On November 15, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s Community Development Department launched a Community member online survey to receive input on the future of housing in the Community. “Future of SRPMIC Housing” survey has been created to identify the ideas, needs and gaps in housing within the Community. Once these responses are received, more information will be available to find ways for more members to call the Community home.

“There’s a housing crisis throughout the entire nation right now,” said Assistant CDD Director Christi Andrews. “It’s definitely becoming more prevalent in the Community. We’re hearing a lot of people voice that there’s a housing shortage as well as seeing people living in RVs and sheds. Council had tasked CDD with looking to see what other affordable housing options we could provide in the Community. It became very apparent to us that we needed to actually hear from the Community, so that’s the main purpose [of the survey].”

The online survey will help assess the ideas, needs and wants of Community members regarding housing. It will help the Community to provide the types of Community housing desired, as well as forecast future housing needs. 

You can participate in this online survey at www.srpmic-nsn.gov/housingsurvey. It is open to any enrolled Community member 16 and older. 

“Over the last year, it has become very clear that the voice of the Community is needed to help to determine which products truly fit the needs of Community Members. Otherwise, we could potentially be running down a pathway and producing something that [does] not truly [meet] the needs and demands [of the Community members] today [and in the future]. said CDD Project Manager Aaron Studebaker. 

 “We need to have a seven-generation thinking, especially for the youth who are going to age and need housing within the next five to 10 years.”

The online survey has two options, depending on your available time. The first survey takes approximately five minutes and consists of fill-in and multiple-choice questions to learn about the survey taker’s current housing situation and potential future housing needs. After submitting the initial survey, there is an option to complete a more in-depth second step that will look more in-depth information regarding your future housing needs within the Community. 

“The five-minute survey may be perfect to just provide answers to general questions, such as ‘Yes, I’m interested in housing,’ ‘This is where I currently live,’ etc.,” said Andrews. “The longer survey may be for individuals who know [more details about] their future housing plan, such as the size of the house desired, when they plan to move into a house, and what area of the Community they’d like to live in, for example. The two surveys allow for us to hit really the lifecycle of needs from multiple and different Community Members.”

Some of the other questions in the survey ask about the desire to move back to or within the Community, where in the Community is housing desired, preferred sizes of housing, sizes of neighborhoods and more. Whether you complete the shorter or longer survey, your feedback matters. All of the information and opinions collected will be compiled into a report to be reviewed by Council and shared with the entire Community through articles and reports.

“Everything will be tallied up and a report will go to Council to let them know how many people responded, what were the answers to the questions, and what are the trends we are seeing,” said CDD Senior Construction Manager Heather Swanson. 

The main goal of the survey is to highlight the needs of the Community and find a multitude of different and affordable housing products that could be brought to the SRPMIC.

Although it’s an online survey, CDD offers Community members who prefer the opportunity to call in and conduct the survey over the phone, or they can come into the CDD office, where they will receive a laptop to do the survey. Staff want to ensure that your input can be included, even if you do not have access to technology at home, school or work.  CDD is located at Two Waters Building B, on the third floor.

By completing this survey, not only will you help influence the types of housing brought to the Community and help create a comprehensive housing plan for future generations, but you also will have a chance to win raffle prizes including iPads, a stay at Great Wolf Lodge and more. 

The online survey is offered through January 15, 2022, at www.srpmic-nsn.gov/housingsurvey. If you would like more information, contact Aaron Studebaker at (480) 362-5719 or Heather Swanson at (480) 362-7233.