Ask Palo Alto residents how they really feel about their metropolis, and plenty of will reward its considerable nature preserves, job alternatives, and academic choices.
However after two years of pandemic-related disruptions and isolation, a rising quantity additionally really feel the town is failing them relating to offering psychological well being companies, in keeping with the not too long ago launched Metropolis of Palo Alto Neighborhood Survey, a annual indicator of public opinion. .
Of the practically 400 residents who responded to the survey, solely 26% rated the town “good” or “wonderful” when requested in regards to the availability of high quality, reasonably priced psychological well being care, down from 44% in 2021 and 63% in 2014, the primary 12 months this query was requested.
That is simply one of many points practically 400 Palo Alta residents weighed in on when answering the survey, which the Metropolis Council plans to debate at its Jan. 23 assembly, 5 days earlier than its annual assembly to set its priorities for 2023.
In accordance with a report by Metropolis Supervisor Ed Shikada, the survey is used to “collect details about resident views on the group, together with native facilities, companies, public belief, resident engagement, and different points of the group”.
“Survey info is used to help budgeting, land use and strategic planning, and group outreach efforts,” the report states.
Presently, the town’s precedence record consists of “group well being and security,” which incorporates psychological well being help. The survey outcomes underscore the town’s challenges in addressing this subject and counsel that the precedence, because it pertains to psychological well being, is prone to stay and develop within the coming 12 months.
Whereas the subject of psychological well being has come up now and again all year long, the council has not taken any new initiatives to straight handle the influence of the pandemic on the psychological well being of native residents. Councilmember Pat Burt, who served as mayor in 2022, highlighted the problem in his “State of the Metropolis” handle final April when he instructed the town has entered the “post-traumatic” interval of the pandemic, a very tough for native youth.
Many youngsters, he famous, needed to be “principally at house for the higher a part of two years.”
“It is a big shock, and we as a group have to determine how we’re going to assist these youngsters make the transition as we attempt to get out of this era and get better,” she stated.
Many older adults, he added, had been additionally confined to their properties for a lot of the pandemic and lacked regular alternatives to socialize and make connections, he stated. “These two ends of the spectrum in our group are those that we have now challenges with proper now which can be higher than we have had in a very long time,” Burt stated.
The difficulty of psychological well being additionally got here up throughout the current council race, with newly elected council member Julie Lythcott-Haims mentioning it as a precedence throughout her marketing campaign and suggesting that the town type a process power that features physicians. , nonprofit organizations, and college directors to develop youth companies.
Vice Mayor Greer Stone, a highschool instructor, stated psychological well being companies, particularly for youth, ought to be a “important precedence for the town shifting towards 2023.”
“We should always take the outcomes of the group survey severely and assist inform our subsequent steps,” Stone stated. “The info is evident.”
Cultural actions, parking get excessive marks
The supply of psychological well being companies isn’t the one space the place native views have modified within the final 12 months. The survey additionally means that many individuals consider the town can do a greater job of involving them in authorities decision-making.
In accordance with the survey, 46% of respondents gave the town excessive marks for welcoming resident participation. That is down from 56% in 2018 and 51% in 2021.
Not all of the information, nonetheless, is grim. As previously, the survey exhibits that an awesome majority of Palo Alto residents price the town extremely as a spot to dwell (88% gave it excessive marks), to work (79%), and to lift youngsters. youngsters (87%). The next proportion of respondents additionally gave the town constructive marks relating to alternatives to attend cultural, inventive and musical actions, with 78% ranking them pretty much as good or wonderful, in comparison with 71% in 2021.
In one of many few silver linings of the pandemic, public parking now seems to be much less of a priority as extra staff are working remotely. In 2017 and 2018, the share of surveyed residents who gave the town excessive marks for the benefit of public parking was 33% and 32%, respectively. That rose to 59% in 2021 and 67% in 2022, in keeping with the survey.
In the meantime, colleges proceed to earn excessive marks, with 88% of respondents giving them “good” or “wonderful” rankings, roughly just like earlier years. On the similar time, nonetheless, extra residents are elevating issues in regards to the availability of high quality, reasonably priced daycare or preschool. Simply 34% gave the town excessive scores on this class in 2022, up from 44% in 2021.
The survey additionally exhibits that whereas residents typically price their high quality of life excessive, a rising quantity not view Palo Alto as an excellent place to retire, with solely 46% ranking it “good” or “wonderful.” vs. 52% beforehand. final 12 months and 68% a decade in the past.
Because the metropolis started its surveys in 2003, just one 12 months has had decrease retirement scores: 2018, when simply 40% gave the town excessive marks within the retirement class.
Housing anxiousness might play a job. As previously, Palo Alto continues to attain dismal relating to housing availability and affordability, with solely 5% of respondents giving the town excessive scores when requested in regards to the “price of life” and solely 6% price it extremely when requested in regards to the “availability of reasonably priced housing. In each classes, Palo Alto was close to the underside of the record of practically 300 jurisdictions surveyed by the Nationwide Analysis Heart.
And when residents had been requested what change the town may make to make them happier, 24% of respondents targeted on housing (issues about road situations, which had been the topic of 14% of responses , got here a distant second). “Construct extra homes” was a standard chorus within the open-ended part. One individual stated that he needs he may discover cheaper hire as a grad pupil; one other referred to as for “honest housing for all, with dignity”; whereas one other referred to as for “extra housing for academics, firefighters, service personnel, artists and musicians.”
“At present’s skyscrapers are fairly ugly; possibly one thing somewhat prettier?” they added.
The group survey additionally confirmed growing demand for metropolis companies in 2022, in comparison with the earlier 12 months. Library use elevated: 72% of respondents reported utilizing a library previously 12 months, up from 62% in 2021. Moreover, 47% stated that they had used a recreation middle within the earlier 12 months, up from to 39% in 2021.
However regardless of 45% of residents saying that they had attended a city-sponsored occasion in 2022, up from 30% in 2021, fewer folks expressed curiosity in shaping metropolis selections. The share of residents who reported voting in the newest election, attending a public assembly or viewing a public assembly on their screens decreased between 2021 and 2022, in keeping with the survey.
“Whereas residents worth metropolis companies, civic participation has declined,” the survey concludes.
The survey, administered by the Polco firm, was carried out between October and December and concerned sending three,600 surveys to randomly chosen households in all sectors of the town.
In accordance with Polco, 398 folks accomplished and returned their surveys, with a response price of 12%. Of these surveys despatched out, 7% had been returned as a result of the residence was vacant or the postal service was unable to ship the survey.