Kamloops residents feel that their quality of life has worsened over the past three years, a trend that is being recorded in other Canadian municipalities.
On Tuesday, mayor and council were presented with the results of the 2022 Citizen Satisfaction Survey.
The survey was conducted by Forum Research between Oct. 18, 2022 and Nov. 8 2022 with 405 phone responses and 369 online responses.
“Fewer than one in 10 (7%) of Kamloops residents think life has improved over the past three years, while more than six in 10 (64%) think it has worsened,” explained the report.
The report presented to council says that the net improved-worsened score of -57% is the lowest recorded since 2003.
Younger residents between 18 and 34 felt their quality of life had improved, while older adults between 35 and 54 felt their quality of life had worsened.
Homelessness, poverty and an increase in crime were the top reasons residents felt their quality of life had worsened.
The survey indicated that 46% of respondents claimed that homelessness and poverty was the top factor in the reduced quality of life.
Another 45% felt an increase in crime also played a role.
These numbers have jumped significantly since the last Citizen Satisfaction Survey. In 2019, only 14% of people thought homelessness/poverty were impacting quality of life and 19% of people thought an increase in crime was a contributing factor.
In 2022, the cost of living and housing affordability was another contributing factor with 22% of people saying it had affected their quality of life in Kamloops.
About 15% of people thought drug use and addiction issues were impacting the city while access to healthcare had 12% of people claiming a lower quality of life.
About eight in 10 people thought the community had become less safe in the past three years and five in 10 said it had become “a lot less safe.”
On the lighter side of the survey, 83% of residents feel their quality of life was good in 2022, however, that number has dropped from the 95% recorded in 2019.
About seven in 10 respondents said they received good value for their tax dollars while 30% of people thought the weather was an attractive aspect about living in Kamloops.
Another 25% of respondents felt the access and availability of amenities such as sports and shopping made Kamloops a good place to live. About 24% thought the access to green spaces also made the city a good place to call home.
The survey found that 90% of residents are satisfied with the programs and services for recreation and sport, which is consistent with 2019 results.
As for opportunities and venues for the art and culture activities, 75% of the residents were satisfied.
The results of the survey are meant to help “guide the city in making decisions regarding planning, budgeting and issues management,” explain the report.
The full survey can be found on the city’s website, which is available through this link.
