Community Assets:

1. Community Assets: Community & Nonprofit Leaders’ Views of Our Top Three Issues SURVEY ANALYS I S Survey respondents were asked what they saw as the three major ISSUES in Washtenaw County for residents. These responses were coded into categories, which are presented below. When the percentage of respondents who named an item as an issue is above 10% (19 of 185 respondents), the item is included in the following two pages, along with several examples of the verbatim comments. Responses will total more than 100% due to the fact that respondents could name up to three issues. There were a large percentage of miscellaneous comments which did not fit in any category. • Economy (45%) • Employment (17%) • “The decreasing job market in the area.” • “Employment Opportunities for individuals who are non-University affiliated.” • Good Jobs & Wages (9%) • “Equitable wages and long-term employment from loyal employers who take a genuine interest in the care and compensation of their employees.” • “Livable wage jobs for families that lack higher education and advanced training opportunities.” • Misc. Economy (7%) • “Economic development in Ypsilanti.” • Economy in Michigan (5%) • Auto Industry problems (4%) • Loss of locally-owned businesses (3%) • Affordable Housing (38%) • “Safe and affordable housing for all Washtenaw County residents.” • “Housing - a lack of affordable housing and homeownership opportunities for moderate income families. We are not building housing suitable for an income mix. “ • “Affordable Housing and Commercial Space. The social and economic diversity that give our region so much of its character is threatened by ever-rising real estate costs. We don't want to become Birmingham!”

2. Community Assets: Community & Nonprofit Leaders’Views of Our Top Three Issues (continued) SURVEY ANALYS I S • Transportation Overall (23%) • Transit Services (9%) • “Lack of low cost, useful, public transportation both within and between outlying communities and larger cities such as Ann Arbor & Ypsilanti, and between all areas of the county and the Detroit area.” • “AATA is a good bus system, but I am not happy with the evening and weekend service, as well as possible cutbacks in service to Ypsilanti.” • Traffic & Road Congestion (7%) • “Highway congestion during peak times.” • General Transportation issues (7%) • “Lack of bicycle paths along major roads.” • Sprawl/Green space (19%) • “Land use--urban sprawl and its impacts on farmland and open space.” • “Land use and related urban sprawl, loss of environmental quality and natural resources, traffic impacts, loss of sense of place and community.” • Access to Affordable Health Care (18%) • “Affordable healthcare for all residents, including the insured who can't afford doctor's office visits or bankrupt themselves to pay for healthcare.” • “Lack of comprehensive access to health care.” • High Taxes (6%) • Schools (6%) • Education (5%) • Lack of Coordination Within Government/Nonprofits (5%) • Crime & Safety (5%) • Other Categories • Uncategorized Comments (24%) • Youth Issues (9%) • Inadequate County/City Resources (7%) • Older Adult Issues (6%)

3. Community Assets: Community & Nonprofit Leaders’ Views of Our Top Three Assets SURVEY ANALYS I S Survey respondents were asked what they saw as the three major ASSETS in Washtenaw County for residents. These responses were coded into categories, which are presented below. When the percentage of respondents who named an item as an asset is above 10% (19 of 185 respondents), the item is included in the following two pages, along with two examples of the verbatim comments. Reponses will total more than 100% due to the fact respondents could name up to three assets. • Universities (41%) • “Great universities--U of M, Eastern, WCC.” • ”Concentration of universities and knowledge.” • Green Space & Parks (22%) • “Natural resources--parks and the river.” • “Varied landscapes and land uses.” • Nonprofits (21%) • “Wealth of human services - people in this community know how to address problems, we just need more resources to meet the needs.” • “Resources available for most personal, mental and social issues (Affordability is another issue).” • Concerned & Involved Residents (21%) • “The generosity of its people in their giving both monetarily and of their time for volunteerism.” • “Activist, concerned community with strong leaders” • Intellectual Capital (18%) • “Education level of residents” • “Well-educated, hard-working, employee base.”

4. Community Assets: Community & Nonprofit Leaders’ Views of Our Top Three Assets (continued) SURVEY ANALYS I S • Diversity (17%) • “Diverse population.” • ”Multicultural community.” • Arts & Cultural Activities (16%) • “Richness and depth of arts and cultural offerings.” • “Wonderful cultural opportunities--from UMS to small independent drama groups.” • Good Economy & Employment Opportunities (12%) • “A relatively stable economic environment, especially comparing with the rest of the state.” • “High-tech employment opportunities.” • Sense of Place/Quality of Life (12%) • “Quality of Place and Sense of Place. Unlike many suburban communities, Washtenaw County has not lost its sense of place and uniqueness. This is an important and fragile asset.” • “Commitment to improving quality of life for county residents.” • Health Care Resources (11%) • “Health care resources.” • “Assess to healthcare facilities (Affordability is another issue).” • Other Categories • Many Financial Resources (9%) • County leadership (7%) • Schools (6%) • Access to Transportation (5%) • Its residents (5%) • Location (5%) • Collaborative Spirit (4%) • Ann Arbor (4%) • Crime & Safety (3%) • Recreation & Community Activities (3%)