TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Krishna Namburi, Interim City Manager
FROM: Gretchen Bennett, Acting in Capacity Community Services Director
SUBJECT:
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The Human Rights Commission presents community belonging survey results.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Safe and Healthy Community; Welcoming and Livable Community.
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SUMMARY:
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Western Oregon University students collaborated with Salem’s Human Rights Commission for the annual Community Belonging Survey. This report and accompanying attachments provide key points to City Council.
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ISSUE:
Information only.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Information only.
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
Western Oregon University students conducted a survey to assist the Human Rights Commission to understand community belonging and discrimination. The survey provides a non-probability judgment sample. While responses were gathered from diverse people, the aggregate data cannot represent the City of Salem overall. The objectives were to:
• Learn about discrimination witnessed by Salem residents.
• Learn about people’s personal experiences with discrimination,
• Understand comfort level reporting bias to the Salem Police Department, and/or to the Human Rights Commission,
• Understand the level of awareness in the community about the Human Rights Commission,
• Understand the feeling of community belonging experienced by the community.
The survey included definitions of key terms, including discrimination, bias, and disability as defined in the study, which helped ground survey participants and inform the results for the Council.
The survey was available in the community online and through in-person engagements from April 24 - May 14, 2025. 420 respondents completed the survey. The survey was available in English, Spanish, Chuukese and Marshallese. The City of Salem distributed the survey link through social media channels and email. In-person events were held at ARCHES, Church @ the Park, Safe Sleep United, and the Micronesian Islander Community organizations. A Partner Information Session aided area organizations interested in survey distribution.
Major Facts and Findings
• 55.1% of all respondents shared that they either somewhat or strongly agree with the statement "Overall, I feel a sense of community in Salem." 44.4% of people experiencing houselessness and 17.6% of Pacific Islander respondents reported that they felt like they did not belong in the Salem community.
• 30.3% of all respondents said that they had personally experienced discrimination in Salem in the last year. That figure rockets to 82.5% among unhoused respondents, 67.6% of whom reported experiencing discrimination weekly or daily.
• These respondents who reported experiencing discrimination were asked to identify the nature of the discrimination. The three most common types of discrimination reported were race/color/national origin (37.4%); age (37.4%); and gender (34.8%). 94.2% of respondents experiencing houselessness ascribed their experiences of discrimination to their housing status.
• 59.3% of respondents reported witnessing discrimination in public outdoor spaces (e.g., parks and streets), 48% identified businesses (e.g., banks, restaurants, shops) and healthcare settings were mentioned by 33.7% of aggregate responses. For people experiencing homelessness (PEH), the most common locations were public outdoor spaces (82.7%), business (53.8%), and public transportation (46.2%).
• "If you were the target of a bias crime," respondents were asked, "how likely would you be to report it to the Salem Police Department?" 54.6% of all respondents shared that they felt either somewhat or very likely to report a bias to the police, while 34.8% of all respondents shared that they felt either somewhat or very unlikely to report a bias to the police. However, among people experiencing homelessness, 68.2% of respondents reported that they would be somewhat or very unlikely to report a bias to the police.
• Additionally, respondents were asked about their likelihood of reporting bias crimes to the Human Rights Commission (HRC). 42.4% of all respondents and 54% of people experiencing homelessness said they were unlikely to report a bias crime to the HRC. Respondents could explain why they were unlikely to report to the HRC. Of the 144 open responses, the most common theme was lack of awareness (27.8%), followed by lack of trust (6.9%), and unclear reporting process (5.6%).
BACKGROUND:
This is the seventh survey completed; past surveys were held in 2017 in partnership with Willamette University and annually 2020-2025 in partnership with Western Oregon University. The Commission utilizes the information along with other resources to consider recommendations concerning solutions to specific problems of prejudice or discrimination, in accordance with Salem Revised Code Sec. 8.030. The Commission and University are considering changes to next year’s survey. The Salem Police Department provides a liaison to the Human Rights Commission.
Gretchen Bennett
AIC Community Services Director
Attachments:
1. WOU Student Presentation
2. WOU Final Report
3. Survey Data Compilation Closed-Ended Questions
4. Survey Data Compilation Open-Ended Questions
5. Presentation to City Council meeting