Pride outreach survey finds transportation, free communal space and housing cited as top barriers to inclusion in Bangor

City staff presented findings from a short survey administered at the recent Pride events and summarized open comments collected at the advisory committee’s booth.

The survey asked attendees whether Bangor feels inclusive and which barriers residents face. Staff reported that most respondents answered “yes” or “sometimes” when asked if Bangor is inclusive and that zero respondents selected “no” on that particular question in the Pride survey sample. When asked about barriers to inclusion, the most frequently selected items were lack of accessible transportation, financial cost and lack of free spaces for communal gathering. Housing affordability and language access also appeared among the top concerns.

Committee members and staff discussed next steps for follow-up. Staff outlined plans for a community postcard and electronic survey with a QR code, student-led surveys in local schools, targeted neighborhood meetings and follow-up short surveys at future events. The committee suggested running a short, in-person five-to-seven-question instrument at future Pride activities and urged staff to work with community partners to refine questions about what “financial cost” means in different contexts.

Staff noted additional qualitative feedback included requests for more autism-friendly shopping opportunities, safe spaces for transgender residents and improved outreach to Native communities. Committee members volunteered to coordinate further outreach and to discuss how survey questions can be aligned with the broader CDBG community-engagement effort.

Separately, committee members also received updates on MLK breakfast planning and suggested ways the advisory committee could support transportation and youth engagement for that January event.