Homelessness and addiction is a hot topic in Campbell River. That’s the findings of this year’s citizen satisfaction survey.
Responses were generated by mailing 1,300 surveys to randomly selected households in March, with an online survey available for people who didn’t receive a survey in the mail.
And while 98 per cent of respondents said they’re satisfied with the quality of life in Campbell River, the City says 32 per cent indicated homelessness and addiction as the single most important issue around town. Ten per cent noted crime and safety as the biggest issue, and nine per cent said the availability of housing.
“Regularly measuring citizen satisfaction levels through a truly random and representative survey provides reliable insight into community concerns,” city manager Deborah Sargent tells My Campbell River Now. “It helps match city services to community priorities and needs.”
But these findings came as no surprise to City staff. In an effort to combat homelessness and addiction, they formed a Downtown Safety Select Committee late last year. The team provided recommendations for improving the downtown core, while also helping to determine how to best use the $225,000 budgeted for safety initiatives.
Their goal was to take note of the public’s need for a clean, safe, and usable downtown, and provided ten recommendations in total: One of the recommendations being the removal of the glass overhang at Spirit Square, which sparked concern from homeless advocates.
READ MORE: Removal of Spirit Square glass panels sparks concern from homeless advocates
Along with questions about satisfaction with services and which services are most important, the survey asked for feedback on the City’s COVID-19 response, including opinions about pandemic-related service cuts.
All responses were anonymous, and the report is statistically valid and representative of Campbell River’s population based on Statistics Canada’s most recent census information.
A detailed report on findings – including comparison to 2019, 2016, 2013, and 2006 results, where available – can be found here.
