The City of Arvada's 2024 Community Survey, conducted by Probolsky Research, offers valuable insights into residents' perceptions of various aspects of city life. The survey, which was carried out from September 28 to October 30, 2024, gathered responses from 1,480 residents through both phone and online methods, ensuring a diverse representation of the community.
To help facilitate conversation around the results, what they mean, and how we can take action, Arvada Voices has broken down the results in an easy-to-understand and digestible way.
Understanding Survey Percentages
It's important to note that some survey questions reference percentages that pertain only to specific portions of respondents. For instance, when evaluating the city's responsiveness, 45% of the total respondents agreed with the statement. There is then a follow-up question that focuses on those who agreed, showing 75% somewhat agreed, while 25% strongly agreed. The survey results sometimes focus on the responses from the portion that agree or disagree, resulting in some percentages representing only a portion of respondents, and not all of them. To simplify this, all charts in this article show results based on the total number of respondents rather than a subsection of them (e.g. instead of stating 75% of the 45% somewhat agreed, we state 34% of all respondents somewhat agree that the city is responsive to residents). This breakdown provides a nuanced understanding of residents' sentiments and highlights the importance of delving deeper into the data to grasp the full context.
Key Findings
Quality of Life:Â A significant majority of residents hold a positive view of life in Arvada. Specifically, 67% rate the overall quality of life as good, and 61% consider Arvada a good place to live.
City Responsiveness:Â Trust in city leadership presents an area for improvement. Only 45% of respondents believe that the City of Arvada is responsive to residents' priorities, indicating a need for enhanced engagement and communication between the city and its residents.
Homelessness and Housing Affordability:Â Addressing homelessness and housing affordability emerged as critical concerns among residents, and was brought up by Probolsky Research during the February 3rd City Council Meeting. Notably, only 17% of respondents identified homelessness as the most pressing issue facing the community. Furthermore, only 29% of all respondents expressed that homelessness was causing Arvada to "head in the wrong direction", and just 9.5% of all respondents felt that progress on affordable housing initiatives was resulting in the city "heading in the right direction".
Road maintenance and city infrastructure: When evaluating the Public Works Department, key priorities for residents include road pavement quality, snow and ice control, and traffic operations. However, satisfaction with these services is significantly lower than their perceived importance—especially road pavement, where only 352 out of 1,231 respondents are satisfied with current conditions. This gap highlights the need for greater attention and improvements in these areas. Services like environmental compliance and multi-modal connectivity are less of a priority for residents, but their satisfaction levels are still low, meaning there may be opportunities for better communication or investment. Understanding these differences helps city officials focus on what matters most to residents and make better decisions about where to allocate resources.
Community Feedback on Homelessness
The survey's open-ended responses to Question 1 shed light on residents' perspectives regarding homelessness. In 409 pages of verbatim responses from Arvadans, homelessness was mentioned 437 times, with many responses focusing on the once-proposed navigation center at the ECA and the crime associated with homelessness in Olde Town. Many residents expressed concerns about the visibility of homelessness in public spaces and its perceived impact on community safety and cleanliness.
The increasing homeless population around Olde Town and neighborhoods across Arvada. We have stopped taking our family (especially our young children) to Olde Town due to the homeless population that is everywhere! Olde Town used to be a fun safe place to go out on dates, play in the Olde Town fountain, visit the Library and watch the trains go by. It is not like this any more. We moved to Arvada specifically for the Olde Town feel and charm. Olde Town has lost it's charm. It now feels dirty, unsafe and broken down. We would move if we could, but we can go elsewhere for the once appealing charm that Olde Town used to have.
The amount of crime and homelessness! Arvada seems to attract many of these individuals. Expired or no license plates. Sat next to an officer in car who had a direct view to a car with 2023 temporary tag did nothing. Building a homeless shelter will attract more or these types. Lived here for 40 years and the city is now one of the most undesirable cities in Colorado
I live in Olde Town. However I think putting any type of resource center for homeless, drug/alcohol addicts, mental health victims etc. in or near peoples homes is horrendous. People have made investments, this is there Home where you go to unwind, celebrate holidays, build a life. The idea of disturbing their quality of life in favor of helping both the unfortunate as well as those who have made poor choices is terrible. Any type of resource center should be in commercial or warehouse property. Perhaps city property (if there is a huge buffer). For these property owners that are currently suffering from the city's decision to potentially open this navigation center I feel for them. You have ruined their quality of life right now. Whether it ultimately happens or not. If it existed and people choose to buy homes and live near these types of centers then so be it. I think what the city is proposing is at the expense of these people in Arlington Meadows. How can you not care about them?
Some called for increased support services, such as shelters and mental health resources, while others emphasized the need for stricter enforcement of public ordinances.
Question: In your own words, what do you feel is the most important issue facing Arvada today? Answer: Homeless situation affecting quality of olde town, code enforcement
Most Important Issue Facing Arvada Today: The utter lack transparency in connection with the City of Arvada's purchase of and planned use of the Early College of Arvada building and campus ("ECA"); the dismissive responses and lies given to Arvada citizens by Arvada's Mayor regarding ECA (for example the outright lies regarding the terms of the grant funding to support the City's plans regarding the ECA); the City's unwillingness to sign the grant application for a church located in Olde Town that has been doing successful outreach for many years; the ongoing lack of the City's support for basic services to the people living in, near and around the Arlington Meadows subdivision and neighborhood. The City of Arvada has lost the trust and good will of the Arlington Meadows residents and the surrounding neighborhoods. We shouldn't have to demand answers from the City of Arvada, especially regarding the City's plans for our neighborhood and homes.
I think the biggest challenges are traffic and infrastructure, we've had tremendous growth and now less green space so that is a detractor. Crime and homelessness needs to be addressed and I know there is not easy solution, but having been a long time resident it feels unsafe in areas.
This diverse range of opinions underscores the complexity of the issue and the necessity for comprehensive, multifaceted solutions.
Conclusion
The 2024 Community Survey provides a valuable snapshot of residents' perceptions of life in Arvada, offering both encouraging insights and areas of concern. While many respondents hold a positive view of the city's quality of life, with 67% rating it as good, there are clear challenges that require the city's attention.
City responsiveness remains a key area for improvement, with only 45% of residents believing that Arvada leaders are effectively addressing community priorities. This highlights a need for increased transparency, better communication, and more proactive engagement with the public to ensure that local government actions align with residents’ concerns and expectations.
Homelessness and housing affordability have emerged as polarizing topics within the community. While a relatively small percentage (17.4%) of respondents identified homelessness as the most pressing issue, the survey’s open-ended responses reflect a deep and emotional discourse on the subject. Many residents are concerned about the visibility of homelessness, particularly in Olde Town, citing safety, crime, and declining neighborhood appeal. However, others advocate for increased support services, shelters, and mental health resources, demonstrating the complexity of addressing this issue in a way that balances public concerns with humanitarian solutions.
Road maintenance and city infrastructure also remain key priorities for residents. The low satisfaction levels for road pavement quality (23.8%) suggest a growing frustration with aging infrastructure and the city's handling of public works. Residents want to see clear improvements in road conditions, snow and ice control, and traffic operations, signaling the need for more effective resource allocation and long-term infrastructure planning.
When asked whether they'd support higher taxes to fund improvements or address priorities, most respondents said no. This shows that while many residents are unhappy with the current situation, they’re not ready to pay more out of their pockets to fix it. It’s a sign that city officials will need to get creative in finding solutions without burdening people further.
These survey results emphasize the importance of digging deeper into community perspectives rather than just focusing on high-level percentages. Some figures, such as the breakdown of agreement levels on city responsiveness, show that even within areas of concern, there are varying degrees of sentiment. Understanding these nuances is crucial for both city officials and residents as they work toward meaningful solutions.
Ultimately, these findings present an opportunity for city leaders to listen, adapt, and take action on the issues that matter most to Arvadans. By fostering better communication, addressing critical concerns like homelessness and infrastructure, and working to rebuild trust, the city can ensure that Arvada remains a thriving and desirable place to live.
For a more in-depth exploration of the survey results, including detailed data and analysis, residents are encouraged to review the full report here: https://www.arvadaco.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5072/Probolsky-Research---City-of-Arvada---Community-Survey-2024---Report-on-Results
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