A community meeting to discuss the study was held on November 16th, hosted by the Dyson Foundation and the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion for people who work in not-for-profit organizations, community leaders, and interested citizens. The highlights of the study's conclusions were presented. Members of the Dyson Foundation along with the Marist College survey directors were available to respond to questions, as well as, to discuss ideas about how to use the information from the study.
Many Voices One Valley 2007 reports the results of a survey conducted by the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion and funded by the Dyson Foundation about what people in New York’s Mid-Hudson Valley think of living in the region. The counties included in the study are Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and Ulster. The results provide a road map to residents’ perceptions of the region and expectations for the future.
It updates a similar study conducted in 2002. Many of the questions asked five years ago are part of this new study so that life in the Mid-Hudson Valley may be compared between then and now.
There have been several additions to the earlier study, as well. The current research delves deeper than the 2002 survey into how people rate the affordability of the region and examines in greater detail residents’ number one priority, health care.
The study is divided into three reports. The first, Many Voices One Valley 2007, discusses what people think about living and working in the region and details their priorities for the future. Comparisons are made to five years ago and how things have or have not changed.
The second report looks at Making Ends Meet. This portion of the study provides insights into residents’ impressions of the affordability of the Mid-Hudson Valley and how they experience a wide range of issues which affect their family finances.
The third report focuses on Health Matters. The cost of health care tops the list of residents’ most important priorities for the Mid-Hudson Valley. The study reveals how residents perceive the wellness of health care in the region and tracks the factors that influence the ability of people to afford and access the care they need.
In the present study, 4,320 residents of the Mid-Hudson Valley were interviewed April 9th through June 19th, 2007. The survey results for all residents are statistically significant at ±1.5%. The margin of error increases for smaller sub-groups in the population.
