2009 Rosalia Community Poverty Reduction Survey

2009 ROSA LI A C OMMU NIT Y P OVE RTY RED UCT IO N SU RVE Y The Rosalia Horizons Leadership Team, comprised of your Rosalia neighbors, is beginning to prepare a strategic action plan to reduce poverty through the year 2012. (This is the third and final development step in our 18-month long Horizons* community leadership project which began in September 2008). The first step is to survey residents and community members to see what they feel are the most important and promising strategies to adopt. The next, second step will be to hold two community meetings (June 7 & 14 at 4:00pm at the Old Pizza Parlor) to gather additional public input and to write the action plan. Please plan on attending and bring friends/neighbors! Today, we’d like to invite you to take the following survey. All answers are strictly confidential! All input will help us shape the above mentioned Action Plan! Your input is very important and all ideas will be considered in plan development. This survey is organized around three guiding poverty reduction goals identified by our funder, the Northwest Area Foundation. They include: increased individual assets/wealth among low income people, increased community capacity to achieve sustainable prosperity, and improved public policy solutions to reduce poverty. Let’s start with a little information about you: 1. How many years have you lived in the community?

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2. Please indicate your gender and age: Male _____ Female _____ <18____ 18-24 ____ 25-34 ____ 35-44 ____ 45-54 ____ 55-64 ____ 65+ _____ 3. Would you describe Rosalia as a place where people mostly help one another or a place where people mostly go their own way? Help one another _____ Go their own way ____

4. Please identify your ethnic background: Caucasian/White _____ Mexican American ____ Native American/Indian ____ Asian American _____ Latino/Hispanic _____ Other (please specify)________________________________ *Horizons is a project of the Northwest Area Foundation managed through Washington State University Extension. For more information contact community coach Patrick Malone at 509.279.5107 or [email protected].

5. Please check, and rate, the following activities/strategies which you believe

are “ important” to reducing poverty in Rosalia by the year 2012 (please mark all that apply): Somewhat Important Not Important

Increased Individual Assets: • Increase financial literacy/education _____ • Promote earned income tax credit _____ • Promote individual development accounts _____ • Promote home repair/energy savings _____ • Promote banking and savings _____ • Promote homeownership _____ • Promote self-employment _ ____ • Promote micro-enterprise _____ • Promote reduced health care costs _____ Increased Community Capacity: • Improve community leadership skills _____ • Promote job expansion _____ • Recruit new businesses _____ • Start a “Buy Local” campaign _____ • Reduce crime _____ _____ • Reduce drugs/alcohol/tobacco use _____ • Create a buying cooperative _____

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Expand workforce training _____ Create a youth jobs mentoring program _____ Improve community communication _____ Start a youth/community center _____ Start an entrepreneurship program _____ Increase tourism _____ _____ Improve fixed income transportation _____ Promote community recreation _____

Improved Public Policy: • Increase funding for early, childhood ed _____ • Enact a living wage ordinance _____ • Enact first source hiring agreements _____ • Lower taxes for business start-ups _____ • Revise tax structure _____ • Better fund economic development efforts _____ • Promote renewable energy _____

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6. What ONE project, activity or strategy do you think Rosalia should undertake to most reduce poverty and promote community prosperity? Explain: _______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________