Housing Survey Preliminary Results

Antithesis Research started the Housing Element of the Sustainable Community Project at the beginning of April 2012.  Since then we have distributed over 1000 surveys through mailers, email blasts, listening posts at the Trading Post, at community events, and at the Arby’s Grand Opening.  By May 1, 2012 we had collected 170 surveys, so if you still have your survey please fill it out and return to AR staff.  What we are trying to find out from the community is what aspects of their current housing do they like, what don’t they like, and what changes if any would they like to see in future housing built for the Tribe.  The information provided in the survey responses will be used to create alternative culturally relevant housing designs, inform policy makers as to what needs and concerns the community has regarding housing, and will assist SIHA and the Tribe’s Planning Department in developing future housing.

Below are the preliminary results of a few questions from the survey:

Current Housing          

From the responses, 43% said they were not satisfied with their current living conditions and gave varying responses as to why they were not satisfied.  Including not having a place of their own, too many people living in a given space, their housing needed some repairs, or they were not living in the community they wanted.  The 57% that were satisfied with their current housing were satisfied because they had enough room for family, they liked the location of their home, or they were simply happy to have a place to stay.  

Cultural Questions

We asked several questions in our survey about if their current housing is or should be reflective of Spokane culture.  We also asked how can housing express and be reflective of Spokane Indian culture.  What we’ve heard is that 72% of the respondents thought that housing should reflect the cultural needs of the Spokane Tribe.  27% did not think that housing should reflect cultural needs.  Reasons people gave for their responses included that this decision should be up to the people living in the house, yes the housing needs to reflect that we are a social people, or they did not know how a house could reflect Spokane Indian culture. 

Utilities

We asked the community a range of questions in the utilities section of our survey about their current housing’s physical condition, current and preferred heating sources, water quality, sewer systems, ventilation, and access to telephone and internet.  When asked if they currently had internet access, 37% of the respondents did not have access.  When asked if they would like access to the internet 89% said they would. Even people who currently have some form of internet access, such as dial-up, said they would like to have better internet access.  Currently those that do have internet access have the following; 19% have dial- up, 35% have broadband, 34% have satellite, and 12% did not know what type of internet connection they had. 

These are only a few of the questions that we gathered input from the community about. We will make available the results for all the questions once we have collected all remaining surveys.  If you are interested in viewing all the results and being part of Community Steering Committee who will tell us if these results are a true reflection of the community’s needs and desires, please join us May 29, 2012 at 10 a.m.  in the Administration Building – Bruce Wynne Room.  Thank you for taking the time to give us your input by filling out the Housing Element Survey. 

Richard Knott

Community Liaison

Antithesis Research