2025-2026 Community Survey

1. What do you think are the top needs impacting people in your community? Check ALL that apply:

• Food/Shelter
• Access to healthy food
• Help applying for SNAP (food stamps)
• Rental assistance (financial)
• Emergency shelter
• Homelessness prevention services
• Fuel/heating assistance
• Help applying for housing/Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8)
• First-time home buyer assistance
• Affordable housing
• Healthcare and Wellbeing
• Services for autism/ASD
• Services for developmental and intellectual disabilities
• Mental health services
• Disability resources
• Substance use disorder treatment
• Domestic violence services
• Case management
• Help applying for health insurance/MassHealth
• Help applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
• Veteran services (e.g. transition services, VA healthcare, VA loans)
• Career and Employment
• Jobs for young people
• Help finding a job that pays well
• Help applying for unemployment benefits
• Training or education to get a job or find a better job
• Age-Specific
• Childcare
• Diapers and/or formula
• After school, weekend, and/or summer care for school-aged children
• Tutoring or academic help
• Senior/elder services
• General Needs
• Interpreter services or translator
• English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL/ESL) classes
• Immigration or refugee services (applying for green card, citizenship application, etc.)
• Clothing assistance
• Financial emergencies
• Discrimination issues
• Safer neighborhoods
• Transportation
• Legal Services
• Access to technology/internet
• Other: Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

2. Are you more than 2 months behind on any household bills?

• Yes
• No
• Unsure

3. Do you currently have at least $500 set aside for emergencies?

• Yes
• No
• I have some money set aside for emergencies but not $500

4. What keeps you or your family from feeling more financially stable? Check ALL that apply:

• I work full-time but my pay doesn’t cover my expenses
• I can only find part-time work
• I can’t find a job
• It takes me more than one hour to get to work
• I need more education or training to get work or better work
• Child care is too expensive and/or interferes with my ability to work
• Child care slots are not available
• Child care is not offered during the hours I work
• I am a single parent
• I don’t have enough money to buy food
• I’ve had a lot of medical expenses that weren’t covered by my insurance
• I can’t get insurance
• I don’t have accessible and reliable transportation
• I can’t find housing that I can afford
• My living expenses (rent/mortgage, utilities, food) have increased in the past year
• I am on a fixed income (Social Security, pension, etc.) and my income is limited
• Increasing my income will make me ineligible for SNAP, heating assistance, or other supports and benefits
• I lost eligibility for benefits (SNAP, MassHealth, DTA. etc.)
• Discrimination
• Someone else controls the money and makes decisions I don’t agree with
• I or a family member am struggling with addiction
• I or a family member am struggling with mental health issues
• I don’t feel safe in my home
• I don’t feel safe in my community
• Not applicable
• Other: Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

5. To what extent has the federal administration impacted your ability to access public benefits and community resources?

• A lot
• Somewhat
• Very little
• Not at all

6. Which WCAC programs do you access? Check ALL that apply:

• Head Start/Early Head Start
• Job and Education Center
• Resiliency Center (free income tax preparation, financial empowerment coaching, micro loans, community resource clinics)
• Healthy Families of Southern Worcester County
• Heating Assistance Emergency Programs
• Energy Efficiency Upgrade Services

7. Which reasons make it difficult for you to receive services at WCAC? Check ALL that apply:

• I don’t have any difficulties receiving services at WCAC
• I don’t receive WCAC services
• I am not eligible for WCAC services
• I don’t know who to contact for services
• The hours that WCAC is open are not convenient
• Transportation to get to WCAC
• I live too far away from WCAC
• Finding parking or paying for parking at WCAC
• I don’t have easy access to a bus stop
• WCAC staff don’t speak my language
• WCAC staff are not welcoming
• I care for a child or family member and can’t get away
• Cost of child care or senior care
• Receiving help embarrasses me
• Paperwork
• Classes are full
• I feel unsafe when at WCAC
• I feel unsafe getting to WCAC
• My health
• My disability or physical challenge
• I am afraid that what I will say will not be confidential
• I fear being reported to immigration services
• I fear being reported to DCF
• Access to technology
• Other: Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

11. Which best describes your household? Check ONLY 1:

• Two-parent
• Foster parents
• Grandparent/Relative raising a child
• Multi-generational
• Single parent
• Other: Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

13. In which language do you speak most often at home?

• English
• Spanish
• Arabic
• Vietnamese
• Portuguese
• Haitian Creole
• Other: Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

15. What is your age?

• Under 18
• 18 - 24
• 25 - 44
• 45 - 64
• 65 or older

16. What is your gender/how do you identify?

• Male
• Female
• Non-binary
• Other: Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

17. Are you Hispanic/Latinx?

• Yes
• No

18. What is your race? (Please choose only 1)

• Native American or Alaska Native
• Asian
• Black or African American
• African heritage
• Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
• White
• Two or more races
• Other: Please enter an 'other' value for this selection.

19. What is your household's monthly gross income?

• Under $2,000/month (Under $24,000/year)
• $2,000 - $4,000/month ($24,000 - $48,000/year)
• $4,001 - $6,000/month ($48,001 - $72,000/year)
• Over $6,000/month (Over $72,000/year)
• Not sure