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Moscow pushes door‑to‑door survey to regain HUD eligibility after low response rate
Summary
City staff mailed 371 anonymized low‑to‑moderate‑income surveys; 118 have been returned (32% response), leaving 160 responses needed to reach the Idaho Department of Commerce's 75% requirement (278 responses). Staff plan evening and weekend door‑knocking to meet a Dec. 5 submission deadline.
City staff told the Moscow City Council on Oct. 20 they are intensifying outreach after a low response to a low‑to‑moderate‑income (LMI) randomized survey used to establish eligibility for Idaho Department of Commerce Community Development Block Grant funding. Lisa Anderson, the city’s statistical lead, said the city mailed 371 surveys on Sept. 22 and that respondents could return a prepaid envelope or answer online via a QR code; mailings were anonymized and labeled “resident.”
Anderson said 118 surveys have been returned—about a 32% response rate—far short of the 75% (278 responses) required by the Department of Commerce for a valid citywide survey. Based on current returns the running LMI estimate among respondents is about 44%, below the 50.9% threshold reported in the American Community Survey effective Oct. 1/Aug. 2024. Anderson noted HUD does not round the ACS value and that the 50.9 figure left the city just below the automatic eligibility threshold.
To increase returns, staff began door‑to‑door surveying on Oct. 17, leaving door hangers when residents were absent, and plan evening and weekend shifts. Anderson said the team aims to finish most of the work before Thanksgiving but must submit final documentation to the Department of Commerce by Dec. 5. She cautioned council that if the survey does not meet the 75% response requirement it would not be considered valid for Department of Commerce purposes.
Council members asked about staffing and coverage in student‑saturated apartment areas; Anderson said students often do not check mail and that targeted evening/weekend outreach and concentration mapping are being used to improve the response rate. She reiterated that the survey is anonymous (the mailing list did not include names and door‑knock collection will not record names). Anderson asked council to continue encouraging residents to complete and return the blue envelopes or use the QR code.
The city will report further progress to council as staff continue door‑to‑door outreach and other reminder efforts ahead of the Dec. 5 submission deadline.
