Achi news desk-
A recently published City of Calgary survey shows that the number of Calgarians who believe their quality of life has worsened in the past three years has reached historic highs.
According to the Spring 2024 Survey, 71 per cent of Calgarians surveyed rate their quality of life as “good,” seven percentage points lower than this time last year and five percentage points lower than the fall of 2023.
Around 62 per cent believe that their quality of life has worsened over the past three years, compared to 49 per cent in the spring of 2023 and 59 per cent in the fall of 2023.
The survey also suggests that only 38 per cent of Calgarians agree that the city is moving in the right direction to ensure a higher quality of life for future generations, a significant drop from 51 per cent in the spring of 2023.
The survey also found that around 65 per cent of respondents believe the city is on track to become a better city in the next decade, however this is down from 77 per cent in spring 2023 and 70 per cent hundred in the fall of 2023 The city said this is the lowest measure ever recorded.
“In the fall of 2023, Calgarians are currently experiencing increased uncertainty about their own financial well-being as well as the financial well-being of others in their community. From rising food prices to the day-to-day costs of utilities, housing, clothing, transportation and other necessities, many Calgarians are feeling the effects of inflation firsthand,” Chris Arthurs, the city’s general manager, said in a report.
“Calgarians are dealing with significant pressures and are dealing with concerns about the preservation of their quality of life as well as seeking safety and security and are concerned about the future of their city and the future quality of life of their children. As such, some reductions should be expected, and our success can be seen in the way some key metrics remain positive.”
Arthurs noted that the decline is a trend consistent with other municipalities across Canada.
“While this spring’s results may have fallen and appear dismal, they highlight opportunities for improvement that will inspire optimism for the future of our city,” the general manager wrote.
Infrastructure, traffic, roads remain a major concern
The 2024 Spring Survey also suggests that infrastructure, traffic and roads remain a major concern, with 29 per cent of Calgarians polled saying they should be addressed by local leaders.
Homelessness, poverty and affordable housing are the second most pressing issues, with 24 per cent of those surveyed saying this is a major problem in spring 2024. This is significantly higher than spring 2023 (15 per cent) but remains relatively stable since the fall of 2023 (31 per cent). However, the city noted in its report that some people are confusing “housing affordability” with “affordable housing,” which could explain this year’s drop.
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Crime and safety is the third most pressing issue, with 22 per cent of Calgarians surveyed citing it as their top concern. This is down from the fall in 2023 (27 per cent) but equal to spring 2023 (24 per cent).
Seventeen percent of those polled stated that transport was their main concern, which means that it is the fourth most important issue. This is a small increase since fall 2023 (15 percent) and similar to spring 2023 (18 percent).
About 16 per cent of Calgarians identified the economy as their top concern, compared to 11 per cent in the fall of 2023 and seven per cent in the spring of 2023.
The majority still believe that Green Line LRT is important despite declining support
The majority of Calgarians polled still believe the Green Line LRT is important to the city, despite declining support.
According to the survey, around 88 per cent of respondents believe the project is important, compared to 92 per cent in spring 2023.
About 89 percent believe that completing the full Green Line LRT vision is important for the city’s future.
The survey also suggests that 89 per cent of Calgarians agree that the Green Line is an important addition to the city’s transport network, a drop of two percentage points since spring 2023.
About 86 per cent of those surveyed agree that the Green Line will better connect Calgarians, places and services, a decrease of six percentage points since spring 2023.
The majority of Calgarians are satisfied with city programs and services
About 63 per cent of Calgarians surveyed said they were satisfied with the city’s programs and services.
According to the city’s report, 32 out of 50 programs received satisfaction ratings from 80 per cent or more of Calgarians while 11 out of 50 programs received a satisfaction rating from 90 per cent or more of Calgarians.
Those surveyed said the top investment priorities should be affordable housing, public transportation, social services, 9-1-1 services and Calgary Fire Department services.
The 2024 Spring Survey was a telephone survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs between February 27, 2024 and March 26, 2024. Approximately 2,501 Calgarians responded to the telephone survey via cell phones and landlines. The margin of error for the entire sample on = 2,501 is two percentage points, or 19 times out of 20. The city said sample quotas were set by age, gender and quadrant of the general population aged 18 and over to ensure that the data collected is from a representative group of Calgarians. The city also said the data was weighted based on the 2019 Municipal Census and the 2021 Federal Census.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
