SEATTLE – Today, the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce released its second instalment of The Index, a research project measuring quality of life over time by asking registered Seattle voters about the region’s most pressing issues, including homelessness, public safety, affordability, and downtown Seattle’s recovery.
One of the starkest findings in today’s new polling data is the steep increase in concern about public safety among a Seattle electorate that broadly supports balanced policy responses.
“The voice of Seattle voters is crystal clear: we are united on the most pressing issues, we are united on the solutions, and we are united in our need to address them with urgency,” said Rachel Smith, president and CEO of the Seattle Metro Chamber. “While some of the numbers in this research are tough to see, I have a great deal of optimism because the voters have laid out a clear path, one that rejects ideological binaries and embraces an ‘and’ approach to solutions. One that centres our values and will enhance our quality of life here for everyone. And one that the Seattle Metro Chamber is ready to get to work on.”
Quality of life is a critical measurement for our business community. As the Chamber’s members across the region work to attract and retain employees – to move here or to stay here – quality of life in our largest city has a significant impact on our ability to compete globally for our local workforce. Through The Index, the Chamber surfaces voter opinions to inform the conversation around complex issues and demonstrates where there is broad agreement from the public.
Some key findings from the new instalment of The Index:
- When asked about the issues facing Seattle that voters are most frustrated or concerned about, the number of voters citing crime/drugs/public safety grew by 17 points since Index 1 in August 2021, from 28 to 46 percent.
- When asked if voters have actively considered moving out of Seattle, the number of “yes” responses grew by 7 percent since August (67 percent total), and public safety is the second most-cited reason, following the expensive cost of living and cost of housing in the city.
- Now, 91 percent of Seattle voters say Downtown Seattle cannot fully recover until the homelessness crisis and public safety problems are addressed.
“The data shows that Seattleites support sophisticated approaches that reflect the complexity of the policy issues of today,” Smith said. “But when it comes to the basics of quality of life, our new poll also shows that they’re running out of patience. Nearly every demographic, including homeowners and renters, young and old, is ready for prompt, pragmatic action from our elected leaders.”
The Index provides regular issue and quality of life data to highlight voter opinions and attitudes. The Chamber is making these insights publicly available, in their entirety, and encourages policymakers to refer to this data when shaping their understanding of where the public stands on key issues.
This year’s research was conducted in March 2022 by EMC Research through 700 text-to-web and phone interviews. The margin of error was 3.9%. The sample was all registered voters.
A detailed summary of data and the crosstabs are available at www.seattlechamber.com.
Media Contact: Jillian Henze, APR
jillianh@www.seattlechamber.com
425-785-6731