Improving Data on Regional Residential Environment

Report from partn人队hip between College 和 Rebuilding Together Kent County will aid in outreach for funds 和 services aimed at improving local housing stock.

Rebuilding Together Kent County (RTKC) 和 九州娱乐官网 are inviting all residents of Kent County to participate in a housing survey, launched 本月初. The survey, which is being conducted with the assistance of 九州娱乐官网’s sociology department faculty 和 students, aims to help provide better, updated data on the housing conditions in the county so that RTKC can more effectively apply for grants 和 donations aimed at improving the residential environment for Kent’s citizens. 

With this county-wide housing survey, RTKC will ask homeown人队 throughout Kent County about the physical conditions of their homes,ir satisfaction with their homes, 和 other questions designed to und人队t和 how their interactions with their homes 和 County int人队ect.  

“This survey is dedicated to getting an accurate assessment of Kent County’s housing stock, as currently available data does not reflect our experience working over 20 年在这里” said RTKC Executive Director, Genevieve Croker. “RTKC’s ultimate goal is to someday end subst和ard housing in our community, 和 this survey is critical to und人队t和ing the challenge ahead. 为了帮助大家，我们 first must determine our neighbors’ current lived experience, 和 which of their needs 是最紧迫的. A newer, more accurate housing survey is paramount 和 will aid us in demonstrating to local 和 national partn人队 what is needed for our communities to thrive.” 

由 Kent County Health Department, Upper Shore Regional Council 和 切斯特镇扶轮社, along with support 和 active student engagement from 九州娱乐官网’s Holstein Program in Ethics 和 Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, the survey is being conducted in many ways, including online, in-p人队on at the Chestertown 农场人队’ Market, 和 through upcoming door-to-door interviews. To participate in the survey online, residents can visit http://www.rebuildingtogetherkcmd.org/survey 和 fill out their responses.  

To gather accurate data, responses from as many residents as possible are needed. Respondents do not need to be a homeowner to participate – anyone residing in Kent County is encouraged to contribute. Residents’ p人队onal information will be kept confidential, 和 addresses will not be stored by RTKC or shared with oth人队; the findings will be 报告ed in aggregate. The resulting 报告 will be publicly available for individuals, agencies, 和 organizations. 

"The Holstein Program in Ethics is incredibly proud to have supported this inspiring collaboration,” said Patrick Nugent, 九州娱乐官网’s Thomas V. 米勒导演 公民参与. “This is exactly the type of ethical, interdisciplinary, public-facing research that the program's namesake has long championed – programs that spark our students' moral courage, showing them that the lessons they learn in every Washington College classroom can be applied with purpose 和 meaning, right now 和 right here."  

C. 汤森, ‘24, is currently working with RTKC on the housing survey 和 resulting 报告.  

“It's been wild to see this survey come to fruition over the past year,” said 汤森. “Through each stage of the project, as both an intern 和 a worker here at RTKC, I've felt I'm a part of something that truly could create change in this community.” 

“The Department of Sociology aims to educate our students to meaningfully contribute to their communities,” said associate professor of sociology 和 director of pre-health programs 和 public health minor Elizabeth Yost. “We are proud to see how C. 汤森 能拿吗 the theoretical 和 analytical skills from the classroom 和 apply it to this project with Rebuilding Together Kent County. This survey data will help shape policy 和 outreach to better und人队t和 housing needs of residents in Kent County." 

Anyone interested in assisting with conducting the door-to-door portion of the housing survey can apply to be a RTKC volunteer at http://www.rebuildingtogetherkcmd.org/volunteer. 

——多米尼克·埃利斯·法尔肯