Livingston Strategic Planning Feedback

Thank you for providing valuable feedback to our strategic planning process! Please help us prioritize potential action items and solutions generated through our community conversation series to address the needs of each of our communities. We ask that you rank the listed ideas and provide additional qualitative feedback on what you believe we should be focusing on for each individual need identified in Livingston.

For a deeper dive into the needs identified in Livingston, please see our 2019 Community Needs Assessment.

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* 1. What is your connection to HRDC?

I am a customer.

I am a staff member at HRDC.

I am a stakeholder/partner.

I am a volunteer.

Other (please specify)

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* 2. Housing surfaced as the #1 need for Livingston in our Community Needs Assessment Survey with 88% of survey takers indicating so. 95% of survey takers believe Livingston does not offer affordable places to rent. Similarly, 82% believe that Livingston does not offer affordable home ownership opportunities. According to We Will Park County, nearly a third of Park county residents spend over 30% of their income on housing related costs. The cost of living in Livingston is quickly catching up to Bozeman. Particularly since the outset of COVID-19, housing costs have continued to rise dramatically with a vacancy rate close to zero.

Below is a list of potential action items to address the need of housing in Livingston, please rank them.

Preservation of existing housing

N/A

Developing affordable housing - for those with fixed incomes and those in workforce

N/A

Affordable home ownership

N/A

Affordable rentals

N/A

Policy (Income and affordability) - example: advocate for policy supporting subsidized housing and inclusionary zoning

N/A

Increasing our capacity and services offered at the warming center

N/A

Promoting awareness of housing crisis and shortage to community and leaders

N/A

Working with and empowering local partners such as Park County Housing Coalition and Park County Community Foundaiton to continue priortizing the housing needs in Park county

N/A

Advocate for Livingston Community Housing Action Plan

N/A

Advocate for land banking for current and future housing needs

N/A

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* 3. Please build on the above list and provide additional feedback. What other policy, promoting, partnerships, and programs should we be considering to have a positive impact in the arena of housing in Livingston?

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* 4. Mental Healthcare surfaced as the #2 need in Livingston in our Community Needs Assessment Survey, with 51% of survey takers indicating so. According to survey respondents, 51% feel that Livingston lacks mental health care resources for youth and 61% feel that Livingston lacks mental health care resources for adults. Sadly, Park county consistently has one of the highest suicide rates in the state. With few resources in town, indviduals and families are reliant on a few key mental health care providers. Many individuals end up commuting to Bozeman or Billings for their mental health care needs.

Below is a list of potential action items to address the need of mental healthcare in Livingston, please rank them.

Service navigation, connecting community members to available mental healthcare resources and providers

N/A

Help inform local and state policy

N/A

Leverage our existing programs through the financial opportunity center to reduce stresses to income and finances that may impact mental health

N/A

Leverage our existing programs to help reduce stresses to housing that may impact mental health

N/A

Promote community awareness, reducing stigma - focus on community wide education

N/A

Support partners in Livingston- L'Esprit and Community Health Partners

N/A

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* 5. Please build on the above list and provide additional feedback. What other policy, promoting, partnerships, and programs should we be considering to have a positive impact in the arena of mental healthcare in Livingston?

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* 6. Childcare surfaced as the #3 need in Livingston in our Community Needs Assessment Survey with 36% of survey takers indicating so. According to survey takers, many feel Livingston lacks affordable childcare for individuals and families of all income levels. With the increase in affordable childcare closures in Livingston, many families are feeling the burden.

Below is a list of potential action items to address the need of childcare in Livingston, please rank them.

Service navigation, connecting community members to available childcare resources and providers

N/A

Help promote policy that aids in access and affordability

N/A

Help indviduals interested in obtaining licensure to open their own childcare center

N/A

Continuing our partnerships with local childcare providers - Childcare Connections

N/A

Advocate for affordable and universal care

N/A

Share professional development tools and trainings to existing providers to continue to make affordable childcare a viable business

N/A

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* 7. Please build on the above list and provide additional feedback. What other policy, promoting, partnerships, and programs should we be considering to have a positive impact in the arena of childcare in Livingston?

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* 8. Senior needs surfaced as the #4 need in Livingston in our Community Needs Assessment Survey, with 21% of survey takers indicating so. Of survey takers, 34% feel that the community lacks adequate care and resources for indviduals who are 65 and older. Many feel that Livingston needs more in home services for seniors as well as transit options for seniors looking to receive medical care.

Below is a list of potential action items to address the need of senior needs in Livingston, please rank them.

Service navigation, connecting community members to available senior services

N/A

Promote services that further enable aging in place

N/A

Support senior service navigators

N/A

Expand home maker services

N/A

Expand transportation options

N/A

Create alternate program for senior transit

N/A

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* 9. Please build on the above list and provide additional feedback. What other policy, promoting, partnerships, and programs should we be considering to have a positive impact in the arena of senior needs in Livingston?

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* 10. Worforce development surfaced as the #5 need in Livingston in our Community Needs Assessment Survey with 18% of survey takers indicating so. With a high unemployment rate and niche job market, many survey takers (44%) feel that the community lacks financial management resources to help with finding employment. 63% feel that Livingston lacks resources fo those searching for employment including resume building, interview preparation, and up-to-date job boards/employment application and assistance.

Below is a list of potential action items to address the need of senior needs in Livingston, please rank them.

Service navigation, connecting community members to available transit resources

N/A

Promote HRDC's Financial Opportunity Center

N/A

Promote remote work opportunities

N/A

Host workshops for resume building, professional development, job applications, and employment navigation

N/A

Promote HRDC's LISC Program, Bridges to Career Opportunities - participants receive training and skills necessary to increase employment stability and income

N/A

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* 11. Please build on the above list and provide additional feedback. What other policy, promoting, partnerships, and programs should we be considering to have a positive impact in the arena of workforce development in Livingston?