Fresno Speaks: 2022 Community Survey
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Data for Social Good (DSG) was commissioned by The Fresno County Civic Engagement Table (FCCET), a coalition of local organizations to conduct a survey within the City of Fresno. The research was conducted from June 25 to August 23, 2022 with a total of 1,850 Fresno residents. DSG oversampled Latinos, Blacks, and Asians to approximate the City’s registered voters and aimed to gauge their political engagement and specific policy concerns, providing insights into the civic involvement and pressing issues facing their community.
Key Issues
Fresno residents are primarily focused on housing and public safety as issues that negatively impact their household. From a range of choices, the top three concerns among Fresno residents are:
Housing (20.5%): statistically significant for Latinos and Blacks
Homelessness (18.4%): 36-45 age cohort being most concerned
Crime and Gun Violence (16.9%): white respondents and residents that are 65+ were most concerned
Violence and Mental Health Services
When addressing the issue of reducing violence, respondents highlighted prevention and rehabilitation as key strategies. The majority favored:
- mental health services (26.4%)
- more job opportunities for formerly incarcerated (21.3%)
- targeted programs in schools (16.5%)
Improving Engagement in Fresno
The majority of Fresno residents believe voting in the general election important. However, many residents of color were more likely than white residents to be unaware of how to contact their city council representatives.
- 85.5% believe that voting is extremely important or very important
- 30.9% of residents struggle in understanding how to engage or contact their city council representative
Overall, Fresno residents want to get involved in resolving issues in their community. Majority of these involvements include improvement in the following issues: cost of living, youth involvement, community and social support, and environmental concerns.
The Fresno County Civic Engagement Table (FCCET) consists of the following coalition organizations:
Fresno Metro Black Chamber
Communities for a New California
Faith in the Valley
Hmong Innovation Politics
Jakarta Movement
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