2020 Quality of Life Survey

OVERALL RATING

Nine hundred residents shared their views through telephone and online opinion surveys conducted in the first half of 2019. Key findings are summarized, including ratings for different aspects of life in Flint. Ratings are based on a scale of one to five, in which five means “very positive” and one means “very negative.” For more information about how the ratings were calculated, see Methodology.

THINGS TO CELEBRATE/
THINGS TO IMPROVE

This section highlights survey results regarding what’s working and what needs improvement. If a section of Focus on Flint does not include information about Things to Celebrate or Things to Improve, it’s because the survey didn’t yield responses to fit the categories.

ALSO HEARD

In addition to results of the opinion survey, Focus on Flint shares information that local nonprofit organizations and agencies have reported hearing from the residents they serve.

SUPPORT FROM MOTT

Support for the organizations and programs presented in bold text includes funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, which produced this report. To learn more, visit the Foundation’s website, Mott.org.

FACTS & FIGURES

Each section includes data and statistics that illuminate strengths of the Flint community and highlight challenges. These facts were collected through opinion surveys of Flint residents; from city, state and federal agencies; and from local nonprofit organizations. The Flint surveys were conducted in the first half of 2019. Unless otherwise noted, all remaining data are from 2018.

DID YOU KNOW?

This section highlights organizations and programs working to address issues in the Flint community and provides information about how to connect with them.

THE ISSUE AND THE RESPONSE

Focus on Flint explores nine important issues facing the local community: Arts and Culture, Economy, Education, Health, Housing, Public Safety, Quality of Life, Standard of Living and Water. This section describes why each issue is critical to the community and summarizes work underway.

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A key goal of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation’s Focus on Flint initiative is to track year-to-year findings of what Flint residents are saying about life in the city and what’s important to them.

With new survey data gathered in 2020 from a representative sample of 800 respondents, this update highlights residents’ perspectives on nine key issues that were explored in the initiative’s first report to the community in 2019. Recognizing the unique challenges posed by COVID-19, it also features residents’ thoughts and concerns regarding the pandemic and its impact.

We hope that this and future Focus on Flint reports will serve as a springboard for ongoing community conversations that could help to keep Flint moving forward and inform the Foundation’s local grantmaking.

2020 SURVEY RESULTS: KEY ISSUES AND OVERALL RATINGS

As in 2019, the Focus on Flint 2020 survey asked residents for their perspectives on issues related to quality of life in Flint. Below are the average ratings of those surveyed, with an arrow indicating if a rating increased or decreased from the prior year, or an equals sign if the rating was unchanged.

Residents’ evaluation of Flint on the issue of: 2020 2019  
 
The city’s water supply 1.9 1.8
Arts and culture 3.7 3.6
The economy 2.4 2.4
Education 2.4 2.6
Housing 2.3 2.2
Public safety 2.4 2.3
Supporting residents’ health 2.9 2.8
Supporting a good standard of living 2.5 2.5
Supporting a good quality of life 2.6 2.5

2020 SURVEY RESULTS: COVID-19

The 2020 survey also asked residents about the impact that COVID-19 has had on their lives. Their responses indicate that since the onset of the pandemic:

  • 40% needed services they had not previously required, including:
    • Access to food: 18%
    • Financial assistance: 15%
    • Medical, health services: 10%
  • 41% experienced a loss in employment due to job elimination, temporary layoffs or other reductions in work hours or wages. Of those, 65% reported feeling confident that their employment and wages will be restored in the coming year.
  • 60% of those with children ages 19 years or younger expressed concern for their children’s feelings of loneliness or isolation as a result of school closures.

METHODOLOGY

A total of 800 residents contributed to this update by sharing their views about various aspects of life in Flint. Their responses were collected through telephone and online interviews conducted in August 2020 by FM3 Research, a nationally respected opinion research firm. Respondents answered many survey questions with a number from one to five to help capture intensity of feeling, with one meaning “very negative” and five meaning “very positive.”

ABOUT THIS UPDATE

The Mott Foundation led editorial efforts for this update. We were joined and supported by FM3 Research and Behr Communications, who conducted the community opinion surveys and analyzed the results. Olmsted Associates in Flint provided design assistance to communicate the survey results.

Un objetivo clave de la iniciativa Focus on Flint Charles Stewart Mott Foundation es rastrear los hallazgos año tras año de lo que los residentes de Flint dicen sobre la vida en la ciudad y lo que es importante para ellos.

Con nuevos datos de encuestas recopilados en 2020 de una muestra representativa de 800 encuestados, esta actualización destaca las perspectivas de los residentes sobre nueve temas clave que se exploraron en el primer informe de la iniciativa a la comunidad en 2019. Reconociendo los desafíos únicos planteados por COVID-19, también presenta los pensamientos e inquietudes de los residentes con respecto a la pandemia y su impacto.

Esperamos que este y los futuros informes de Focus on Flint sirvan como trampolín para las conversaciones comunitarias en curso que podrían ayudar a que Flint siga avanzando e informe sobre la concesión de subvenciones local de la Fundación.

2020 RESULTADOS DE LA ENCUESTA: CUESTIONES CLAVE Y CALIFICACIONES GENERALES

Al igual que en 2019, la encuesta Focus on Flint 2020 preguntó a los residentes sus perspectivas sobre temas relacionados con la calidad de vida en Flint. A continuación se muestran las calificaciones promedio de los encuestados, con una flecha que indica si una calificación aumentó o disminuyó con respecto al año anterior, o un signo igual si la calificación no cambió.

EVALUACIÓN DE FLINT POR RESIDENTES SOBRE EL TEMA DE: 2020 2019  
 
EL SUMINISTRO DE AGUA DE LA CIUDAD 1.9 1.8
ARTE Y CULTURA 3.7 3.6
LA ECONOMÍ 2.4 2.4
EDUCACIÓN 2.4 2.6
VIVIENDA 2.3 2.2
SEGURIDAD PÚBLICA 2.4 2.3
APOYO A LA SALUD DE LOS RESIDENTES 2.9 2.8
APOYAR UN BUEN ESTÁNDAR DE VIDA 2.5 2.5
APOYANDO UNA BUENA CALIDAD DE VIDA 2.6 2.5

RESULTADOS DE LA ENCUESTA DE 2020: COVID-19

La encuesta de 2020 también preguntó a los residentes sobre el impacto que COVID-19 ha tenido en sus vidas. Sus respuestas indican que desde el inicio de la pandemia:

  • El 40% necesitaba servicios que no habían requerido anteriormente, que incluyen:
    • Acceso a la alimentación: 18%
    • Asistencia financiera: 15%
    • Servicios médicos, de salud: 10%
  • El 41% experimentó una pérdida de empleo debido a la eliminación del trabajo, despidos temporales u otras reducciones en las horas de trabajo o los salarios. De ellos, el 65% informó sentirse seguro de que su empleo y salarios se restablecerán el próximo año.
  • El 60% de las personas con hijos de 19 años o menos expresaron preocupación por los sentimientos de soledad o aislamiento de sus hijos como resultado del cierre de escuelas.

METODOLOGÍA

AUn total de 800 residentes contribuyeron a esta actualización compartiendo sus puntos de vista sobre varios aspectos de la vida en Flint. Sus opiniones fueron recopiladas a través de entrevistas telefónicas y en línea realizadas en agosto de 2020 por FM3 Research, una encuestadora respetada a nivel nacional. Los encuestados respondieron muchas preguntas de la encuesta con un número del uno al cinco para ayudar a capturar la intensidad del sentimiento, con cinco significando "muy positivo" y uno significando "muy negativo".

ACERCA DE ESTA ACTUALIZACIÓN

La Fundación Mott lideró los esfuerzos editoriales para este proyecto. Behr Communications y FM3 nos acompañaron y apoyaron, quienes realizaron las encuestas de opinión de la comunidad y analizaron los resultados. Olmsted Associates en Flint brindó asistencia en el diseño para comunicar los resultados de la encuesta.

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