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City presents 2024 National Community Survey showing strong safety and library ratings; concerns about transparency and homelessness
Summary
Polco presented the 2024 National Community Survey for Redlands showing high ratings for neighborhood safety, libraries and arts but lower ratings for government openness and information; homelessness and public safety ranked top priorities by residents. Council voted to receive and file the report.
Brandon Barnett of Polco presented the results of Redlands’ fourth National Community Survey on Nov. 19, reporting a combined 717 responses from a probability sample and an open participation phase.
Polco’s analysis showed most residents feel safe in their neighborhoods and downtown during the day, high satisfaction with public library services (about 92% positive), and above‑average ratings for arts and culture. Mobility measures (walkability and bicycle travel) and street cleaning also rated well. Economy and downtown vibrancy earned relatively strong marks compared with national benchmarks.
The survey asked a local question about homelessness: roughly 41% of respondents said homelessness is a major problem and 43% said it is a moderate problem. When asked what to prioritize for homelessness, respondents rated access to health care and substance‑abuse treatment, and continuing to fund organizations that support people experiencing homelessness, among the highest priorities. Public safety and homelessness emerged as the two top priorities when residents were asked to identify the single top city priority.
Councilmembers raised the survey’s response rate during the Q&A. One councilmember and a member of the public pointed out the 717 combined responses amount to under 2% of an estimated 40,000 adult residents; guest speaker Dennis Bell said the low response rate limits generalizability and called the expenditure wasteful. Polco noted that the results combine a probability sample and open participation component, and that weighting methods were applied to better reflect the city’s adult population. Staff and council discussed expanding outreach and supplemental outreach channels for future administrations to improve reach.
The council voted to receive and file the presentation and report, and members asked staff to consider additional outreach to explain city homelessness efforts and other programs reflected in the survey.
