By Annemarie Malbon | MRCDC
As part of an experimental pilot program, the McKees Rocks Community Development Corporation last Fall conducted a door-to-door resident and property survey in the area between Chartiers Avenue, Singer Avenue, and Rosamond Street in McKees Rocks.
Interns from the MRCDC surveyed the 291 properties in this trial area and heard from 111 residents about what they like about their community and what concerns they have for their neighborhood.
Of the survey respondents,
- 65% were homeowners and 32% were renters
- 46% of residents (homeowners and renters) had lived in the Sto-Rox community for more than 30 years while less than 5% of residents had lived in the Sto-Rox community for less than a year
- 20% said they felt very safe in their neighborhood, 50% felt somewhat safe, and 28% did not feel safe
When asked what they liked about their neighborhood, the top three responses from residents were: good neighbors, quiet area, and convenient location. Resident’s top concerns were drugs and violence, upkeep of rental properties, traffic violations, vacancy and blight, garbage and trash, and street infrastructure.
The purpose of this survey was to gather valuable information from residents to determine how the MRCDC can be of more assistance to the community at a block-by-block level. A community meeting is planned for Wednesday, March 15 for residents in this pilot area to review the survey results and plan next steps. The event is from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the V.F.W., 1242 Chartiers Ave.
Dependent on resident response to these next steps, the MRCDC may continue to survey and hold conversations with residents’ in other areas in the Sto-Rox community in the future.
