CITY OF BELLINGHAM RESIDENTIAL SURVEY REPORT CENTER FOR ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS RESEARCH March 10, 2017 Prepared for The City of Bellingham Author(s) Isabel Vassiliadis Hart Hodges, Ph.D. James McCafferty Prepared by Contents Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 About the Authors ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Executive Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Respondent Demographics ....................................................................................................................... 6 Life in Bellingham ...................................................................................................................................... 7 Summary of Notable Trends ..................................................................................................................... 8 Homelessness........................................................................................................................................ 8 Housing Affordability ............................................................................................................................ 9 Growth and Economic Development .................................................................................................. 10 Budget Preferences ............................................................................................................................. 11 Feelings of Safety Downtown ............................................................................................................. 12 Renewable Energy............................................................................................................................... 13 Lake Whatcom Watershed .................................................................................................................. 13 About the Survey ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Survey Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 14 Possible Limitations ................................................................................................................................ 15 Survey Results ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Demographics ......................................................................................................................................... 16 Residence Type ................................................................................................................................... 16 Gender ................................................................................................................................................ 17 Neighborhood ..................................................................................................................................... 18 Length of Bellingham Residency ......................................................................................................... 19 Minors in Household ........................................................................................................................... 19 Age ...................................................................................................................................................... 20 Household Income .............................................................................................................................. 21 General Observations ............................................................................................................................. 22 Quality of Life ...................................................................................................................................... 22 Bellingham Values ............................................................................................................................... 23 Bellingham Challenges ........................................................................................................................ 33 Concluding Remarks ............................................................................................................................ 43 City Services .......................................................................................................................................... 146 Livability of Neighborhoods .............................................................................................................. 146 City of Bellingham Residential Survey Report, 2016 2 | P a g e Planning for Growth .......................................................................................................................... 147 Protecting the Environment.............................................................................................................. 147 Using Tax Dollars Responsibly ........................................................................................................... 148 Public Safety Services ........................................................................................................................ 149 Services relying on taxpayer dollars ..................................................................................................... 150 Maintaining Parks and Trails ............................................................................................................. 150 Recreational Programs ...................................................................................................................... 151 Fire Protection Services .................................................................................................................... 151 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) .................................................................................................. 152 Improving Streets .............................................................................................................................. 153 Economic Development and Business Growth ................................................................................. 154 Library Services ................................................................................................................................. 155 Arts and Cultural Experiences ........................................................................................................... 156 Involving the Public ........................................................................................................................... 166 Communicating with Citizens ........................................................................................................... 167 Reducing Human Impact on the Environment.................................................................................. 168 Preventing Crime and Protecting the Community ............................................................................ 169 Media Services ...................................................................................................................................... 206 BTV Viewing Frequency .................................................................................................................... 206 BTV Viewing Method ........................................................................................................................ 207 COB Website Visitation ..................................................................................................................... 208 COB Website Viewing Frequency ...................................................................................................... 209 Budget ................................................................................................................................................... 210 Budget Priorities ............................................................................................................................... 210 Tax or Fee Preference ....................................................................................................................... 212 Services to Reduce or Cut ................................................................................................................. 213 Service Priorities ............................................................................................................................... 214 Environmental Actions .......................................................................................................................... 215 Importance of Reducing Automobile Use ......................................................................................... 215 Importance of Renewable Energy ..................................................................................................... 216 Lake Whatcom Watershed ................................................................................................................ 217 Environmental Remediation ............................................................................................................