Survey Design
+water insecurity
I designed a community-informed, national survey instrument to measure water insecurity among unhoused populations in Portland.
Field Notes
project context
Duration: 3 months
Team: Street Roots
& Portland State University
My Role: Survey Designer x3
& Survey Proctor
research design
qualitative research
Ethnographic interviews
Community engagement
Ambassador feedback
Observation & walk-abouts
Iterative survey revisions
quaNtitative research
Likert scales & matrices
Response scale selection
Survey construction
Statistical considerations
Instrument reliability & validity
Research Context & Problem
The current national water insecurity survey (HWISE) was designed for housed populations, assuming access to household infrastructure, making them less effective at gauging water insecurity among houseless individuals.
Our surveys expand existing measures of water insecurity by gauging living situations, mobility, public infrastructure, insitutional policies, & daily trade-offs against their affects on access to water, hygiene, & restroom facilities in sheltered, vehicle-dwelling, & unsheltered environments.
Research Gap: Filled.
Occupying the gap
*Constructs Measured*
Reliability
Adequacy
Quality & Safety
Worry & Stress
Time Spent
Emotional Burden
Sheltered
Vehicle-Dwelling
Unsheltered
Public Infrastructure
Displacement
Restroom Access & Hydration
Water Temperatures
Privacy
Animals Companions
Local Laws & Policies
Gender Related Needs
Transportation Burdens
Safety Distinctions
*HWISE Survey*
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X
*Street Roots & PSU Surveys*
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
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Why
this matters
Accurate survey data & collection leads to better research & decisions. Underrepresented data becomes underrepresented programs, infrastructure, and policies.
Shout Outs
+ vendor insights
