Shoreline satisfaction survey: residents want city to address homelessness and build sidewalks

By Oliver Moffat

At the Monday, September 9 meeting, the Shoreline city council reviewed results of the 2024 resident satisfaction survey - which the city conducts every two years.

Residents expressed high satisfaction with the city and its parks but gave the city low marks for dining, entertainment, sidewalks and its response to homelessness.

A chart from the resident satisfaction survey compares Shoreline with other cities in the US and Northwest

Most residents (89%) said Shoreline was an “excellent” or “good” place to live - far higher than the US and Northwest average of 49%. Survey respondents have for decades rated Shoreline favorably on this question with 91% in 2014 and 87% in 2004.

Of all city services, residents (again) rated the overall quality of parks and recreation most favorably with 81% saying they were satisfied. Shoreline residents rate our parks much higher compared to other cities in the US (48%) and Northwest (49%). Resident satisfaction with parks hasn’t changed much over the years with 82% satisfied in 2014 and 79% in 2004.

Satisfaction rating rebounded significantly since the 2022 survey conducted during the COVID era - with 56 of 71 questions showing improvements.

But with only 23% saying they were satisfied, residents were most dissatisfied with Shoreline as a place for dining and entertainment. 

And residents say dining and entertainment options are getting worse in Shoreline. Ten years ago, in 2014, 29% of residents were satisfied with dining and entertainment and when the city first asked the question in 2012, 30% were satisfied. Even during COVID lockdowns residents rated the city higher with 27% satisfied in 2022.

When asked about transportation and land use, 53% of residents said they were dissatisfied with the availability of sidewalks in their neighborhood. Notably, residents are less satisfied with sidewalk availability now than they were in 2014 when 47% were dissatisfied and in 2004 when only 41% were dissatisfied.

A map from the resident satisfaction survey shows opinions about sidewalks in Shoreline neighborhoods

In 2018, voters approved a sales tax increase to pay for new sidewalks. As part of the ballot measure, twelve locations were identified for new sidewalks across the city but the city estimates those projects won’t be completed until 2029.

Of all city services, residents were (again) most dissatisfied with Shoreline’s “overall response to homelessness” with only 30% saying they were satisfied. And 50% of residents said the city should do more to address homelessness - more than any other city service.

A chart from the satisfaction survey shows residents want the city to address homelessness

In 2020 and again in 2022, residents also told the city that addressing homelessness should be its top priority and residents rated the city’s response to homelessness as the service they were most dissatisfied with.

Despite repeated resident requests for the city to take action on homelessness, in April, the Shoreline council approved a housing and human services plan that recommended the city instead “Maintain Current Level of Service” while city staff continue to study the problem.