partner, to assist with childcare for their children under age 6. Grandparents played an important role in assisting families with childcare needs. - Cost of care was the most frequent reason given for why respondents had difficulty locating childcare services (65.7%). Not knowing whom to call was a reason for difficulty cited by 54.3% of the respondents and a similar percent (48.6%) of respondents said their difficulty was due to limited childcare services for a child of a particular age. One respondent comment, "We have a lot of trouble finding a babysitter if we do need one." - Hours of care were also a problem for 42.9% of the respondents. - Other reasons given by respondents for why locating childcare services was difficult included locating someone who is seen as "trustworthy", finding care providers who don't quit, and having very few childcare choices. - Those who did report difficulties finding childcare in specific circumstances said they had trouble finding childcare when they worked weekends, overtime, and when their child was sick. I Approximately 554 families with children age 5 and under in Weld County indicated that they had given up a job because of difficulties accessing adequate childcare. _ Thirty percent said they had difficulties finding sick childcare, while 29.1% said a lack of after school programs was problematic. Almost one quarter (23.9%) said they were not sure where to find available childcare or supervision programs. All families interviewed for the child care study had some common childcare and child supervision difficulties. This included not knowing whom to call to locate childcare services or youth programs. In addition, 16% of families in this study reported that they had, at some point, given up a job because of childcare difficulties. This represents approximately 2,896 individuals in Weld County. Grandparents are increasingly becoming responsible for caring for their grandchildren. According to Census data, of the 3,551 grandparents living in households with children Study Results 1 1 1 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 under 18, almost 50% of those grandparents indicate they were responsible for their grandchildren.35 Community Social Issues — Survey Data Respondents were asked if their community experienced social issues of teen pregnancy, racial or ethnic discrimination, family violence, abuse of children or adults, illiteracy and lack of affordable child care. Respondents indicated for each issue if they believed it was not an issue, a minor issue, a moderate issue or a major issue for people in their community. The results are presented in Table 25 and Figure 50. Table 25. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Community Social Issues Are a Concerns Minor Issue Moderate Major Issue Don t Issue know Social Issues Key HH Key HH Key HH Key HH Inform % Inform % Inform % Inform % Teen pregnancy 14.5 17.4 30.6 17.6 35.5 18.2 16.1 23.4 Racial or ethnic 29.0 22.5 32.3 17.8 22.6 16.4 3.2 13.2 discrimination Family violence, 17.7 18.4 50.0 17.3 25.8 13.4 4.8 25.5 abuse of children or adults Illiteracy 24.2 16.5 38.7 16.8 22.6 16.2 8.1 20.9 Lack of affordable 16.1 13.5 37.1 15.7 32.3 27.5 6.5 22.3 child care a Throughout this report, the percent of respondents who reported concerns were "not an issue"were excluded from the charts and tables. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. The majority of the key informants saw teen pregnancy (65.1%), racial or ethnic discrimination (53.9%), family violence, abuse of children or adults (74.6%), illiteracy (60.3%) and lack of affordable child care (68.2%) as moderate or major issues for people in their communities. Approximately one third of the key informants thought that teen pregnancy and lack of affordable child care were major issues. Approximately one-third of the household respondents felt that teen pregnancy, racial or ethnic discrimination, family violence and illiteracy were moderate or major concerns. Lack of affordable child care was seen as the issue of greatest concern to household respondents as 27.5% indicated that this was a major issue. It is notable that 13% to 25% of household respondents did not know if these social conditions were an issue in their neighborhood. Study Results 112 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 50. Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents Reporting Community Social Concerns as a Moderate or Major Issue • Moderate Issue 50 ❑ Major Issue 45 40 35 c 30 L 25 CD 0- 20 n I rm.' n 15 0 1 I I III III III 1 11 : 1151 1 1 1 0 KI HH KI HH KI HH KI HH KI HH Teen Racial or Family Illiteracy Lack of Pregnancy ethnic violence affordable discrimination child care Other community social concerns mentioned by respondents included: Bilingual Education There are programs (free) to teach English so the immigrants can get jobs, how about some free Spanish classes so the natives can get one I Lack of bi-lingual proficiency _ Non English speaking people are a major issue - Language barriers Spanish/English Community Growth Issues P Separation of upper and lower classes. Old timers vs. new comers I Small towns have the same social problems as larger cities just no resources to help. I Unwillingness to address competing tax statutes- weakening the fabric of our communities' social infrastructure Study Results 113 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Services for Special Populations E Lack of affordable elder/disabled care Affordable child care coincides with economic issues Several programs now in place to help (e.g. bright beginnings) but teen pregnancy and poor pre-natal care still a major issue C No rehab center for drug abusers, the city council has decided to out source treatment centers from our city neighborhoods to "a farm somewhere" as one of our intelligent council members stated about deciding to not let the Rainbow House open Racial Tensions There were many comments on the relations between whites and Hispanics in Weld County: - Too many Mexican that don't speak American. Many migrant workers and illegals in the area - Racism and unqualified teachers, administrators I Too many Mexicans wasting tax payer money. - ...Mexicans who bring their life style into America, looking for Americans to give every thing for free. ▪ If its not destroyed by Mexican gang and disfigured by Mexican gang paint, its just destroyed due to American jealously and hatred. ▪ There is discrimination about age and being a lesbian. Not just Hispanic vs. white, lets face it I've lived here all my life. The Hispanics are getting what they want when they want it. When is it time for the white people? Gay, Lesbian, Straight...all white. I There are programs (free) to teach English so the immigrants can get jobs, how about some free Spanish classes so the natives can get one I Due to the chachacha music at all times of the night, while Americans are trying to sleep, and rest for work the next day I There is too much discrimination towards Hispanics in Greeley, all level of economic mobility. I Getting tired of Hispanics taking over. They need to learn English and speak it. Bi-lingual stinks. I would have applied for more jobs; but at the bottom of as said "bilingual a must" isn't this reverse discrimination? Greeley is becoming a city that supports reverse discrimination...remember English. C Mexicans seems to be under every rock...more Mexican flags than American I I can't believe you have to speak Spanish to have a job in Greeley. Some people that wait on you can't speak good English or don't understand. I Our neighborhood is an older one. Hispanics are moving in and their culture brings old cars, junk in the yards, lack of upkeep, and totally different way of looking at neighborhood values. Also, white low income groups are noisy and drive recklessly on our street endangering all of us, esp. children and animals and old men. Study Results 114 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 The Hispanics tend to keep to themselves. I'd like to see more of a union between Whites and Hispanics. C There is a real problem with a lack of cultural awareness in our community. There needs to be more opportunities for ethnic groups to learn about each other and form relationships rather than all the finger pointing that currently happens. It would go a long way to help breakdown stereotypes from both sides to have social relationships. C I do not believe that my community really incorporates our Hispanic population in decision making or programming decisions. C The police seem to pick on the Hispanics more then the other races in this town _ Greeley is a very prejudiced town, you learn to live with it. The police dept. is very prejudiced. This is a problem that will always exist. You are more than likely to be pulled over than a white person. Simply cause you are brown. The problem here is Greeley is a social problem...on everyday living problems, who knows it seems the police close their eyes to this kind of stuff. Prejudice is in the schools, some more than others, some not at all. When you learn to live with prejudice and close your eyes. Greeley is a good place to live. At least you can eat in the front of a restaurant! And drink out of any drinking fountain and sit at the front of the bus. Community Social Issues by Subgroups Significant differences in perceptions of community social concerns were found among different Weld communities. Teen pregnancy was perceived to be a moderate of major community issue by residents in west-central Weld (81.3%), Evans (68.6%), and central-south Weld (60.0%). A notable percent of residents in south-west Weld (46.7%) and Greeley (44.9%) thought teen pregnancy was a moderate or major issue in their communities. Racial and ethnic discrimination was seen as a moderate or major community issue in central-south Weld (60%), east-central Weld (42.9%) and Evans (42.6%). Greeley respondents had the highest percentage of all other Weld community respondents who reported that racial or ethnic discrimination was a major problem (23.8%). There were significant difference between communities with regard to illiteracy. Communities that were perceived to have illiteracy concerns by more than 50% of their respondents were Evans (78.6%), south-east Weld (67.2%), west-central Weld (58.8%) and central-south Weld (53.8%). There were no significant differences between communities with regard to lack of affordable child care. However, high percentages of respondents felt their communities had a lack of affordable child care. With the exception of north Weld and east Weld communities, over 50% of respondents in all other Weld communities indicated that lack of affordable child care was either a moderate or major issue. The highest percent was Study Results 115 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 in Evans (82.3%), west central Weld (71.4%), south east Weld (66.6%), central south Weld (62.5%), south-west Weld (54.5%) and Windsor and Greeley (52.7%). Household Social Issues- Survey Data Respondents were asked if they or anyone in their household experienced selected social issues such as difficulty in reading well enough to get along, not being able to afford legal help, not being able to get care for an elder or an adult with a disability or serious illness, not being able to access community service due to a language barrier, and not being able to afford or find child care. Respondents indicated for each issue if they believed it was not an issue, a minor issue, a moderate issue or a major issue for them or someone in their household. Results are presented in Table 26 and Figure 51. Table 26. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating That Social Concerns Are Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate, or Major Issue Not an Minor Moderate Major Social Issues Issue Issue Issue Issue n % n % n % n % Difficulty reading well enough 311 85.4 25 6.8 16 4.4 13 3.6 to get along Not being able to afford legal 225 61.8 53 14.6 41 11.3 45 12.4 help Not being able to get care for 277 76.5 32 8.8 25 6.9 28 7.7 an elder or an adult with a disability or serious illness Not being able to access 319 87.6 22 6.0 9 2.5 14 3.8 community services dues to a language barrier Not being able to find or 272 75.1 41 11.3 23 6.4 26 7.2 afford child care Three household social concerns were identified as issues by a one-quarter or more of the respondents — not able to afford legal help (38.2%), not being able to find or afford child care (25%), and not being able to get care for an elder or adult with a disability or serious illness (23.5%) Difficulty reading well enough to get along and not being able to access community resources because of a language barrier was an issue for 14.6% and 12.4%, respectively. Study Results 116 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 51. Percent of Households Reporting Social Concerns as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue 16 •Minor Issue 14 I_ ■Moderate Issue ❑Major Issue 12 I_ 18 I � a6I� n 4I 1 � � 1 2I 7 1 1 r7 1 ii ' 1 1 1 1 Difficulty reading Not being able to Get care for older or Not able to access Can't afford or find well enough to get afford legal help disabled adult community services child care along due to language barrier Focus groups noted that child care is a major concern for many families. Participants conveyed their frustration with child care services in Weld County. "Child care, it doesn't exist" Respondents indicated that child care is very hard to find in Weld County and creates enormous stress and a great burden on working parents. "It is very hard to find. Some places take 4 year old kids but not 3 year olds. In others they accept 3 year olds but not 4 year olds. So I had to go from place to place and no one, no day care in all of the city of Greeley would accept my kids." "For the night there aren't any. There are only babysitters." Study Results 117 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 "They say, "I have the capacity to care for 4 children." And I go there and there are 8 children in the house. And I'm not going to leave my child where they are beyond their limit." In an environment of limited child care resources, parents with Spanish only language skills are confronted with even greater challenges and difficulties in finding child care. One participant reflects on one of the frustrations that Spanish speaking only families face in Weld County. "There are many day cares but I couldn't find one with an interpreter. It's not easy." Mothers with young children talked about how they are not able to make enough money to afford child care. One single mother with four children under the age of 6 had relied on the Migrant Head Start summer program to care for her children. She stated, "I don't know what I'm going to do with my kids now that Migrant Head Start program is over." With lack of child care options, participants reported that some families must take their children to work with them in the fields rather than leave them home alone while some participants reported they would not be able to work without a place to care for their children. Parenting issues become apparent as a core issue for Latino families in Weld County. Focus group participants identified differences in cultural norms of raising children between the United States and Mexico and acknowledged their lack of knowledge about how to raise and communicate with their kids within the cultural expectations of Weld County. One woman explained that lack of knowledge about parenting customs of the dominate culture leads to frustration and worry for Latino parents. "It's hard to discipline your kids because they have so much freedom. We don't know how to raise our kids here or how to talk to them. How can we communicate with them to have them listen to what we say? Sometimes a parent will say, come here, and the child disobeys." "Here when girls turn 12 or 13 they can go out with their friends but in Mexico, girls that age can't do that." "In Mexico, it is okay to spank your kids, no questions asked. Many parents afraid if they spank their kid, they will call the police." "My son was born here, grew up here so he knows the rules here." Participants expressed a desire to know "how to understand my kids and how to talk to them". They suggested parenting classes with a cultural emphasis "that teach us about the customs here." Study Results 118 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Discrimination The majority of focus group participants experienced stigma. Stigma associated with language was pervasive and participants expressed their hurt, anger and frustration with people and institutions in the community who treated them indifferently and with disrespect. "We went to buy a phone there at Verizon. We don't know English but we tried to explain to the woman that we wanted to buy a phone. She started to laugh at us. I don't know why she was laughing because we were able to pay. Then the woman understood us and answered in English. But I didn't understand and she laughed at us and made fun of us. That is discrimination." Participants expressed helplessness and hopelessness with discrimination practices and recognized their lack of resources to combat many issues that confront them. Household Social Issues by Subgroups There were some differences in household social issues by subgroups. Three groups — non-white respondents, those with lower incomes, and residents living east of 35th Avenue were more likely than their counterparts to say that not being able to afford legal help was an issue. Twenty percent of non-whites' indicated that not being able to afford legal help was a major issue compared to 8.6% of whites. As shown in Figure 52, almost 30% of respondents with incomes below $15,000 reported that not being able to afford legal help was a major issue. Similarly, over half of respondents living east of 35th Avenue compared to 17% of residents living west of 35th Avenue indicated that being able to afford legal help was an issue. Not being able to get care for an elder or an adult with a disability or serious illness was more of an issue for certain respondents. Thirty five percent of households with incomes between $15,000 - $34,999 and 34% of households with incomes below $14,999 indicated that not being able to get care for an elder or an adult with a disability or serious illness was an issue. Some 16% of respondents with incomes below $14,999 indicated that it was a major issue. Others who indicated that getting care for an elder or another adult with a disability or illness was an issue were non-whites (40.2%) compared to whites (17%). Respondents living in different areas of Weld County reported difficulty accessing care for an elder or adult with a disability or serious illness. Almost 50% of Individuals living in central-south Weld, 29.2% of residents in west- central Weld, and 28.6% of residents living in south-east Weld, and 22% of residents living in Greeley reported getting care was an issue. Finally those residents living east of 35th Avenue were more likely to report getting care was an issue (32.6%) compared to residents living west of 35th Avenue (14.3%). Throughout this report non-whites were respondents who indicated they were either American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic and were grouped together for additional analyses (n=88). Study Results 119 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 52. Percent of Households Reporting Not Being Able to Afford Legal Help a Minor, Moderate or Major Problem by Income •Minor Issue 3, I ■Moderate Issue 2 1,1 • ID Major Issue i' I I 1 l, l I I I -W-I 5I I I 0 / 1 11111 <$14,999 $15-34,999 $35-49,999 $50-74,999 $75,000+ Finally, not being able to find or afford child care was an issue among non-white respondents (48.1%) compared to white respondents (16.5%). Forty one percent of respondents living in central-south Weld reported that finding or affording child care was an issue. Study Results 120 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Transportation Issues Secondary Data Transportation Patterns Most Weld County residents rely on their vehicle to get to work. Of the 86,210 workers in the County, 78.5% drove alone in their own vehicle to work; only 321 workers indicated that they took public transportation to work.36 In addition, 32.3% of Weld workers work outside of the county. Traffic Fatalities In 1998, Weld County was one of 13 Colorado counties that had a mortality rate for motor vehicle traffic-related deaths that was higher than the state rate37. As shown in Figure 53, most of the counties with high traffic death rates are rural counties across the State. Figure 53. Age-adjusted motor vehicle traffic death rates by county of residence, 1996-1998 _..,y,.r. .P..,..... PPc.YP. Y:A-f.`I.YP L Ar.An rwcf,.,rn ra,.: ;xl . !...n,v.•. t y.n Fexe•Inal tree 3eatns Lowe,loan state 'ale Sane as state'ate 1-gne?tan stab 'a Study Results 121 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Figure 54. Total Deaths and Crude Death Rates Due to Motor Vehicle Injuries in Weld County 1990-2003 100 - --Crude Death 80 Rate (per 100,000 60 population) —0—Total Deaths 40 20 0 00 0^ 0% 0`5 0b` Oh Oro 01 00 0°� OO OS cS `3 S CS cS The crude death rates (per 100,000 population) and total death rates due to motor vehicle injuries have peaked in two years since 1990 (see Figure 54). These were in 1990 and again in 2001 when the total deaths were 40 and 60 respectively and the crude death rate was 30.3 and 30.9, respectively. Community Transportation Issues- Survey Data Key Informants and household respondents were asked if they experienced transportation issues in the community they live in, like inadequate public transportation, poor bike and pedestrian safety (inadequate bike lanes, sidewalks or crosswalks) and poor or unsafe traffic conditions (hazards or speeding) or congestion. Respondents indicated for each one if they believed it was not an issue, a minor issue, a moderate issue or a major issue for people in their community. The majority of the key informants and the household respondents indicated that inadequate public transportation (60.6% and 41.7%, respectively) and poor or unsafe traffic conditions were moderate to major issues for the people in their communities (56.7% and 52.9%, respectively). See Table 27 and Figure 55. Study Results 122 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 27. Number and Percent of Key Informants and Household Respondents (HH) Indicating That Community Transportation Issues Are an Issues Minor Issue Moderate Major Issue Don t Issue know Transportation Issues Key HH Key HH Key HH Key HH Inform % Inform % Inform % Inform % ok Inadequate public 26.2 21.4 29.5 16.7 31 .1 25.0 1.6 9.4 transportation Poor bike or pedestrian 39.3 22.9 26.2 20.1 11 .5 21.8 0.0 5.0 safety (inadequate bike lanes, sidewalks or crosswalks) Poor or unsafe traffic 28.3 21.9 26.7 24.1 30.0 28.8 0.0 1.9 conditions (hazards or speeding ) or congestion a Throughout this report, the percent of respondents who reported concerns were "not an issue"were excluded from the charts and tables. The complete set of frequencies can be found in the Appendix. Figure 55. Percent of Key Informants (KI) and Household Respondents (HH) Reporting Community Transportation Concerns as a Moderate or Major Issue ■Moderate Issue 35— ❑Major Issue 30 25 , r .r 20 a 15 10 0 KI HH KI HH KI HH Inadequate Poor bike or Poor or unsafe public pedestrian traffic conditions transportation safety Study Results 123 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Other transportation concerns mentioned by respondents included: Transportation for Special Populations ▪ Need more transportation for handicapped or elderly or others who don't drive Transportation of children from school to after school programs - Lack of affordable county transportation for elderly and disabled I The public transportation is o.k. but b/c not available on Sundays, seniors and others are without transportation and limited Regional and Community Transportation Service _ Would love lite rail along 1-25 through Denver to Tech Center - Mass transportation to Denver and DIA needed - Not enough routs or pick up times to adequately get around growing Greeley. Or having to walk a mile after getting off the bus to get to an appt. L No taxi service in Greeley...road construction tends to be lengthy and not done in an efficient manner L Lack of alternative traffic corridor esp. East to the front range I Lack of public transportation _ Route system and sometimes the length of wait for the next bus - Poor city transportation Road Conditions L Road and sidewalk repair needs to be done ▪ No paving in Evans C All streets in Briggsdale are dirt/ gravel. We don't have sidewalks or crosswalks. C Side streets are narrow sometimes hard to travel with cars parked on street ▪ Roads in West Greeley are not able to handle traffic i.e. 37th St. 47th Ave. 20th St. 10th St. ▪ The roads in Greeley are pathetic. They continue to use cheap labor to do cheap work on the streets. The auto repair shops do quite well in Greeley, every intersection has a 1/4 inch metal panel sticking out of the concrete. Constant construction, but no quality streets yet. C Deterioration of roads and highways is the direct result of limited funds at the state levels. The future of highway funding is bleak. Growth will add to the dilemma. Levels of funding alternatives need to be identified and implemented...The general public needs to become aware of the transportation issues Speeding and Safety - No posted speeds or requested patrol. Unsafe intersection not addressed. I Speeds along WCR 59 from H.S. into Keenesburg and especially in front of Elementary school way to fast. There is no enforcement at all unless Weld County sheriff is sitting right there Study Results 124 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 - People driving through neighborhoods at high rates of speed- we have a lot of children playing Speeding...no speed bumps on 26th ave ct and we need them...have little children in danger I Speeding is a definite problem I No signs for slowing, children at play, no speed bumps, lots of speeding cars= accidents I Some people drive through rural areas at an excessive rate of speed. They have no consideration fro farmers or ranchers who move equipment down the roadways. I have been "flipped off' and "cussed at" by drivers that think they own the road E Speeding is an issue, seems the cops are never around when people are speeding 37th Ave. in Evans is a prime example...30mph but people travel at 50mph. Community Transportation Issues by Subgroups Although inadequate community transportation was a moderate or major concern for over 30% of the respondents in all Weld communities, a high percentage of respondents in three Weld communities felt that inadequate transportation was either a moderate or minor issue. These were respondents in west central Weld (80%), central south Weld (77%), and south west Weld (71.8%). Poor bike or pedestrian safety was also reported as a moderate or major concern for respondents in the following communities — Evans (45%), north Weld (47.1%), south west Weld (56.9%), central south Weld (60.7%), and west central Weld (67.2%). Poor and unsafe traffic was seen by more than 50% of respondents in five community areas as a moderate or minor issue. Those were respondents in Greeley (51%), south east Weld (57%), Evans (66.7%), and west central Weld (77.2%). Household Transportation Issues- Survey Data Respondents indicated if not being able to get transportation for a person with a disability or an elder, not being able to afford reliable transportation, and not being able to afford or access public transportation was not an issue, a minor, moderate or major issue. Results are presented in Table 28 and Figure 56. Not being able to afford or access public transportation was reported as an issue for 28.4% of respondents,10.4% of whom indicated that it was a major issue. Twenty six percent of respondents indicated that not being able to afford reliable transportation was an issue. Not being able to get transportation for a person with a disability or elder was an issue for 18.2% of the households. Study Results 125 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Table 28. Number and Percent of Household Respondents Indicating That Transportation Concerns Are Not an Issue, a Minor, Moderate, or Major in Their Household Not an Minor Moderate Major Transportation Issues Issue Issue Issue Issue % n Not being able to get 301 81.8 26 7.1 22 6.0 19 5.2 transportation for a person with a disability or an elder Not being able to afford 270 73.2 44 11.9 30 8.1 25 6.8 reliable transportation Not being able to afford or 262 71.6 41 11.2 25 6.8 38 10.4 access public transportation Figure 56. Percent of Households Reporting Transportation Issues as a Minor, Moderate or Major Issue •Minor Issue ■Moderate Issue ❑Major Issue 14 8 Ifl • 16 , / 4 / I ■ z ■ ■ ■ 0 Not being able to get Not being able to affordNot being able to afford transportation for a reliable transportation or access public person with a disability transportation or elder Study Results 126 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 For focus group residents in rural areas of Weld County, lack of public transportation is a major concern and creates a barrier to access goods and services and to obtain employment. Rural residents stated they don't have a handicap van or other types of shuttles found in many urban settings in Weld County. Rural residents must rely on private, individual transportation to go to jobs and to obtain services. Absent private transportation, individuals must rely on others or do without. "The town's kind of small so if I need to go somewhere I just walk. But if you get a job in Hudson or something, there's not a place that you can go and take a shuttle or anything. I guess you could pay for a limousine." Based on the resources that many rural residents own in order to conduct their agricultural business, some rural residents suggested ATVs should be legalized for town and county road use. They stated that ATVs may be the only transportation some people have to get around rural areas of Weld County. For focus groups In the urban are where public transportation was available, the services were appropriate and worked well for those who reported using the system. "I have used it and it is very good. Now you have the opportunity to speak to someone in Spanish to know how to go and what routes to take." "I used to take the bus to school because I lived very far away. But it didn't run very often and I had to get up very early to get on the bus. So, the system works but they should put in more routes." Household Transportation Issues by Subgroup Difficulty with transportation issues was an issue among different categories of respondents. Not being able to afford or access public transportation was an issue for 62.1% of respondents in central south Weld, 37.2% of respondents in south west Weld, and approximately 30% or respondents in north Weld, west central Weld, south east Weld, and Evans. Difficulty with affording and accessing public transportation was reported by 41.5% of non-white' respondents, 48.1% of respondents with incomes below $14,999, 40.8% of respondents with incomes between $15,000 - $34,999 and 24% of those with incomes between $35,000 - $49,999. Not being able to get transportation for a person with a disability or an elder was an issue among those with incomes below $14,999 (30.2%) and those with incomes between $15,000-$34,999 (27.8%). Thirty one percent of non-whites and 12.9% of whites reported that not being able to get transportation for a person with a disability or elder was an issue. Throughout this report non-whites were respondents who indicated they were either American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic and were grouped together for additional analyses (n=88). Study Results 127 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 Summary Weld County has experienced rapid population growth in the last 10 years, which has brought increased diversity and community change and challenges. The assessment identified a number of community concerns including a lack of jobs and inadequate wages, overcrowded classrooms, air pollution, lack of affordable medical care, a shortage of affordable housing, a lack of cultural and recreational facilities, especially in rural areas, crime, racial and ethnic tensions, a lack of affordable child care, and inadequate transportation. While many households reported only minor or moderate social and economic challenges, there were a number of households that were struggling with social and economic issues. The social and economic issues that a number of households reported dealing with included inadequate wages and not having enough money to buy household items, having a lot of anxiety and stress, not having enough money to pay for medical care, not having enough money to pay for rent and utilities, not being able to afford cultural or entertainment activities, not being able to afford legal help, not being able to get care for an elder or disabled adults, inadequate child care, and not being able to access public transportation. These are more likely to be major issues for households with low incomes and low levels of education, those of color, and in some instances in rural households. Study Results 128 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 REFERENCES 1 U.S Census Bureau (2005). Quickfacts from the US Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/0832155.html 2 U.S Census Bureau (2005). Quickfacts from the US Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08123.html 3 US Census Bureau (2004). 100 fastest growing counties. http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/CO-EST2003-09.html 4 U.S Census Bureau (2005). Quickfacts from the US Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/08/08123.html 5 Source: US Census, 2004. Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data 6 Source: US Census, 2004. Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data Source: US Census, 2004. Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data 8 U.S. Census Bureau. DP-3. Profile of Selected Economic Characteristics: 2000. Data Set: Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data. Geographic Area: Colorado. Http://factfinder.census.qov/servlet/BasicFactsTable? U.S. Census Bureau. DP-4. Income and Poverty Status in 1989: 1990. Data Set: 1990 Summary Tape File 3 (STF 3) - Sample data. Geographic Area: Weld County, Colorado. Http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/BasicFactsTable? U.S. Census Bureau. Table DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000. Geographic Area: Weld County, Colorado. 9 US Census. http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_3060.htm#b41-0000 Local Area Unemployment and Employment Statistics Greeley, CO PMSA Metropolitan areas (MSA and PMSA), November 2004. 19 Appendix G. City of Greeley, CO. http://www.ci.greeley.co.us/2n/OrgPages/111/12- Page380.pdf 11 Bureau of Labor Statistics (2005). http://data.bls.gov/ 12 Data for Figures 9, 10, and 11 are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/surveymost?Ia+08 13 Bureau of Labor Statistics (2005). http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes3060.htm#b41- 0000. Study Results 129 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 14 US Census, 2005. Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data 15 Colorado Department of Human Services (2005). LEAP Statistical Report. http://www.cdhs.state.co.us/oss/FAP/LEAP/leap%20reports%20page.htm 16 Social Security Administration (2005). SSI Recipients by State and County, 2000. Http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/stacoms/ssisc/2000/co.htm. Social Security Administration (2005). SSI Recipients by State and County, 2003. Http://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/stacoms/ssi sc/2003/co.htm. 17 US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Services (2005). Food Stamp Participation. http://maps.ers.usda.gov 18 Weld Food Bank (2005). Our programs. http://www.weldfoodbank.org/about. 19 Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (2001). Hunger in America 2001: Local Report Prepared for Weld Food Bank, Final Report. 25 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (2004). Colorado Air Quality Control Commission: Report to the Public 2003-2004. http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/ap/down/rttp0304.pdf. 21 US Census (2002). Census 2000 Summary File 3: Place of Work, travel time to work. http://www.census.qoy 22 Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (March 2001). A Drug and Alcohol Abuse Indicator Chartbook for Colorado. http://www.cdhs.state.co.us/ohr/adad/Indicator%20Chart%20Book.pdf 23 TriWest Group. (2003). The Status of Mental Health Care in Colorado. Mental Health Funders Collaborative: Denver, CO . http://www.coloradotrust.org/repository/publications/pdfs/MHCC/MHCCfinalreport.pdf 24 Triwest Group (2001). The Assessment of Community Mental Health Resources. http://www.cdhs.state.co.us/OP I/Communications/Tri%20West/Community%20Assesmt .htm 25 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (2005). Death Rates: Underlying Cause of Death — Suicide in Weld County. http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/cohid/deathqeo.html 26 Yondorf, Yondorf, & Associates (October 2001). 2001 Colorado Health Data Book: Insurance, Access, and Expenditures. http://www.ccmu.org/pdfs/2001databook.pdf Study Results 130 Compass- Weld County Colorado Needs Assessment Survey January 2005 27 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (2001). HIV and AIDS in Colorado: Colorado's Epidemiologic Profile of HIV and AIDS Cases reported through September2001 . http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/dc/HIV STDSurv/H IVAIDSreport.pdf 28 US Census (2002). Colorado QuickFacts. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/ 29 US Census Bureau , Census (2000). Table DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 — Weld County. http://dcj.state.co.us/ors/newgrphs.htm 3o http://www.co.weld.co.us/about/facts-statistics.html 31 Bureau of Justice Statistics — Data Online (2005). http://www.ojp.usdoj/bjs 32 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (2005). Colorado Vital Statistics. http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/hs/vs/2002/countydata2002.html 33 National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (2005). 34 Wacker, R. and Gosselink, C. (1999). Weld County Childcare and Youth Supervision Needs Assessment Survey. College of Health and Human Science, University of Northern Colorado. 35 U.S. Census Bureau. Table DP-2. Profile of Selected Social Characteristics: 2000. Geographic Area: Weld County, Colorado. 36 Colorado Department of Transportation (2000). Demographic Statistics. http://www.dot.state.co.us/App DTD DataAccess/Statistics/index.cfm?display=true 37 Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (June, 2002). Injury in Colorado, http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/pp/injepi/InjuryinColorado/mvtraffic.pdf Study Results 131 Frequencies - Key Informants Frequency Tables your community is one where leaders from business, labor, government, education, religious, neighborhoods, non-profit and all other sectors come together and work productively to address critical issues Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 14 22.2 23.0 23.0 somehwat agree 31 49.2 50.8 73.8 somewhat disagree 11 17.5 18.0 91.8 strongly disagree 5 7.9 8.2 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 your community is one that actively promotes positive relations among people from all races, genders, ages, and cultures Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 12 19.0 19.7 19.7 somehwat agree 25 39.7 41.0 60.7 somewhat disagree 22 34.9 36.1 96.7 strongly disagree 2 3.2 3.3 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 your community is one where people and organizations from all geographic regions get together to address mutual concerns Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 2 3.2 3.3 3.3 somehwat agree 28 44.4 45.9 49.2 somewhat disagree 28 44.4 45.9 95.1 strongly disagree 3 4.8 4.9 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 your community is one where all religious groups come together to address pressing social concerns Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 6 9.5 9.8 9.8 somehwat agree 21 33.3 34.4 44.3 somewhat disagree 19 30.2 31.1 75.4 strongly disagree 5 7.9 8.2 83.6 don't know 10 15.9 16.4 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 your community is one where associations in neighborhoods from various parts of the community share strategies and work together Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 4 6.3 6.6 6.6 somehwat agree 22 34.9 36.1 42.6 somewhat disagree 20 31.7 32.8 75.4 strongly disagree 9 14.3 14.8 90.2 don't know 6 9.5 9.8 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 your community is one that actively supports and strengthens connections between families, neighborhoods, and the whole community Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 11 17.5 18.0 18.0 somehwat agree 32 50.8 52.5 70.5 somewhat disagree 15 23.8 24.6 95.1 strongly disagree 3 4.8 4.9 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 your community is one that actively promotes participation in the political process from all races, genders, ages, and cultures Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 8 12.7 13.1 13.1 somehwat agree 32 50.8 52.5 65.6 somewhat disagree 14 22.2 23.0 88.5 strongly disagree 6 9.5 9.8 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 your community is one in which there exists a great deal of mutual respect among leaders from all sectors of the community Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 15 23.8 24.6 24.6 somehwat agree 19 30.2 31.1 55.7 somewhat disagree 19 30.2 31.1 86.9 strongly disagree 7 11.1 11.5 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 your community is one where leaders from all sectors of the community share common vision for the community Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 5 7.9 8.2 8.2 somehwat agree 24 381 39.3 47.5 somewhat disagree 23 36.5 37.7 85.2 strongly disagree 7 11.1 11.5 96.7 don't know 2 3.2 3.3 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 unemployment or underemployment Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 1 1.6 1.6 1.6 minor issue 14 22.2 22.6 24.2 moderate issue 21 33.3 33.9 58.1 major issue 25 39.7 40.3 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 poverty Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 1 1.6 1.6 1.6 minor issue 14 22.2 22.6 24.2 moderate issue 17 27.0 27.4 51.6 major issue 29 46.0 46.8 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 lack of jobs Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid minor issue 13 20.6 21.0 21.0 moderate issue 27 42.9 43.5 64.5 major issue 21 33.3 33.9 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 water pollution Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 26 41.3 41.3 41.3 minor issue 24 38.1 38.1 79.4 moderate issue 9 14.3 14.3 93.7 major issue 2 3.2 3.2 96.8 don't know 2 3.2 3.2 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 air pollution Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 13 20.6 20.6 20.6 minor issue 27 42.9 42.9 63.5 moderate issue 18 28.6 28.6 92.1 major issue 4 6.3 6.3 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 too much noise or light Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 22 34.9 34.9 34.9 minor issue 33 52.4 52.4 87.3 moderate issue 7 11.1 11.1 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 neighborhood trash Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 22 34.9 34.9 34.9 minor issue 28 44.4 44.4 79.4 moderate issue 6 9.5 9.5 88.9 major issue 7 11.1 11.1 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 alcohol abuse Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 2 3.2 3.2 3.2 minor issue 14 22.2 22.2 25.4 moderate issue 19 30.2 30.2 55.6 major issue 22 34.9 34.9 90.5 don't know 6 9.5 9.5 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 drug abuse Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid minor issue 12 19.0 19.0 19.0 moderate issue 17 27.0 27.0 46.0 major issue 28 44.4 44.4 90.5 don't know 6 9.5 9.5 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 mental illness or emotional issues Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 3 4.8 4.8 4.8 minor issue 21 33.3 33.9 38.7 moderate issue 18 28.6 29.0 67.7 major issue 14 22.2 22.6 90.3 don't know 6 9.5 9.7 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 lack of affordable medical care Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 4 6.3 6.5 6.5 minor issue 11 17.5 17.7 24.2 moderate issue 8 12.7 12.9 37.1 major issue 37 58.7 59.7 96.8 don't know 2 3.2 3.2 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 HIV/AIDS Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 13 20.6 20.6 20.6 minor issue 17 27.0 27.0 47.6 moderate issue 14 22.2 22.2 69.8 major issue 1 1.6 1.6 71.4 don't know 18 28.6 28.6 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 shortage of affordabel housing Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 5 7.9 7.9 7.9 minor issue 9 14.3 14.3 22.2 moderate issue 24 38.1 38.1 60.3 major issue 22 34.9 34.9 95.2 don't know 3 4.8 4.8 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 substandard housing Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 10 15.9 15.9 15.9 minor issue 22 34.9 34.9 50.8 moderate issue 18 28.6 28.6 79.4 major issue 10 15.9 15.9 95.2 don't know 3 4.8 4.8 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 overcrowded housing Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 13 20.6 20.6 20.6 minor issue 21 33.3 33.3 54.0 moderate issue 14 22.2 22.2 76.2 major issue 10 15.9 15.9 92.1 don't know 5 7.9 7.9 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 homelessness Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 17 27.0 27.0 27.0 minor issue 16 25.4 25.4 52.4 moderate issue 18 28.6 28.6 81.0 major issue 8 12.7 12.7 93.7 don't know 4 6.3 6.3 100.0 Total 63 100.0 100.0 shortage of recreational facilities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 18 28.6 29.0 29.0 minor issue 28 44.4 45.2 74.2 moderate issue 12 19.0 19.4 93.5 major issue 4 6.3 6.5 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 lack of outdoor recreational opportunities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 21 33.3 33.9 33.9 minor issue 24 38.1 38.7 72.6 moderate issue 9 14.3 14.5 87.1 major issue 7 11.1 11.3 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 lack of cultural activities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 21 33.3 33.9 33.9 minor issue 18 28.6 29.0 62.9 moderate issue 11 17.5 17.7 80.6 major issue 11 17.5 17.7 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 crime Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 3 4.8 4.8 4.8 minor issue 17 27.0 27.4 32.3 moderate issue 21 33.3 33.9 66.1 major issue 19 30.2 30.6 96.8 don't know 2 3.2 3.2 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 lack of police protection Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 20 31.7 32.3 32.3 minor issue 19 30.2 30.6 62.9 moderate issue 17 27.0 27.4 90.3 major issue 4 6.3 6.5 96.8 don't know 2 3.2 3.2 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 lack of fire protection Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 32 50.8 51.6 51.6 minor issue 24 38.1 38.7 90.3 moderate issue 4 6.3 6.5 96.8 major issue 1 1.6 1.6 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 gangs Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 7 11.1 11.3 11.3 minor issue 12 19.0 19.4 30.6 moderate issue 23 36.5 37.1 67.7 major issue 18 28.6 29.0 96.8 don't know 2 3.2 3.2 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 teen pregnancy Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 2 3.2 3.2 3.2 minor issue 9 14.3 14.5 17.7 moderate issue 19 30.2 30.6 48.4 major issue 22 34.9 35.5 83.9 don't know 10 15.9 16.1 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 racial or ethic discrimination Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 8 12.7 12.9 12.9 minor issue 18 28.6 29.0 41.9 moderate issue 20 31.7 32.3 74.2 major issue 14 22.2 22.6 96.8 don't know 2 3.2 3.2 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 family violence, abuse of children or adults Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 1 1.6 1.6 1.6 minor issue 11 17.5 17.7 19.4 moderate issue 31 49.2 50.0 69.4 major issue 16 25.4 25.8 95.2 don't know 3 4.8 4.8 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 illiteracy Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 4 6.3 6.5 6.5 minor issue 15 23.8 24.2 30.6 moderate issue 24 381 38.7 69.4 major issue 14 22.2 22.6 91.9 don't know 5 7.9 81 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 lack of affordable child care Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 5 7.9 81 8.1 minor issue 10 15.9 16.1 24.2 moderate issue 23 36.5 37.1 61.3 major issue 20 31.7 32.3 93.5 don't know 4 6.3 6.5 100.0 Total 62 98.4 100.0 Missing missing 1 1.6 Total 63 100.0 inadequate public transportation Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 7 11.1 11.5 11.5 minor issue 16 25.4 26.2 37.7 moderate issue 18 28.6 29.5 67.2 major issue 19 30.2 31.1 98.4 don't know 1 1.6 1.6 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 poor bike or pedestrian safety Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 14 22.2 23.0 23.0 minor issue 24 38.1 39.3 62.3 moderate issue 16 25.4 26.2 88.5 major issue 7 11.1 11.5 100.0 Total 61 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 2 3.2 Total 63 100.0 poor or unsafe traffic conditions Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 9 14.3 15.0 15.0 minor issue 17 27.0 28.3 43.3 moderate issue 16 25.4 26.7 70.0 major issue 18 28.6 30.0 100.0 Total 60 95.2 100.0 Missing missing 3 4.8 Total 63 100.0 Frequencies - Household Respondents Frequency Tables people in your neigborhood gather together formally and informally Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 16 7.3 7.4 7.4 somewhat agree 61 28.0 28.2 35.6 somewhat disagree 37 17.0 17.1 52.8 strongly disagree 89 40.8 41.2 94.0 don't know 13 6.0 6.0 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 people in your neigborhood consider the same things important Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 21 9.6 9.6 9.6 somewhat agree 101 46.3 46.3 56.0 somewhat disagree 32 14.7 14.7 70.6 strongly disagree 17 7.8 7.8 78.4 don't know 47 21.6 21.6 100.0 Total 218 100.0 100.0 peoplel in your neighborhood come together to work on common goals Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 19 8.7 8.8 8.8 somewhat agree 54 24.8 24.9 33.6 somewhat disagree 47 21.6 21.7 55.3 strongly disagree 69 31.7 31.8 87.1 don't know 28 12.8 12.9 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 people and groups in your neighborhood come together to help each other our when they have a problem Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 38 17.4 17.5 17.5 somewhat agree 88 40.4 40.6 58.1 somewhat disagree 33 15.1 15.2 73.3 strongly disagree 39 17.9 18.0 91.2 don't know 19 8.7 8.8 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 people in your neigborhood trust each other Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 33 15.1 15.2 15.2 somewhat agree 96 44.0 44.2 59.4 somewhat disagree 40 18.3 18.4 77.9 strongly disagree 25 11.5 11.5 89.4 don't know 23 10.6 10.6 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 people who are different form one another participate together in neighborhood activities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 17 7.8 7.9 7.9 somewhat agree 59 27.1 27.3 35.2 somewhat disagree 45 20.6 20.8 56.0 strongly disagree 63 28.9 29.2 85.2 don't know 32 14.7 14.8 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 people in your community gather together formallyand informally Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 31 14.2 14.6 14.6 somewhat agree 107 49.1 50.5 65.1 somewhat disagree 37 17.0 17.5 82.5 strongly disagree 25 11.5 11.8 94.3 don't know 12 5.5 5.7 100.0 Total 212 97.2 100.0 Missing missing 6 2.8 Total I 218 100.0 people in your community consider the same things important Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 15 6.9 7.0 7.0 somewhat agree 86 39.4 40.4 47.4 somewhat disagree 55 25.2 25.8 73.2 strongly disagree 26 11.9 12.2 85.4 don't know 31 14.2 14.6 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing missing 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 people in your community come together to work on common goals Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 18 8.3 8.5 8.5 somewhat agree 97 44.5 45.8 54.2 somewhat disagree 55 25.2 25.9 80.2 strongly disagree 24 11.0 11.3 91.5 don't know 18 8.3 8.5 100.0 Total 212 97.2 100.0 Missing missing 6 2.8 Total 218 100.0 people and groups in your community come together to help each other our when they have a problem Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 26 11.9 12.3 12.3 somewhat agree 108 49.5 50.9 63.2 somewhat disagree 45 20.6 21.2 84.4 strongly disagree 16 7.3 7.5 92.0 don't know 17 7.8 8.0 100.0 Total 212 97.2 100.0 Missing missing 6 2.8 Total 218 100.0 people in your community trust each other Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 14 6.4 6.6 6.6 somewhat agree 79 36.2 37.3 43.9 somewhat disagree 66 30.3 31.1 75.0 strongly disagree 29 13.3 13.7 88.7 don't know 24 11.0 11.3 100.0 Total 212 97.2 100.0 Missing missing 6 2.8 Total 218 100.0 people who are different from one another participate together in community activities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid strongly agree 23 10.6 10.8 10.8 somewhat agree 84 38.5 39.6 50.5 somewhat disagree 52 23.9 24.5 75.0 strongly disagree 32 14.7 15.1 90.1 don't know 21 9.6 9.9 100.0 Total 212 97.2 100.0 Missing missing 6 2.8 Total 218 100.0 do you regularly do volunteer work in your neighborhood or community in wich you live Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 76 34.9 35.0 35.0 no 141 64.7 65.0 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 children or youth activities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 30 13.8 39.0 39.0 no 47 21.6 61.0 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 civic group Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 15 6.9 19.5 19.5 no 62 28.4 80.5 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 cultural group Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 10 4.6 13.0 13.0 no 67 30.7 87.0 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 environmental group Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 3 1.4 3.9 3.9 no 74 33.9 96.1 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 group that works with lower-income people,elders, or homeless people Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 14 6.4 18.2 18.2 no 63 28.9 81.8 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 hospital or health group Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 4 1.8 5.2 5.2 no 73 33.5 94.8 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 human service organization Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes g 4.1 117 117 no 68 31.2 88.3 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 neighborhood group Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 12 5.5 15.6 15.6 no 65 29.8 84.4 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 political group or candidate Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 5 2.3 6.5 6.5 no 72 33.0 93.5 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 religious group Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 39 17.9 50.6 50.6 no 38 17.4 49.4 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 school Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 25 11.5 32.5 32.5 no 52 23.9 67.5 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 sports group Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 16 7.3 20.8 20.8 no 61 28.0 79.2 100.0 Total 77 35.3 100.0 Missing na 140 64.2 missing 1 .5 Total 141 64.7 Total 218 100.0 how many days have you done volunteer work Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid none 6 2.8 7.6 7.6 1 day 6 2.8 7.6 15.2 2 days 15 6.9 19.0 34.2 3-to-5 days 28 12.8 35.4 69.6 6-or-more days 22 10.1 27.8 97.5 don't know 2 .9 2.5 100.0 Total 79 36.2 100.0 Missing na 138 63.3 missing 1 .5 Total 139 63.8 Total 218 100.0 how frequently do you vote in most elections Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid frequently 169 77.5 78.6 78.6 occasionally 25 11.5 11.6 90.2 seldom 10 4.6 4.7 94.9 never 11 5.0 5.1 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 opportunity to affect things that happen in neighborhood Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid much opportunity 20 9.2 9.3 9.3 some opportunity 82 37.6 38.3 47.7 little opportunity 78 35.8 36.4 84.1 no opportunity 34 15.6 15.9 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 opportunity to affect things that happen in community Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid much opportunity 12 5.5 5.7 5.7 some opportunity 94 43.1 44.3 50.0 little opportunity 80 36.7 37.7 87.7 no opportunity 26 11.9 12.3 100.0 Total 212 97.2 100.0 Missing missing 6 2.8 Total 218 100.0 unemployment or underemployment Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 60 27.5 27.9 27.9 minor issue 44 20.2 20.5 48.4 moderate issue 43 19.7 20.0 68.4 major issue 41 18.8 19.1 87.4 don't know 26 11.9 12.1 99.5 33 1 .5 .5 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 poverty Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 79 36.2 37.1 37.1 minor issue 50 22.9 23.5 60.6 moderate issue 39 17.9 18.3 78.9 major issue 22 10.1 10.3 89.2 don't know 23 10.6 10.8 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing missing 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 lack of jobs Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 57 26.1 26.8 26.8 minor issue 44 20.2 20.7 47.4 moderate issue 36 16.5 16.9 64.3 major issue 47 21.6 22.1 86.4 don't know 29 13.3 13.6 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing missing 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 unsafe school environment Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 83 38.1 38.6 38.6 minor issue 44 20.2 20.5 59.1 moderate issue 35 16.1 16.3 75.3 major issue 20 9.2 9.3 84.7 don't know 33 15.1 15.3 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 rundown building Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 105 48.2 48.8 48.8 minor issue 48 22.0 22.3 71.2 moderate issue 22 10.1 10.2 81.4 major issue 18 8.3 8.4 89.8 don't know 22 10.1 10.2 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 overcrowded classrooms Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 39 17.9 18.1 18.1 minor issue 45 20.6 20.8 38.9 moderate issue 45 20.6 20.8 59.7 major issue 44 20.2 20.4 80.1 don't know 43 19.7 19.9 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 lack of equipment Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 41 18.8 19.1 19.1 minor issue 42 19.3 19.5 38.6 moderate issue 52 23.9 24.2 62.8 major issue 30 13.8 14.0 76.7 don't know 50 22.9 23.3 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 water pollution Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 100 45.9 46.5 46.5 minor issue 48 22.0 22.3 68.8 moderate issue 33 15.1 15.3 84.2 major issue 18 8.3 8.4 92.6 don't know 16 7.3 7.4 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 air pollution Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 83 38.1 38.8 38.8 minor issue 47 21.6 22.0 60.7 moderate issue 58 26.6 27.1 87.9 major issue 19 8.7 8.9 96.7 don't know 7 3.2 3.3 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 too much noise or light Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 94 43.1 43.7 43.7 minor issue 53 24.3 24.7 68.4 moderate issue 43 19.7 20.0 88.4 major issue 20 9.2 9.3 97.7 don't know 5 2.3 2.3 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 System 1 .5 Total 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 neighborhood trash Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 109 50.0 50.5 50.5 minor issue 42 19.3 19.4 69.9 moderate issue 38 17.4 17.6 87.5 major issue 21 9.6 9.7 97.2 don't know 6 2.8 2.8 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 alcohol abuse Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 74 33.9 34.3 34.3 minor issue 48 22.0 22.2 56.5 moderate issue 29 13.3 13.4 69.9 major issue 19 8.7 8.8 78.7 don't know 46 21.1 21.3 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 drug abuse Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 75 34.4 34.7 34.7 minor issue 35 16.1 16.2 50.9 moderate issue 36 16.5 16.7 67.6 major issue 26 11.9 12.0 79.6 don't know 44 20.2 20.4 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 mental illness or emotional issues Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 78 35.8 36.1 36.1 minor issue 41 18.8 19.0 55.1 moderate issue 28 12.8 13.0 68.1 major issue 12 5.5 5.6 73.6 don't know 57 26.1 26.4 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 lack of affordable medical care Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 57 26.1 26.3 26.3 minor issue 29 13.3 13.4 39.6 moderate issue 31 14.2 14.3 53.9 major issue 64 29.4 29.5 83.4 don't know 36 16.5 16.6 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 HIV/AIDS Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 91 41.7 42.7 42.7 minor issue 27 12.4 12.7 55.4 moderate issue 11 5.0 5.2 60.6 major issue 10 4.6 4.7 65.3 don't know 74 33.9 34.7 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing missing 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 shortage of affordabel housing Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 77 35.3 35.5 35.5 minor issue 42 19.3 19.4 54.8 moderate issue 46 21.1 21.2 76.0 major issue 35 16.1 16.1 92.2 don't know 17 7.8 7.8 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 substandard housing Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 93 42.7 43.1 43.1 minor issue 42 19.3 19.4 62.5 moderate issue 33 15.1 15.3 77.8 major issue 22 10.1 10.2 88.0 don't know 26 11.9 12.0 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 overcrowded housing Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 99 45.4 45.6 45.6 minor issue 41 18.8 18.9 64.5 moderate issue 29 13.3 13.4 77.9 major issue 16 7.3 7.4 85.3 don't know 32 14.7 14.7 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 homelessness Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 119 54.6 55.3 55.3 minor issue 40 18.3 18.6 74.0 moderate issue 17 7.8 7.9 81.9 major issue 7 3.2 3.3 85.1 don't know 32 14.7 14.9 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 shortage of recreational facilities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 75 34.4 34.7 34.7 minor issue 55 25.2 25.5 60.2 moderate issue 40 18.3 18.5 78.7 major issue 38 17.4 17.6 96.3 don't know 8 3.7 3.7 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 lack of outdoor recreational opportunities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 85 39.0 39.2 39.2 minor issue 54 24.8 24.9 64.1 moderate issue 31 14.2 14.3 78.3 major issue 38 17.4 17.5 95.9 don't know 9 4.1 4.1 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 lack of cultural activities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 68 31.2 31.3 31.3 minor issue 50 22.9 23.0 54.4 moderate issue 47 21.6 21.7 76.0 major issue 41 18.8 18.9 94.9 don't know 11 5.0 5.1 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 crime Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 46 21.1 21.2 21.2 minor issue 77 35.3 35.5 56.7 moderate issue 52 23.9 24.0 80.6 major issue 37 17.0 17.1 97.7 don't know 5 2.3 2.3 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 lack of police protection Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 83 38.1 38.2 38.2 minor issue 60 27.5 27.6 65.9 moderate issue 41 18.8 18.9 84.8 major issue 29 13.3 13.4 98.2 don't know 4 1.8 1.8 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 lack of fire protection Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 119 54.6 55.3 55.3 minor issue 52 23.9 24.2 79.5 moderate issue 20 9.2 9.3 88.8 major issue 15 6.9 7.0 95.8 don't know 9 4.1 4.2 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 gangs Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 96 44.0 45.1 45.1 minor issue 42 19.3 19.7 64.8 moderate issue 20 9.2 9.4 74.2 major issue 32 14.7 15.0 89.2 don't know 23 10.6 10.8 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 System 1 .5 Total 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 teen pregnancy Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 55 25.2 25.7 25.7 minor issue 38 17.4 17.8 43.5 moderate issue 36 16.5 16.8 60.3 major issue 31 14.2 14.5 74.8 don't know 54 24.8 25.2 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 racial or ethic discrimination Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 68 31.2 31.5 31.5 minor issue 51 23.4 23.6 55.1 moderate issue 40 18.3 18.5 73.6 major issue 27 12.4 12.5 86.1 don't know 30 13.8 13.9 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 family violence, abuse of children or adults Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 62 28.4 28.7 28.7 minor issue 45 20.6 20.8 49.5 moderate issue 32 14.7 14.8 64.4 major issue 23 10.6 10.6 75.0 don't know 54 24.8 25.0 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 illiteracy Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 75 34.4 34.9 34.9 minor issue 43 19.7 20.0 54.9 moderate issue 28 12.8 13.0 67.9 major issue 28 12.8 13.0 80.9 don't know 41 18.8 19.1 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 lack of affordable child care Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 54 24.8 25.1 25.1 minor issue 35 16.1 16.3 41.4 moderate issue 28 12.8 13.0 54.4 major issue 46 21.1 21.4 75.8 don't know 52 23.9 24.2 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 inadequate public transportation Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 62 28.4 29.4 29.4 minor issue 52 23.9 24.6 54.0 moderate issue 29 13.3 13.7 67.8 major issue 48 22.0 22.7 90.5 don't know 20 9.2 9.5 100.0 Total 211 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 7 3.2 Total 218 100.0 poor bike or pedestrian safety Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 69 31.7 32.2 32.2 minor issue 51 23.4 23.8 56.1 moderate issue 43 19.7 20.1 76.2 major issue 43 19.7 20.1 96.3 don't know 8 3.7 3.7 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 poor or unsafe traffic conditions Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 52 23.9 24.1 24.1 minor issue 54 24.8 25.0 49.1 moderate issue 50 22.9 23.1 72.2 major issue 57 26.1 26.4 98.6 don't know 3 1.4 1.4 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 inadequate wages Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 93 42.7 43.3 43.3 minor issue 43 19.7 20.0 63.3 moderate issue 41 18.8 19.1 82.3 major issue 38 17.4 17.7 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 not having enough money to buy household items Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 114 52.3 53.3 53.3 minor issue 45 20.6 21.0 74.3 moderate issue 32 14.7 15.0 89.3 major issue 23 10.6 10.7 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 finding it difficult to pay bills for basic needs Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 115 52.8 53.7 53.7 minor issue 41 18.8 19.2 72.9 moderate issue 32 14.7 15.0 87.9 major issue 26 11.9 12.1 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 not being able to find work Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 127 58.3 59.6 59.6 minor issue 26 11.9 12.2 71.8 moderate issue 28 12.8 13.1 85.0 major issue 32 14.7 15.0 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing missing 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 inadequate household transportation Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 156 71.6 72.2 72.2 minor issue 33 15.1 15.3 87.5 moderate issue 19 8.7 8.8 96.3 major issue 8 3.7 3.7 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 not having enough money to pay the doctor, or buy prescription medications, or get medical insurance Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 111 50.9 51.6 51.6 minor issue 39 17.9 18.1 69.8 moderate issue 17 7.8 7.9 77.7 major issue 48 22.0 22.3 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 having a lot of anxiety or stress Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 72 33.0 33.5 33.5 minor issue 53 24.3 24.7 58.1 moderate issue 50 22.9 23.3 81.4 major issue 40 18.3 18.6 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 experiencing an alcohol issue Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 182 83.5 84.7 84.7 minor issue 18 8.3 8.4 93.0 moderate issue 9 4.1 4.2 97.2 major issue 5 2.3 2.3 99.5 11 1 .5 .5 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 experiencing a drug issue Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 190 87.2 88.0 88.0 minor issue 15 6.9 6.9 94.9 moderate issue 7 3.2 3.2 98.1 major issue 4 1.8 1.9 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 experiencing behavior or emotional problems Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 153 70.2 71.2 71.2 minor issue 42 19.3 19.5 90.7 moderate issue 15 6.9 7.0 97.7 major issue 5 2.3 2.3 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 not having a primary doctor or care provider Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 167 76.6 77.3 77.3 minor issue 17 7.8 7.9 85.2 moderate issue 11 5.0 5.1 90.3 major issue 21 9.6 9.7 100.0 Total 216 991 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 not having enough room in your house for all the people who live there Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 185 84.9 86.9 86.9 minor issue 15 6.9 7.0 93.9 moderate issue 8 3.7 3.8 97.7 major issue 5 2.3 2.3 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing missing 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 living in housing that needs major repairs to fix substandard housing Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 178 81.7 84.0 84.0 minor issue 16 7.3 7.5 91.5 moderate issue 11 5.0 5.2 96.7 major issue 7 3.2 3.3 100.0 Total 212 97.2 100.0 Missing missing 6 2.8 Total 218 100.0 not having enough money to pay for housing rent or mortgage Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 150 68.8 71.4 71.4 minor issue 30 13.8 14.3 85.7 moderate issue 16 7.3 7.6 93.3 major issue 14 6.4 6.7 100.0 Total 210 96.3 100.0 Missing missing 8 3.7 Total 218 100.0 people living with you who can't afford their own housing Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 184 84.4 86.8 86.8 minor issue 11 5.0 5.2 92.0 moderate issue 7 3.2 3.3 95.3 major issue 10 4.6 4.7 100.0 Total 212 97.2 100.0 Missing missing 6 2.8 Total 218 100.0 not having enough money to pay for utilities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 156 71.6 73.6 73.6 minor issue 24 11.0 11.3 84.9 moderate issue 17 7.8 8.0 92.9 major issue 15 6.9 7.1 100.0 Total 212 97.2 100.0 Missing missing 6 2.8 Total 218 100.0 not being able to afford recreational activities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 117 53.7 54.7 54.7 minor issue 46 21.1 21.5 76.2 moderate issue 27 12.4 12.6 88.8 major issue 24 11.0 11.2 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 not being able to afford cultural or entertainment activities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 117 53.7 54.7 54.7 minor issue 49 22.5 22.9 77.6 moderate issue 23 10.6 10.7 88.3 major issue 25 11.5 11.7 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 lack of access to outdoor recreation opportunities Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 143 65.6 67.5 67.5 minor issue 34 15.6 16.0 83.5 moderate issue 23 10.6 10.8 94.3 major issue 12 5.5 5.7 100.0 Total 212 97.2 100.0 Missing missing 6 2.8 Total 218 100.0 experiencing household crime Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 161 73.9 75.6 75.6 minor issue 30 13.8 14.1 89.7 moderate issue 15 6.9 7.0 96.7 major issue 7 3.2 3.3 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing missing 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 experiencing households threats from gangs Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 189 86.7 88.3 88.3 minor issue 10 4.6 4.7 93.0 moderate issue 11 5.0 5.1 98.1 major issue 4 1.8 1.9 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 difficulty reading well enough to get along Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 194 89.0 90.7 90.7 minor issue 11 5.0 5.1 95.8 moderate issue 5 2.3 2.3 98.1 major issue 4 1.8 1.9 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 not being able to afford legal help Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 141 64.7 66.2 66.2 minor issue 31 14.2 14.6 80.8 moderate issue 22 10.1 10.3 91.1 major issue 19 8.7 8.9 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing missing 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 not being able to get care for an elder or an adult with a disability or serious illness Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 171 78.4 81.0 81.0 minor issue 18 8.3 8.5 89.6 moderate issue 12 5.5 5.7 95.3 major issue 10 4.6 4.7 100.0 Total 211 96.8 100.0 Missing missing 7 3.2 Total 218 100.0 not being able to access community services due to a language barrier Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 195 89.4 91.5 91.5 minor issue 9 4.1 4.2 95.8 moderate issue 3 1.4 1.4 97.2 major issue 6 2.8 2.8 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing missing 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 not being able to get transportation for a person with a disability or an elder Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 186 85.3 86.1 86.1 minor issue 11 5.0 5.1 91.2 moderate issue 13 6.0 6.0 97.2 major issue 6 2.8 2.8 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 not being able to afford reliable transportation Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 171 78.4 78.8 78.8 minor issue 23 10.6 10.6 89.4 moderate issue 14 6.4 6.5 95.9 major issue 9 4.1 4.1 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 not being able to afford or access public transportation Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid not an issue 166 76.1 77.6 77.6 minor issue 18 8.3 8.4 86.0 moderate issue 10 4.6 4.7 90.7 major issue 20 9.2 9.3 100.0 Total 214 98.2 100.0 Missing missing 4 1.8 Total 218 100.0 age group Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid 19 or younger 2 .9 .9 .9 20-25 8 3.7 3.7 4.7 26-34 22 10.1 10.2 14.9 35-54 106 48.6 49.3 64.2 55-64 33 15.1 15.3 79.5 65-74 24 11.0 11.2 90.7 75 or over 20 9.2 9.3 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 gender Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid male 97 44.5 44.7 44.7 female 119 54.6 54.8 99.5 15 1 .5 .5 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 racial or ethnic group Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid American Indian 1 .5 .5 .5 Hispanic 17 7.8 7.9 8.4 White 191 87.6 88.8 97.2 Mixed Race 6 2.8 2.8 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 speak english Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 217 99.5 100.0 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 speak spanish Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 20 9.2 9.2 9.2 no 197 90.4 90.8 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 speak other language Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 5 2.3 2.3 2.3 no 212 97.2 97.7 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 highest level of education Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid less than high school, no diploma or GED 4 1.8 1.9 1.9 high school graduate or GED 39 17.9 18.1 19.9 some college with no degree or associates 52 23.9 24.1 44.0 degree associates degree 25 11.5 11.6 55.6 bachelor's degree 57 26.1 26.4 81.9 graduate degree 39 17.9 18.1 100.0 Total 216 99.1 100.0 Missing missing 2 .9 Total 218 100.0 how difficult is it to meet ends Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid very difficult 30 13.8 13.8 13.8 difficult 24 11.0 11.1 24.9 somewhat difficult 91 41.7 41.9 66.8 not at all difficult 72 33.0 33.2 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 income from all sources Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid less than $5,000 4 1.8 1.9 1.9 $5,000-$9,999 9 4.1 4.4 6.3 $10,000-$14,999 16 7.3 7.8 14.1 $15,000-$19,999 8 3.7 3.9 18.0 $20,000-$24,999 14 6.4 6.8 24.8 $25,000-$34,999 19 8.7 9.2 34.0 $35,000-$49,999 42 19.3 20.4 54.4 $50,000-$74,999 46 21.1 22.3 76.7 $75,000-$99,000 21 9.6 10.2 86.9 over$100,000 27 12.4 13.1 100.0 Total 206 94.5 100.0 Missing missing 12 5.5 Total 218 100.0 how many people contribute to overall household income Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid 1 80 36.7 37.2 37.2 2 120 55.0 55.8 93.0 3 10 4.6 4.7 97.7 4 or more 5 2.3 2.3 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing missing 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 how many people live in your household Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid 1 46 21.1 21.4 21.4 2 83 38.1 38.6 60.0 3 29 13.3 13.5 73.5 4 39 17.9 18.1 91.6 5 9 4.1 4.2 95.8 6 7 3.2 3.3 99.1 7 1 .5 .5 99.5 9 1 .5 .5 100.0 Total 215 98.6 100.0 Missing 99 3 1.4 Total 218 100.0 how many are under 5 Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid 0 187 85.8 88.6 88.6 1 17 7.8 8.1 96.7 2 7 3.2 3.3 100.0 Total 211 96.8 100.0 Missing 9 7 3.2 Total 218 100.0 between ages 5-12 Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid 0 176 80.7 83.8 83.8 1 23 10.6 11.0 94.8 2 8 3.7 3.8 98.6 3 2 .9 1.0 99.5 4 1 .5 .5 100.0 Total 210 96.3 100.0 Missing 9 8 3.7 Total 218 100.0 between ages 13-18 Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid 0 161 73.9 76.7 76.7 1 36 16.5 17.1 93.8 2 13 6.0 6.2 100.0 Total 210 96.3 100.0 Missing 9 8 3.7 Total 218 100.0 between ages 19-64 Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid 0 39 17.9 18.3 18.3 1 42 19.3 19.7 38.0 2 107 49.1 50.2 88.3 3 16 7.3 7.5 95.8 4 7 3.2 3.3 99.1 5 2 .9 .9 100.0 Total 213 97.7 100.0 Missing 9 5 2.3 Total 218 100.0 age 65 or older Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid 0 159 72.9 75.4 75.4 1 36 16.5 17.1 92.4 2 16 7.3 7.6 100.0 Total 211 96.8 100.0 Missing 9 7 3.2 Total 218 100.0 own or ent your home Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid own 186 85.3 85.3 85.3 rent 32 14.7 14.7 100.0 Total 218 100.0 100.0 have a computer in your house Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 178 81.7 82.0 82.0 no 39 17.9 18.0 100.0 Total 217 99.5 100.0 Missing missing 1 .5 Total 218 100.0 Internet access Cumulative Frequency Percent Valid Percent Percent Valid yes 152 69.7 84.9 84.9 no 27 12.4 15.1 100.0 Total 179 82.1 100.0 Missing na 38 17.4 missing 1 .5 Total 39 17.9 Total 218 100.0 Key Informant Survey Weld Countyw Compass Building Better Communities 11 14:2 LAI Transforming communities into better places for people to live, work, raise a family and grow old. Survey Conducted by: UNC Sponsoring Organizations: Monfort Family Foundation • 1 Ilc Communh‘ A/All17S •� 1 ounClativn WING United Al Convnumty College f. COLORADO y y of Weltl County k Governmesst Ifnncr Ilcdllll?vaam Feeley Tribune kColorado Division �' Communities have strengths that help people make their communities a better place to live. By community we mean the 44% city or town in which you live. Here is a list of common Gam' community strengths. For each one, please describe whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree that the strength exists in your community. CHECK ONE ANSWER IN EACH ROW. Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly Don t 1. Community Strengths Agree Agree Disagree Disagree Know a. Your community is one ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 O5 where leaders from business, labor, government, education, religious, neighborhoods, non- profit and all other sectors come together and work productively to address critical issues. b. Your community is one that ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s actively promotes positive relations among people from all races, genders, ages, and cultures. c. Your community is one ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑s where people and organizations from all geographic regions get together to address mutual concerns. d. Your community is one ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑s where all religious groups come together to address pressing social concerns. e. Your community is one ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑s where associations in neighborhoods from various parts of the community share strategies and work together. 2 Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly Don t Agree Agree Disagree Disagree Know f. Your community is one that ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 actively supports and strengthens connections between families, neighborhoods, and the whole community. g. Your community is one that ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s actively promotes participation in the political process from all races, genders, ages, and cultures. h. Your community is one in ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑s which there exists a great deal of mutual respect among leaders from all sectors of the community. i. Your community is one ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑s where leaders from all sectors of the community share common vision for the community. 3 Community Challenges and Issues People sometimes experience challenges and issues in the neighborhood where they live. Here is a list of common issues. For each one, please describe whether you believe it is not an issue, is a minor issue, is a moderate issue, or is a major issue for people in your neighborhood. Again, by neighborhood we mean the immediate vicinity of your home or residential area. CHECK ONE BOX IN EACH ROW. Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know 2. Economic Issues a. Unemployment or ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 underemployment b. Poverty ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 c. Lack of jobs ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 d. Other economic issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 Please Describe: , 3. Educational Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Unsafe school ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 environment b. Rundown building O1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 c. Overcrowded ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 classrooms d. Lack of equipment ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 e. Other educational ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 issue? Please describe: 4 Community Challenges and Issues, cont. 4. Environmental Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Water pollution ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 b. Air pollution ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 c. Too much noise or light ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 d. Neighborhood trash ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 e. Other environmental ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 issue? Please describe: , 5. Health Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Alcohol abuse ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 b. Drug abuse ❑a ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 c. Mental illness or ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 emotional issues d. Lack of affordable ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 medical care e. HIV/AIDS ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 f. Other health issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 Please describe: 5 Community Challenges and Issues, cont. 6. Housing Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Shortage of affordable 01 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 05 housing b. Substandard housing ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s c. Overcrowded housing ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s d. Homelessness ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 e. Other housing issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 Please describe: 7. Leisure Activity Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Shortage of recreational ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 facilities (swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball hoops, etc.) b. Lack of outdoor ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s recreational opportunities (trails, parks, etc.) c. Lack of cultural activities ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑s (concerts, museums, etc.) d. Other leisure issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 Please describe: 6 Community Challenges and Issues, cont. 8. Safety Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Crime ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 b. Lack of police protection ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s c. Lack of fire protection ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 d. Gangs ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 e. Other safety issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 Please describe: 9. Social Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Teen pregnancy ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑e b. Racial or ethnic ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 discrimination c. Family violence, abuse of ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 children or adults d. Illiteracy ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 e. Lack of affordable child care ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 f. Other social issue? Please ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 describe: 7 Community Challenges and Issues, cont. 10. Transportation Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Inadequate public ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s transportation b. Poor bike or pedestrian ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 safety (inadequate bike lanes, sidewalks or crosswalks) c. Poor or unsafe traffic ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 conditions (hazards or speeding) or congestion d. Other transportation ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 issue? Please describe: 8 The following questions will help us be certain we have included a valid sampling of people. For each question, please check the box that best represents your answer. 11. What is your age group? ❑i 19 or younger ❑2 20-25 ❑3 26-34 ❑4 35-54 ❑5 55-64 ❑s 65-74 ❑7 75 or over 12. Are you... ❑� Male ❑2 Female 13. What do you consider to be your primary racial or ethnic group? ❑i American Indian ❑2 Asian or Pacific Islander ❑3 Black or African American ❑4 Hispanic ❑5 White ❑6 Mixed Race ❑7 Other. Please specify: 14. What is the highest level of education in your household? ❑1 Less than high school, no diploma or GED ❑2 High school graduate or GED ❑3 Some college with no degree or associates degree ❑4 Associates Degree ❑5 Bachelor's Degree ❑6 Graduate Degree 9 15. Please indicate which of the following income ranges your household net income fell into last year. We use this information for demographic purposes that will help us describe the characteristics of our sample. This information WILL NOT be linked to you as an individual, but will be reported as group data. ❑i Less than $5,000 ❑2 $5,000-$9,999 ❑3 $10,000-$14,999 ❑4 $15,000-$19,999 ❑5 $20,000-$24,999 ❑6 $25,000-$34,999 ❑� $35,000-$49,999 ❑8 $50,000-$74,999 ❑9 $75,000-$99,000 ❑10 over $100,000 16. Which of the following categories describes your primary occupation? ❑1 Executive, administrative, or managerial ❑2 Professional ❑3 Technical ❑4 Sales ❑5 Administrative support, for example, clerical, secretarial ❑6 Service ❑, Industrial ❑8 Homemaker ❑9 Not employed ❑10 Other. Please specify. 17. Please identify your current membership on any non-profit boards of directors, naming each organization separately: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 10 18. Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? Would you like a copy of the results of the survey? ❑ Yes Thank you for your time and comments Please return the survey in the envelope provided Please call if you have any questions about the Compass Project or the survey Dr. Robbyn Wacker, 970-351-1582 11 Household Survey Weld Countyw Compass Building Better Communities rip lif6LDJ) Lim Transforming communities into better places for people to live, work, raise a family and grow old. Survey Conducted by: UNC Sponsoring Organizations: Monfort Family Foundation • 1 Ilc Columnistv ! ni!)I 7S •� 1 ounclativn WLORADO United Wa Community College „f. COLORADO y y of Weltl County k Governmesst Ifnncr Ilcdllll?vaam Feeley Tribune kColorado Division �' Neighborhood Strengths alk Neighborhoods have strengths that help people make their neighborhood /f a better place to live. Here is a list of common strengths. For each one, pr �l� please describe whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree that the strength exists in your neighborhood. By neighborhood we mean, the immediate vicinity of your house or residential area. CHECK ONE ANSWER IN EACH ROW. Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly Don t 1. Neighborhood Strengths Agree Agree Disagree Disagree Know a. People in your ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 neighborhood gather together formally and informally (for example at picnics or meetings) b. People in your ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 neighborhood consider the same things important. c. People in your ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 neighborhood come together to work on common goals. d. People and groups in your ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 neighborhood come together to help each other our when they have a problem. e. People in your ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 neighborhood trust each other. f. People who are different ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 from one another (e.g. young and old, established residents and newcomers, black and white, etc.) participate together in neighborhood activities. 2 Communities have strengths that help people make their �i communities a better place to live. By community we mean the F� �' city or town in which you live. Here is a list of common Gam' community strengths. For each one, please describe whether you strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree that the strength exists in your community. CHECK ONE ANSWER IN EACH ROW. Strongly Somewhat Somewhat Strongly Don t 2. Community Strengths Agree Agree Disagree Disagree Know a. People in your community ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 gather together formally and informally (for example at picnics or meetings) b. People in your community ❑ ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 consider the same things important. c. People in your community ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 come together to work on common goals. d. People and groups in your ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 community come together to help each other our when they have a problem. e. People in your community ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 trust each other. f. People who are different ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 from one another (e.g. young and old, established residents and newcomers, black and white) participate together in community activities. Next, we'd like to ask you about your neighborhood activities. 3 3. Do you regularly volunteer (once a month or more) in the neighborhood or community in which you live? ❑I Yes ❑2 No 3a. If yes, for which of the following do you volunteer? (Check all that apply). ❑1 Children or youth activities ❑2 Civic group (e.g., Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, etc.) ❑3 Cultural group such as a music group or museum ❑4 Environmental group ❑5 Group that works with lower-income people, elders, or homeless people ❑6 Hospital or health group ❑7 Human service organization ❑s Neighborhood group such as a neighborhood association ❑9 Political group or candidate ❑io Religious group ❑u1 School ❑12 Sports group ❑13 Other group: 3b. If yes, in the past month, about how many days, if any, have you done volunteer work? CHECK ONE. ❑1 None ❑2 1 day ❑3 2 days ❑4 3-to-5 days ❑5 6-or-more days ❑6 Don't know 4. How frequently do you vote in most elections? CHECK ONE. ❑� Frequently 82 Occasionally 3 Seldom ❑4 Never 5. How much opportunity do you have to affect how things happen in... ....your neighborhood? CHECK ONE ❑i Much opportunity ❑2 Some opportunity ❑3 Little opportunity ❑4 No opportunity ...in your community? CHECK ONE ❑� Much opportunity ❑2 Some opportunity ❑3 Little opportunity ❑4 No opportunity 4 Neighborhood Challenges and Issues People sometimes experience challenges and issues in the neighborhood where they live. Here is a list of common issues. For each one, please describe whether you believe it is not an issue, is a minor issue, is a moderate issue, or is a major issue for people in your neighborhood. Again, by neighborhood we mean the immediate vicinity of your home or residential area. CHECK ONE BOX IN EACH ROW. Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know 6. Economic Issues a. Unemployment or ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 underemployment b. Poverty ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 c. Lack of jobs ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 d. Other economic issue? 01 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 Please Describe: , 7. Educational Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Unsafe school ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 environment b. Rundown building 01 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 c. Overcrowded ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 classrooms d. Lack of equipment ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 e. Other educational ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 issue? Please describe: 5 Neighborhood Challenges and Issues, cont. 8. Environmental Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Water pollution ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 b. Air pollution ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 c. Too much noise or light ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 d. Neighborhood trash ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 e. Other environmental ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 issue? Please describe: , 9. Health Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Alcohol abuse ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 b. Drug abuse ❑a ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 c. Mental illness or ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 emotional issues d. Lack of affordable ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 medical care e. HIV/AIDS ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 f. Other health issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 Please describe: 6 Neighborhood Challenges and Issues, cont. 10. Housing Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Shortage of affordable ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 O5 housing b. Substandard housing ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s c. Overcrowded housing ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s d. Homelessness ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 e. Other housing issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 Please describe: 11. Leisure Activity Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Shortage of recreational ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 facilities (swimming pools, tennis courts, basketball hoops, etc.) b. Lack of outdoor ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s recreational opportunities (trails, parks, etc.) c. Lack of cultural activities ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑s (concerts, museums, etc.) d. Other leisure issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 Please describe: 7 Neighborhood Challenges and Issues, cont. 12. Safety Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Crime ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 b. Lack of police protection ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑s c. Lack of fire protection ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 d. Gangs ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 e. Other safety issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 Please describe: 13. Social Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Teen pregnancy ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑e b. Racial or ethnic ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 discrimination c. Family violence, abuse of ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 children or adults d. Illiteracy ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 e. Lack of affordable child care ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 f. Other social issue? Please ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a ❑5 describe: 8 Neighborhood Challenges and Issues, cont. 14. Transportation Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Don t Issue Issue Issue Issue Know a. Inadequate public ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑s transportation b. Poor bike or pedestrian ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 safety (inadequate bike lanes, sidewalks or crosswalks) c. Poor or unsafe traffic ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 conditions (hazards or speeding) or congestion d. Other transportation ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 ❑5 issue? Please describe: 9 Household Challenges and Issues Next we have a list of questions about challenges and issues that affect people of all ages. The questions ask whether any one of the following has been a challenge or an issue for you or anyone in your household over the past 12 months. If it has been a challenge or an issue, please describe it as either not an issue, minor issue, moderate issue, or major issue. CHECK ONE ANSWER IN EACH ROW. Not an Minor Moderate Major 15. Economic Issues Issue Issue Issue Issue a. Inadequate wages ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a b. Not having enough money to buy ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a household items (clothing, household goods, etc.) c. Finding it difficult to pay bills for ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a basic needs (utilities, food) d. Not being able to find work ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a e. Inadequate household ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a transportation f. Other economic issue? Please ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a describe: 16. Educational Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Issue Issue Issue Issue a. Inadequate educational ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a opportunities b. Children being unsafe at school ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a c. Discrimination in school ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a (because of gender, race or economics) d. Other educational issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a Please describe: 10 Household Challenges and Issues, cont. 17. Environmental Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Issue Issue Issue Issue a. Experiencing air pollution ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a b. Experiencing water pollution ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a c. Experiencing septic or sanitation ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a issues d. Too much noise or light ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a e. Other environmental issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 Please describe: 18. Health Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Issue Issue Issue Issue a. Not having enough money to ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a pay the doctor, or buy prescription medications, or get medical insurance b. Having a lot of anxiety or stress ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a c. Experiencing an alcohol issue ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a d. Experiencing a drug issue ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a e. Experiencing behavior or ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a emotional problems f. Not having a primary doctor or ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a care provider g. Other health issue? Please ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a describe 11 Household Challenges and Issues, cont. 19. Housing Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Issue Issue Issue Issue a. Not having enough room in ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a your house for all the people who live there b. Living in housing that needs ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a major repairs to fix substandard housing c. Not having enough money to ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a pay for housing rent or mortgage d. People living with you who can't ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a afford their own housing e. Not having enough money to ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a pay for utilities f. Other housing issues? Please ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a describe 20. Leisure Activity Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Issue Issue Issue Issue a. Not being able to afford ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑a recreational activities b. Not being able to afford cultural ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑a or entertainment activities (music, etc). c. Lack of access to outdoor ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a recreation opportunities d. Other leisure issue? Please ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a describe: 12 Household Challenges and Issues, cont. 21. Safety Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Issue Issue Issue Issue a. Experiencing household crime ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a b. Experiencing household threats ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a from gangs c. Other safety issue? Please ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a describe 22. Social Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Issue Issue Issue Issue a. Difficulty reading well enough ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a to get along b. Not being able to afford legal ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a help c. Not being able to get care for ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑a an elder or an adult with a disability or serious illness d. Not being able to access ❑i ❑2 ❑3 ❑a community services due to a language barrier e. Not being able to find or afford ❑, ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 child care f. Other social issue? Please ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 describe: 13 Household Challenges and Issues, cont. 23. Transportation Issues Not an Minor Moderate Major Issue Issue Issue Issue a. Not being able to get ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 transportation for a person with a disability or an elder b. Not being able to afford reliable ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 transportation c. Not being able to afford or access ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 public transportation d. Other transportation issue? ❑1 ❑2 ❑3 ❑4 Please describe: The following questions will help us be certain we have included a valid sampling of people. For each question, please check the box that best represents your answer. 24.. What is your age group? Di 19 or younger ❑2 20-25 ❑3 26-34 ❑4 35-54 ❑5 55-64 ❑s 65-74 ❑7 75 or over 25. Are you... ❑� Male ❑2 Female 26. What do you consider to be your primary racial or ethnic group? ❑1 American Indian ❑2 Asian or Pacific Islander ❑3 Black or African American ❑4 Hispanic ❑5 White ❑6 Mixed Race 14 ❑7 Other. Please specify: 27. What languages are spoken in your home? (Check all that apply) ❑1 English ❑2 Spanish ❑3 Other 28. What is the highest level of education in your household? ❑1 Less than high school, no diploma or GED ❑2 High school graduate or GED ❑3 Some college with no degree or associates degree ❑4 Associates Degree ❑5 Bachelor's Degree ❑6 Graduate Degree 29. Thinking about all the bills your household has to pay and how much money you have to spend, how difficult do you find it to make ends meet? ❑1 Very difficult ❑2 Difficult ❑3 Somewhat difficult ❑4 Not at all difficult 30. Counting income from all sources (including all earnings from jobs, unemployment insurance, pensions, public assistance, etc.,) and counting income from everyone living in your home, which of the following ranges did your household net income fall into last year? ❑1 Less than $5,000 ❑2 $5,000-$9,999 ❑3 $10,000-$14,999 ❑4 $15,000-$19,999 ❑5 $20,000-$24,999 ❑6 $25,000-$34,999 ❑, $35,000-$49,999 ❑8 $50,000-$74,999 ❑9 $75,000-$99,000 ❑10 over $100,000 31. How many people contribute to the overall household income? ❑1 1 ❑2 2 ❑3 3 ❑4 4 or more 15 32. How many people, including yourself, live in your household? a. How many are under age 5? b. How many are between the ages of 5 to 12? c. How many are between the ages of 13 to 18? d. How many are between the ages of 19-64? e. How many are age 65 or older? 33. Do you own or rent your home? ❑h Own ❑2 Rent 34. Do you have a computer in your house? ❑i Yes ❑2 No If yes, do you have internet access? ❑I Yes ❑2 No 35. Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? Would you like a copy of the results of the survey? El Yes Thank you for your time and comments Please return the survey in the envelope provided Please call if you have any questions about the Compass Project or the survey Dr. Robbyn Wacker, 970-351-1582 16 Written Comments Provided by Household Respondents and Key Informants Community Economic Issues - Some residents lack skills to achieve financial success which promotes community success...areas of concern...HS graduation rates...immigrant populations. - Promoting educational training to meet the skill needs of future workers - A lot of single income families raising pre-school children Health care crisis- lack of insurance No buses to travel - I'm the only lesbian in my neighborhood - A couple of families are larger than their town houses, but may not be able to afford larger dwellings. - Local taxes being used on projects that could be done at later times. With out being a tax burden - Too many Mexican that don't speak American. Many migrant workers and illegals in the area — Cost of living is way too high for the wages the people get in Greeley - Not much job opportunities for people over 50 to become employed - Hard times for neighbors getting a job _ Living on fixed income — Not in poverty, however, the jobs out there are not keeping up with inflation, so people are just getting by and are not able to save for retirement or education for their children. High cost of living — Living in a condo...most residents are retired senior citizens - Lack of major high tech industry - Lack of job training and cultural barriers _ Out sourcing of jobs out of our state and the country — Lack of social security for people whom really need it - We all go to work- I'm finally retired...sold beauty shop in 1999 after 30 some years - I live in a rural community and there is no economic opportunity for young people. Improve overall economic quality of life in the city _ School dropout - Lack of jobs paying a livable wage - Affordable medical insurance Dearth of good paying jobs — Cost of housing prohibitive for many - The amount paid for a job is the issue in many instances 1 Wage disparity Community Economic Issues (cont.) Cost of living: rent, groceries, gas, etc....increasing yearly — Lack of basic skills to perform jobs Increase in taxes I Teen pregnancy _ Lack of health care — Employers are wanting so much experience that the person jus starting cant find a job. — Lack of affordable housing and affordable rent property...lack of emergency housing — Income level meet cost of living...and this si lower/middle class neighborhood — Affordable housing I Farming neighborhoods always have major economic issues for those where farms are small. There are many corporate agricultural enterprises in my neighborhood. I Lack on insurance - Park and recreation...quality of schools...services to elderly...mental health — Funding for higher education I Crowded homes because no one has a job. I Wages is low for this area. We need more companies in this area to grow and provide employment opportunities for people. I Older homes in neighborhood...unable to maintain homes _ Keeping up with the rapidly increase of living — Transportation for the elderly who reside in their homes I Money management - Gang activity _ Lack of"high" paying jobs for degreed individuals. Low paying service jobs are plentiful _ Health and the ability to pay for health insurance and doctors Household Economic Issues - No money to afford medical expenses I There are zero job opportunities in Briggsdale, unless you are in education or farming or ranching I Not enough support from our government - Medical costs _ Having adult children. Depending on parent for financial aid b/c they don't earn enough for"B"+ "C"but make too much for social service programs _ Health insurance - Majority of population 65+years of age I Child support is pathetic - Family members work both full time and additional part time jobs to maintain moderate standard of living - Affordable, safe daycare Household Economic Issues I feel as Weld County has really poor wages, it is sad that people around our county get paid so much more for a job that can be done in Greeley and the person is Greeley gets paid pennies. I Lack of medical, dental and vision I Lack of child support _ Lack of affordable housing and rental units Community Educational Issues - Special programs needed for gifted/talented charter schools and disabled students - Shortage of"experienced" teachers that truly care about the success of our Hispanic students - Developments not paying its way causing over crowded schools - Racism and unqualified teachers, administrators _ To much time off for students re: teacher work days - Education is second rate to sports programs....our workforce is under educated for the future. - Quality of education - Parents not involved with children - Depends on whether you refer to secondary or primary education...we no longer have a high school in our community. The consolidated high school to which the students are bussed has problems at every level. Local primary schools are doing fairly well — After school activities - Overgrowing and lack of equipment is an issue in schools located in poor areas...Also the division in schools between Latinos or between Mexican-American and the Immigrant community is a major issue...Also many immigrants have no education beyond grade school. I Not enough care for kids with special needs _ Class room sizes increasing due to population expanding - Drop out rate is a problem - Poor discipline in classrooms - Achievement disparities by race and income — Difference between schools in neighborhoods Jefferson compared to Monfort etc...in treatment _ English language acquisition= major issue...schools extreme poverty=major issue...West Greeley not in Dist. 6 boundaries _ Ensuring the competency of students in the basics of reading, writing and math...Ensuring cultural/bilingual needs are being met. _ Not enough electives that are the same as other schools — Need preschools desperately, Montessori, Waldorf etc. Both public and private 1 Inadequate elementary music education in public schools Community Educational Issues (cont) Everything has to be bilingual. How about everyone learning English, the language of this country. If you can't speak English...GOOD BYE - Lack of teachers _ Seriously unpaid teachers (under funded, teacher compensation) - School Funding - Hard for the teachers to control the drugs that are on campus. Both of my sons were effected by this. - Lack of schools in area - Drop out rate high at Roosevelt High School. Teen pregnancy big issue — Never enough money- administration spending issues - Teachers underpaid, under supplied. New people move into community, school district, and feel that they can demand this and that from teachers, and staff and yet the newcomers don't come out to vote or take part in community events, we used to know our neighbors. - To many Mexicans wasting tax payer money. _ About 50% Mexican population but only minor issue — Change school hours/senior high later classes - Cameron school is listed as one of the poorest schools in grades. - Air quality is bad in some schools. Florescent lights are bad for kids too. _ Too many children for too few teachers - Why are other schools so much more advanced than our school (East Memorial). My niece went to Shawsheen from E.M. and was way behind. - Dropping music and art in local schools - Language barrier between teacher and students - Pompous teachers and administrators — The schools have too many problems to be listed here - Bilingual teaching policies in schools - Lack of communication to parents from school staff within the public school system _ Not close to school — Poor teacher pay and recruitment - Minority drop out rate are high Pay of employees and support of the people _ Technology - Passing children on to future grades when they have failed in math or reading or language etc. With out requirement for summer school - Computer equipment, gym equipment, books - Middle school counselor should not be allowed around children at Highland M.S. - About half the students in our school come from out of district. If it wasn't for out of district students, the school in this community wouldn't be open - Quality education in Ft. Lupton re. 8 school district _ Poor education and lacks discipline students use vulgar and obscene language - Growth and its impact on public education...over crowding, school facilities, transportation...Schools are being asked to do more with less Community Educational Issues (cont) Causing a pluralistic educational environment to enable all cultural classes of student to grow academically - Poor prioritization by education leaders _ Readiness to begin school (kindergarten) - Achievement gap and lack of cultural understanding - All of these are issues that always exist in every school district - Johnstown/Milliken trying to work together — My child does not attend the schools in the district but I do hear from very crowded. There is no one on one with students — Lack of parental involvement - Not enough teachers for overcrowded school - High drop out rate...Too many alternative schools and nigh schools. We are focusing on the wrong issues and need to focus on accountability and responsibility of the family. - Unsafe schools...gang related problem...causing their students to be fearful - Foul language...disrespectful conduct, drugs in schools, bullying Household Educational Issues - Getting enough money that will pay both my education and money to live...house payment, food, utilities, etc. - School Funding _ My children are now grown and moved out. 1 suggested they leave the area for more access to jobs and entertainment and schools for my grand children. _ Overcrowding, lack of"good" teachers - They lose a lot of good kids in high school. I had a straight A student till he went to H.S. they are not doing enough for them. I have seen many kids give up. - Low school supplies - Inability to get into higher education b/c of soaring costs - I feel that with so many minority people in our schools the children don't get enough adequate education - Not enough support for higher education in Colorado _ Financial aid needs - Discrimination in school for health and learning differences - Teach kids English - Transportation- had many bad experiences with school bus drivers in dist. 6 — No educational opportunities for migrant workers, Aims closed GED programs on Ft. Lupton campus, poor local school district, insufficient early child hood programs. - Lack of good school choice underperforming schools _ Difficulty understanding how to get higher education many loopholes to adhere to. Not adequate information and guidance to educational opportunities. _ Under education of our future workforce Household Educational Issues (cont) Language in school is dependable...nothing done regarding it TGA's w/counties- cash in lieu land dedication. Lack of legislatures to impose impact fees on developers for adequate school facilities _ Standardized tests such as the CSAP - Difficult for single parents to return to school, and maintain household Community Environmental Issues - Ambulance sirens at all hours of night...full blast - Seasonal flooding, but some work was done on 34th St. hopefully that will end the problem - County road condition — Mosquito spraying Wasting water or over watering - Habitat destruction _ Seems to be a lot of cases of cancer...More than other areas? — Barking dogs - Construction noise, I-25 air pollution triggers my asthma - The stench from the processing plants _ Notice more air traffic overhead - I believe that new development should be required to keep some kind on ground cover on the open lots instead of letting the dust and dirt blow away. - People run stop signs and drive too fast - Trash from new housing developments. The rural neighbors see unsightly trash from new home construction. - Shortage of water - The migrant workers have a tendency to throw their trash out on the roads in the rural areas - Traffic pollution _ Mosquitoes - College students causing to much noise and disturbances both inside and outside - Cars, trucks, motor cycles-speeding down 35th ave. - Junk cars...lack of yard upkeep...junk in yards — Lots of cars not from neighborhood — Greeley does not have a recycling program - Junky yards...unkept vehicles w/no license tag...trash from old vehicles _ Need more recycling — Recycle - #of vehicles parked on lot - Too many traffic, neighbors teenage...gas and oil wells employees...we need Rd. 23 surfaced with asphalt - Speeding _ Population growth and availability Community Environmental Issues (cont) Gangs/violence Park construction has not kept up with development - Toxic pollutions on lawns - West nile _ Graffiti and vandalism — Mosquitos - Dry weeds...unkept yards - code enforcement, lack of upkeep by landlords _ non-agriculturally friendly/too much traffic- drivers rude to equipment operators Hwy 66. Household Environmental Issues _ Odor issues - Due to the chachacha music at all times of the night, while Americans are trying to sleep, and rest for work the next day — Over use of pesticides and herbicides by some members of neighborhood - Junk in lots - Graffiti and vandalism of personal property _ I have a concern about renovation of the north side - Smells very very ugly in evenings and different times not a Monfort smell,just plain poop smell. - Neighborhood trash generated by schools Community Health Issues - Always an issue for all communities - Issues with eating unhealthy foods. Bad diets. It would be nice if our community and neighborhood would focus more on healthy eating - Vaccinations for babies — Toxic mold/ indoor air pollution - Not enough medical staff and doctors that help tax needy - Uninsured people - Teen pregnancy — Not enough for junior and senior high kids to do this neighborhood or community to stay out of trouble and away from drugs. Especially for the single families who have a hard time coordinating after school activities. Better with new rec. center. - Lots of low income families with children in desperate need of dental and vision care. Weld County health and other clinics are too full in Greeley to make room for surrounding small towns to go to. And even clinics charge something and people can not afford it. — Dust from county roads causes asthma related problems Community Health Issues (cont) Hospitals and American tax payers paying for illegal Mexicans health problems. Diseases brought into America. - I hear near by spousal or child abuse _ Mobility - Affordable medical care coincides with economic issues - Some residents have fallen and are injured some are elderly and not very well - All issues are a major issue in all communities — Teen pregnancy - Multiple Sclerosis - Dusty road _ Dusty road- road 23 - West nile - People are coming to our area to make meth in portable labs - West nile — Lack of mental health facilities/professionals to address mental health issues. NRBH is understaffed, under funded and overworked to effectively address these issues - Growing number of uninsured...Ability of medical facilities to provide urgent care _ Poor mental health services _ Lack of affordable medical insurance...lack of pre-natal care...immunizations not current. - High cost of insurance...high rate of uninsured residents...shortage of culturally competent services...shortage of dental care for low income residents Drug costs — Insurance - Lack of affordable insurance - Caring for the elderly _ Transportation to hospitals for doctors (non emergency) — We are a rural community, agriculture-based, Farm accidents are the largest cause of health problems — There are a couple of elderly families that are in ill health Household Health Issues - No Insurance/too expensive - Many jobs in this area don't offer health insurance; therefore many people don't receive adequate care such as physical or wellness care. - Since birth of our baby, she had medical problems at birth and I have had numerous health issues - Affordable health care _ Health care coverage — There are no doctors out here closest medical is in Greeley Household Health Issues (cont) Caring for elderly and ill parents — The cost for all health care for every one is way out of line. But I believe this is a national problem not a local one _ Affordable health care - Medical bills and prescriptions are too high - I recently got my niece and nephew...why is it so hard to get Medicaid quickly to address medical issue...these kids haven't seen a M.D. for a while - Doctors practicing in clinical settings don't seem to care at all about patients - Allergies are a problem, air pollution doesn't help — Cost of medical insurance tremendous - Prescription drug costs - Finding knowledgeable specialty doctors _ Doctors not being mindful of time you have to take from work Access to health care; the fact that many use the Emergency unit with the Hospital as their primary care is of great concern — Limited mobility - Sunrise discrimination with some people. Have to go down to Ft. Lupton because of this. - Indoor air pollution toxic mold remediation information Community Housing Issues - Not enough housing for chronically, mentally ill folks _ Worry that new apartment complex at firestone blvd. and oak meadows blvd. will bring high volume transient lower income population in neighborhood with high volume of young children. Wish rent would higher or condos there...so more "ownership" of property. - Concern of increase in taxes - Low-income housing very scarce in this area- partly due to society believing that low income people are dirty, disease ridden and will ruin any new housing. - Lack of town board experience and insight into annexation and housing development. Ignore citizen input/or avoid it all together - Workers have tendency to rent a home and then many people or families move in. - Developed by the Mexicans who bring their life style into America, looking for Americans to give every thing for free. - We have a couple of neighbors who choose to live trashy _ Finding a contractor who can build correctly UNC is ruining the off campus marked for the private landlords. They are building too many ugly dorms — Cost of housing in Greeley is too much - High housing cost leaves little income for property upkeep 1 Vehicles on peoples property that are not licensed Community Housing Issues (cont) Many families are for the first time in their life facing financial crisis, substantiated by record foreclosures...Lack of support services i.e. financial counseling Abandon houses _ Housing diversity - Quality of housing that is affordable - More housing developments being built closer to plain areas - Some lack knowledge/ skills/tolls to purchase a home. Financial education needed. — Senior housing - Regarding pets - Housing such as assisted living...Medicaid bed shortage _ Homeless,but very little is being done to help Household Housing Issues - Tough to make ends meet on 1 income - Utility cost keep rising but my income is ruff. _ Water and gas rates are extremely high - Too high rent I Not having say in privacy fencing - Access to housing for homeless families — Lack of available contractors for repairs - New homes are too expensive...old homes are too expensive for Greeley wages Community Leisure Activity Issues I Would be nice to have bike paths...they are working on firestone trail _ Funding to build more recreational facilities like a swimming pool for leisure/family use - City and county support for community events — Lack of activities for teenagers I Lack of senior of facility I No swimming pools, recreation facility _ Safe places for "Latch-key children" to "hangout" - Not much for kids to do. Community finally built a swimming pool but its 2.50/day which is too much for income level of large part of population. New people can afford it w/their 250,000 homes so there's another separation of classes. - If its not destroyed by Mexican gang and disfigured by Mexican gang paint, its just destroyed due to American jealously and hatred. - Parks where children can play and ride their bikes — Lack of free outdoors UNC abolished the Garden Theater concerts which was attended by hundred of people of all ages as well as families — No park...kids always playing on road Community Leisure Activity Issues (cont) Family for parks — City pools too small...not kept well - Wish more places allowed dogs...Dogs motivate me to use parks and exercise but dogs aren't allowed anywhere - There used to be concerts at UNC, but for the last 2 years they have been eliminated. We really miss them. - Lack of communication regarding upcoming activities...dint know a majority of events have occurred until after its over. — Not enough activities for young teens - Funding for leisure activity - Need more neighborhood activities _ Activities for youth - City growing West and South, without development of any major parks like Bittersweet - Lack of appropriate and accessible recreation and activities for people with disabilities — Lack of places for wedding and - Brown or unsafe play and park equipment - I think that a lot of the classes offered for children are done during the week which is fine but it seems that the people that organize events forget that most parents work til 5:00. Activities need to be offered at a time for working parents - Not enough small businesses with long term survival - Leisure area for teenagers _ No activities or events for youth to participate in In the country, there's no parks on trails to go walking. We have to go into the town for any of the above activities. — Rural America does not have the luxury of the above leisure activity - Senior citizen don't have much opportunity in the community to do things Household Leisure Activity Issues - Upset that pro sport tickets are so expensive...We are middle class and can't afford to go to games...aren't taxes supporting Invesco Field? I Lack of camping spaces in the forest. _ Severe lack of indoor leisure activities...like indoor pool, indoor courts, indoor table pool, indoor child activities _ Lack of places for wedding and quince aneras which allow people to bring food — Rec. center in Ault I Not enough time to pursue leisure activities, must work too much to be able to afford average life I Not many safe activities in town for children Kids in high school don't have much to do Community Safety Issues Weld County roads are the site of disproportionate share of deaths...alarming given the population - Speeding traffic _ Amount of auto deaths - Public safety struggling to keep pace with growth and increased demand for services - Don't like that mountain view fire is closing...I think the tri-town fire will service a higher volume than it can handle — Sand and gravel truck traffic on farm roads. Speeding trucks on rural roads. I Increase in crime is direct reflection of increase in population. Law enforcement needs to join the 21st century but money is again an issue I People driving without license or insurance I Traffic speeds and signs _ We have been burglarized many times...stereos out of cars, not proper lighting in neighborhoods. _ Drivers using Mesa Verde drive as a highway 30+ miles per hour as opposed to a residential street where children live and play in the street- someone is going to get hurt, I believe it is a major issue. I Need signs and speed bumps, lots of vehicles speed and lot's of kids playing on road I Police often don't get to disturbance calls in time to be effective - Kids play in street even after dark...5 mall children not taken care of _ Gangs and crime have become a serious problem in Greeley. There's no neighborhood that is left completely unaffected. _ No gang intervention programs and gang activity is increasing - People who drive our public school buses I Crop dusting in vicinity - Our neighbor was robbed twice, Police say they have no control over the break in due to not catching the suspect. - Our community is located in the east edge of Weld County. The sheriff department doesn't want to come out to investigate thefts in our area - Safety of streets highways, to many DUI's _ Meth labs are having a traumatic impact on families, neighborhoods, and communities. They created major health and safety issues _ Lack of neighborhood street lighting. Response time of Greeley P.D. when called...sometimes takes days _ Young people driving crazy, unsafe playing area for children — Speeders/university drunkenness/DUI I People drive to fast in neighborhoods Speeding _ Police brutality is a common problem...1 have heard of several stories stating this is an issue that needs to be looked at more closely. Community Safety Issues (cont) Hispanic gangs in the East side of town are a huge problem but citizens of Greeley don't see it Household Safety Issues - Occasional graffiti on fences _ Guns- people being shot — Neighbor's house broken into I Young people in street, walking, and wondering around neighborhood - Not aware of any but know groups exist in Greeley. Police know this better then any body - Groups intimidated the East side residents; therefore they have to be quiet or else Community Social Issues — All issues every community is concerned about - Several programs now in place to help (e.g. bright beginnings) but teen pregnancy and poor pre-natal care still a major issue Student drop outs I Lack of parks with supervision _ There is discrimination about age and being a lesbian. Not just Hispanic vs. white, lets face it I've lived here all my life. The Hispanics are getting what they want when they want it. When is it time for the white people? Gay, Lesbian, Straight...all white. — T worry that the educational school teaching is below the good ratings. Fredrick was voted the lowest last year. This effects the social environment. — Separation of upper and lower classes. Old timers vs. new comers I Small towns have the same social problems as larger cities just no resources to help. I Language barriers Spanish/English _ Lack of bi-lingual proficiency - Loud music in the neighborhood sometimes til after l Opm I Lack of affordable elder/disabled care - Affordable child care coincides with economic issues — Non English speaking people are a major issue - Family support and help for families trying to prevent youth from falling into the juvenile justice system - Every one too busy working to socialize in this neighborhood. All middle-aged parents except me T'm retired now - These are issues within the community not family I Entitlements (TANF) application processes are too complicated for many to understand and therefore follow through for many families is difficult I Unwillingness to address competing tax statutes-weakening the fabric of our communities' social infrastructure Community Social Issues (cont) Child in meth homes and meth usage — There are programs (free) to teach English so the immigrants can get jobs, how about some free Spanish classes so the natives can get one _ No rehab center for drug abusers, the city council has decided to out source treatment centers from our city neighborhoods to "a farm somewhere" as one of our intelligent council members stated about deciding to not let the Rainbow House open - I feel that teens get pregnant so young b/c they introduced and told it is ok to have sex,just use protection. What ever happened to having self respect, morals and saving themselves till marriage. Parents need to be made responsible for their kids not dressing like they are 20 yrs old when they are 13 yrs old, they need to get rig of the make up. - I moved into this community partly b/c of a strong covenant situation. The combination of low interest rates, adjustable rate mortgages, and little dorms combined with "Diversity" has closed culture classes regarding the covenant. _ Parent intervention — Under education of our future workforce Household Social Issues - With all the drugs and dealers and gangs the safety of all Americans is a large issue. - Everyone should learn English. Cost of duplicate language is not a necessary expense. This is not a racial comment it is economic - Trash from other neighborhoods filter into ours _ Not being able to afford health insurance and medications - Social security disability - Greeley has agencies that help out people of low income plus other agencies or churches. - Lack of diverse social programs for gay/ lesbian youth and adults These question should only be asked of people who need these services. Otherwise your results are invalid - There is too much discrimination towards Hispanics in Greeley, all level of economic mobility. Community Transportation Issues - Would love lite rail along I-25 through Denver to Tech Center _ Road and sidewalk repair needs to be done — Kids don't stop on sidewalks@ driveways @ habitat for humanity on 23`d Ave. - Need more transportation for handicapped or elderly or others who don't drive - Deterioration of roads and highways is the direct result of limited funds at the state levels. The future of highway funding is bleak. Growth will add to the dilemma. Levels of funding alternatives need to be identified and implemented...The general public needs to become aware of the transportation issues Community Transportation Issues (cont) Money for projects, city, count and state — Transportation of children from school to after school programs - All streets in Briggsdale are dirt/ gravel. We don't have sidewalks or crosswalks. I Lack of future growth planning for traffic _ Side streets are narrow sometimes hard to travel with cars parked on street — No posted speeds or requested patrol. Unsafe intersection not addressed. Confusion over who is responsible for road maintenance and improvements, county vs. town — Mass transportation to Denver and DIA needed I Too many gravel trucks - Speeds along WCR 59 from H.S. into Keenesburg and especially in front of Elementary school way to fast. There is no enforcement at all unless Weld County sheriff is sitting right there Construction work that leads to accidents - People driving through neighborhoods at high rates of speed- we have a lot of children playing I Not enough routs or pick up times to adequately get around growing Greeley. Or having to walk a mile after getting off the bus to get to an appt. - Speeding...no speed bumps on 26`h ave ct and we need them...have little children in danger - Speeding is a definite problem I No signs for slowing, children at play, no speed bumps, lots of speeding cars= accidents Roads in West Greeley are not able to handle traffic i.e. 37th St. 47`h Ave. 20th St. 10`h St. - Deteriorating roads - Need better scheduling of handicap bus — No taxi service in Greeley...road construction tends to be lengthy and not done in an efficient manner — Traffic issues, bad drivers and rude drivers - Inconsiderate drivers, the 'me' attitude drivers, and the he-- with everyone else - Greeley needs to do something about the out of control growth _ Unsynchronized lights on 16th Street — Poor snow removal...Drainage issues and ditches in intersections lack of merge lanes at major intersections — Living in a condo association is different than the usual neighborhood. However I hops my answers have been helpful...Greeley isn't perfect...but it's a very nice city to live in. - Wide range of age and people driving...wide background of people driving in Greeley - Lack of alternative traffic corridor esp. East to the front range _ Accidents involving trains and cars - No stop or speed limited signs I Very long bus routes to and from school Community Transportation Issues (cont) Some people drive through rural areas at an excessive rate of speed. They have no consideration fro farmers or ranchers who move equipment down the roadways. I have been "flipped off" and "cussed at" by drivers that think they own the road - Time to complete road projects i.e. 35th ave. by 20th st. I Lack of affordable county transportation for elderly and disabled _ Appears Greeley often keeps roads closed or dead ending that are desperately needed to decrease congestion on collectors. Hills from Greeley West to 47' - all traffic directed through curing dark stretches of roads in Fox Hill, 17`h Ave. leading to mall requires 23`d Ave. to bear all mall traffic Lack of public transportation - Police are quite efficient for a small community - Route system and sometimes the length of wait for the next bus Why are so many drivers so inconsiderate...need for night time buses The public transportation is o.k. but b/c not available on Sundays, seniors and others are without transportation and limited Poor road conditions in the Dacono area...our streets are horrendous to drive on- need to be replaced very badly Poor city transportation - Unpaved streets - The roads in Greeley are pathetic. They continue to use cheap labor to do cheap work on the streets. The auto repair shops do quite well in Greeley, every intersection has a '-4 inch metal panel sticking out of the concrete. Constant construction, but no quality streets yet. Speeding is an issue, seems the cops are never around when people are speeding 37th Ave. in Evans is a prime example...30mph but people travel at 50mph. Snow removal not efficient...streets need sanded...gutter, curb, sidewalk maintenance. _ Road rage...seems to be increasing in Greeley- probably related to growth Sometimes the "washboard"roads can be dangerous when driving on these country roads Drinking and driving...not obeying the laws...passing on the right...turning right on red when posted not to...cutting people off making turns...no blinkers...speeding on Hwy. 66...tailgating - No paving in Evans Household Transportation issues Greeley has a very good bus system - No curb cuts for wheel chairs on 16th St. between 28th and 35th Ave. - I feel guilty driving so much...no other alternatives. _ Afraid to travel through the Mexican gang ruled streets Public transportation is worthless. It takes too long to get where you want to go, when you want to get there. - Cant afford repairs on personal vehicles - School bus route too long Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? An urgent care facility would help. Nearest one is in Longmont It seems that there are more cancers and M.S. etc...in this area has there been any studies to see why if not there should be...The community needs to be kept up better and be more inviting visually. Less trash and more plants than weeds — More businesses would help 1. tax revenue in firestone 2. eliminate long drive into Longmont Getting tired of Hispanics taking over. They need to learn English and speak it. Bi-lingual stinks. I would have applied for more jobs; but at the bottom of as said "bilingual a must" isn't this reverse discrimination? Greeley is becoming a city that supports reverse discrimination...remember English. - I would like to see our community become leaders in improving the way Greeley is looked upon, not followers of cities (Loveland, Fort Collins) If we are going to build something, make it the best around and pay for it. _ Neighborhood has no cohesiveness, no way to meet people. _ Jerk neighbors that cause my family grief Growth plans are out of control. No more open space, all houses Live in county, unable to vote on any town issues, only state and federal. But do not want to be 'in' town. - Mexicans seems to be under every rock...more Mexican flags than American - I am concerned about industrial companies moving in and either mining the gravel in the area and causing our wells to go dry or development companies subdividing the farm land and digging too many wells. - This survey is not for me-it should go to a family with children who are more involved in the community then I am- and are younger - Water drainage along WCR 59 is poor at best. Water can stand for days...this creates a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? _ Compared to other communities, our water bills are outrageous _ When there is a complaint it will be addressed but there is never a follow up 1 can't believe you have to speak Spanish to have a job in Greeley. Some people that wait on you can't speak good English or don't understand. - Young children running around with no parental supervision day and night - People in neighborhood who do not care about their yards. Lack of water is a problem on grass but they could cut their weeds and pick up trash — School environment and safety _ Too many people living under one roof. There's like two or three families per household, living together. - Gangs go through neighborhoods and break into cars - Property values and taxes - Need more dog parks - New markings on highway into mobile parks are very confusing 3500 35`x' S. Ave. I Greeley needs to attract companies with higher paying jobs so we can continue to live in the neighborhoods we've chosen. Underemployment is an issue. - Our neighborhood is an older one. Hispanics are moving in and their culture brings old cars,junk in the yards, lack of upkeep, and totally different way of looking at neighborhood values. Also, white low income groups are noisy and drive recklessly on our street endangering all of us, esp. children and animals and old men. I How businesses grow will affect housing and open space I We are fortunate to live in the neighborhood we have chosen, but many people live in areas that have significant issues. The community as a whole struggles with most of the issues 1 indicated were of minor or no concern to my household. As a person involved in my community 1 know first hand that our community does a poor job with children's issues. Transportation and ease of biking is especially poor through out town Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? _ The Hispanics tend to keep to themselves. 1'd like to see more of a union between Whites and Hispanics. - Growth- which will lead to more crime, pollution, traffic, congestion and so forth...while taking farm land out of production and future problems with adequate water supplies. This growth, for the most part, is being spurred on by developers that are not even a part of this community so they really don't care about the effects a development has on an areas as long as they make a lot of money from it, then move on to develop the next farm _ I do worry about Greeley's rapid growth...there are not enough parks and swimming pools, and the crime rate and traffic are big issues...There is also a very serious racial problem in Greeley and it would seem that pandering to a certain culture is only contributing to the problem Single-Family houses being used by numerous college students, most of whom are not related to one another...with numerous vehicles - Would like to get to know neighbors...no contact is done with each other - What we consider community issues are not really community issues. We live where we do cause it is cheap and the house is remodeled and the yard in fenced. We can afford culture, recreation, travel because we don't live in a home that is expensive or large. The trade-off is being in a neighborhood of low income, little education, slum landlords and Hispanics. Luckily it is a quiet neighborhood. We are Colorado natives and Weld County natives. The influx of poor, uneducated, Spanish speaking people is not welcome. Crime has increased, traffic accidents have increased, their teenagers are confrontational, the younger ones are disrespectful and out of control. The conservative republicans keep the wages low so that their profits remain high. We shop frequently in Ft. Collins at specialty stores like Wild Oats and Whole Foods. This community is not progressing even if it is getting larger. The extremes are incredible between the haves and have nots. The school board makes incredibly stupid decisions and the schools are failing our kids. Straighten out the education first and eventually all other aspects will improve. Start by getting rid of the bilingual nonsense. - Planning for growth and development of Greeley- mainly there are or will be adequate services for community members of all ages. Transportation public and management of traffic is what is becoming a congested situation. Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? _ 1 just think its odd that we have rules about weeds...cars broken down, cars wrecked, tries flat. Our city is really beginning to look bad. Should have some codes to have people not park 6-10 cars on lawns. Have way too many people living in a house. _ Child support guidelines must be addressed to provide proper support for children. Also, the non-custodial children should not be victimized so that the absent parent can prosper. We must address current child support and laws concerning whether non mandatory overtime is included in determining child support. Every dime the non-custodial parent earns should be included in determining child support. - Area growing too fast...new construction continues while many homes are for sale...smoking ban in bar is ridiculous...non English discrimination When I was growing up in the community, there was no concerns about theft or vandalism...In the past three months we had two tractors and a house vandalized. - Would like the community to focus on the strengths of people and the different cultures so we can all work together to better the lives of families which will strengthen our community Feeling safe while out on the road...Noise pollution...stereos in cars, loud exhaust noise in cars and motorcycles...why do people have to accelerate so fast, especially with a loud muffler _ Water rights _ There exists a tremendous no trust issue between the Latinos and the Whites _ Some are against Wal Mart coming into our community. I am for it, I am a senior and I am losing my eye sight, so my driving is limited and I can get my medications cheaper at Wal Mart - Police could do better at community relations...community officials should have "small town" activities, picnics, ice creams socials, bbqs, parades, 4th of July celebration - I live on a cul-de-sac of eight houses, and my only concern is that neighbors don't get along due to braking dogs,parking of RV's, these types of things. It gets uncomfortable when everyone wants people to "choose sides" Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? - Water supply is well- when electricity goes off there is no water...sometimes for several days. Since it is very old system it tends to not meet clean water standards but there is no money to upgrade. County and State wont help as it is considered a privately owned well - Communication- not able to speak Spanish — We live in the country; therefore the questions did not fully apply to us — The gap between the "haves" and "have nots" continue to widen. This issue is both an economic and social one Illegal or/and non documented individuals/workers and the inability to serve them or incorporate them in the community. If not, other solutions are required - Weld County is having an influx of low income housing that is drawing a certain socio-economic population. This naturally relates a bog on all systems and situations such as daycare, crime, increase of substandard housing etc. - Lack of funding in human services areas will greatly affect not only the Greeley community but the entire Weld Co. community before long as there will not be places for people with develop mental disabilities, mental health issues, drug/alcohol issues and the elderly. Because of funding cuts these services are maxed out and this community is out of options to provide this in need. - Committed to working with dedicated leader and community member around the county to make our neighborhoods and cities the best and safest places to live, work, recreate and raise a family. - There is a real problem with a lack of cultural awareness in our community. There needs to be more opportunities for ethnic groups to learn about each other and form relationships rather than all the finger pointing that currently happens. It would go a long way to help breakdown stereotypes from both sides to have social relationships. - Lack of method for community member to have voice...many do not know the systems and do not speak out. Weld county is changing rapidly and I'm concerned that some areas (such as traffic and roads) - Drug exchange center Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? - I do not believe that my community really incorporates our Hispanic population in decision making or programming decisions. _ Homeless people are coming in to town from Denver. The Weld County food bank does a good job, but often the families need more help on a more frequent basis. Our church is in an area 10th Ave. and 15th St. where there seems to be many transient people at times we're concerned for the resources available and for the safety of the neighborhood WE have just moved into our house at the beginning of July...so far we have not had any problems with crime or disturbances...we have not had a chance to really get to know anyone in our neighborhood yet so it is hard for me to accurately answer the questions in this survey. The community needs more public police activity on traffic issues...speeding, improper lane changes, aggressive driving - This community has concerning issues which I'd be happy to discuss - A little more effort by Police to drive through the neighborhoods, meet some of the residents and keep up with neighborhoods activity...a class for gang members and their families on what happens to those in crime...holding young teens accountable for their victims - My main issue is the average cost of new or developed housing is much greater than the average income. Greeley must bring in business that pay a higher wage around 40,000 per year...Windsor recognizes this...Greeley has brought in the stores...Now bring in the jobs so we can spend in the stores. — Renters in older neighborhoods bring down property values — Car thefts and gang activity are a concern — This area is having a housing development vs. farming issue in South Weld County. People moving to the developments have no tolerance for farming operations i.e: livestock, manure odors, weed control, pest control, or property rights. This is causing agriculture vs. development conflicts. — Too much growth,not welled planned. Too much traffic noise, congestion. Too many unsupervised teens driving and getting into trouble. Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? _ We need a Rec. Center in Ault to keep kids out of trouble. Give them something positive to do. - Road improvements at least on main streets - It seems that only services? is done in the newer parts of town and forgotten in the older parts. One would be the code of enforcement often I have mentioned a garage which is falling down and my concern is child safety and yet nothing has been done. - The police seem to pick on the Hispanics more then the other races in this town - The city of Greeley needs much improvement...the city council is quite out of it when it comes to issues affecting Greeley. There is still hope, but Greeley must begin making numerous changes, which nearby cities have already done years ago to meet the needs and demands of the 21st century. - Schools and education are very concerning as is in the lack of adequate funding of higher education. If you run the state wide list of excellent schools NOT ONE is in Weld County. Even Adams County has at least on. What is wrong with school dist. 6? - Greeley is a very prejudiced town, you learn to live with it. The police dept. is very prejudiced. This is a problem that will always exist. You are more than likely to be pulled over than a white person. Simply cause you are brown. The problem here is Greeley is a social problem...on everyday living problems, who knows it seems the police close there eyes to this kind of stuff. Prejudice is in the schools, some more than others, some not at all. When you learn to live with prejudice and close your eyes. Greeley is a good place to live. At least you can eat in the front of a restaurant! And drink out of any drinking fountain and sit at the front of the bus. - Its sad we cant leave our garage doors open anymore - We need higher wages for jobs - A lot of people have drug use problems - Poor driving habits, everywhere...public school teachers don't care enough about kids — Need more trails, to walk/run and more bike trails Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? _ 1 enjoy living in Greeley...the city has grown since 1 moved here in 1989. My main concern is discrimination that still with us. The letter to the editor- some people in the community show their ignorant in regards to discrimination. - Rising medical costs / lower coverage by insurance...lack of public transportation...lack of shopping close by _ I would like to see our neighbors caring for each other. As there are many disabled, people driving alone, if there could be an exchange of telephone# to check on each other occasionally. I would love to have a "neighborhood watch" There are a lot of nutty people, who would benefit from such a program. But that us just a thought on my part. It does not take much effort on one part to take a few minutes per day, week, or month. — Car break ins...most windows in the cars being broken out — Lack of supporting services for in crisis youth/Gay? Lesbian youth and adults — T have been doing a lot of study and research on the family. T think it is crucial that our community understands the importance of family structure and the importance of being responsible and accountable for their actions. I will assist in what ever way I can if this program is moving in this direction. _ Just all the building of hoes, that seem to stay vacant all the houses for sale why? That people are always in a hurry why? Slow down • It would be nice to have some street lighting on some of these roads • I answered your questions- however I really did not understand what exactly you wanted — Noise from Hwy 66.-neighbors vehicle noise...light pollution, vehicle emissions...not being able to exit out of your driveway...speed limits on roads...the Harleys on a nice Sunday afternoon We are very concerned about the recent violence on 17`x' ave. between 34th st. and Hwy 34. Our son's school has been locked down twice due to neighborhood violence in that area. There have been shootings, gang activity etc. what is being done? L I believe fir the most part, Greeley is a good community to live in. We have lived here most of our lives. We have watched people come together to help others in a crisis Do you have any other issues or concerns about your neighborhood or community that you would like to mention? - Achievement levels of education for Hispanics is bad...gangs in Greeley...schools that are not achieving to CSAP standards and why...overcrowded neighborhoods in the East side of town...poor jobs and low pay...the overall level of Greeley compare to Ft. Collins etc. other towns...The Greeley stampede has not challenged the present name to reflect the city of Greeley...Why isn't is that Greeley can not attract good jobs? Increased gang activity...increased trash in neighborhood...no covenants
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