Kewaneeans were asked what they thought about their city last year, and the results weren’t all that positive.
Those results were from a survey conducted last summer for the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Some highlights:
— Asked if they felt Kewanee’s housing is in good condition, 62% of the respondents said no; only 11% agreed with that statement.
— To the question of whether housing in Kewanee is affordable, 31.3% disagreed; only 24.3% agreed.
— About 65% of the respondents either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement that Kewanee has adequate commercial and retail development.
— Nearly 60% feel Kewanee has various types of retail and dining establishments; the number was a little lower on the question of whether Kewanee’s storefronts are “well-kept and attract shoppers.”
— Asked if downtown and main streets are in good condition, only a little over 20% of respondents agreed.
— Well over half of the respondents disagreed with the statement that Kewanee has “A variety of employment opportunities that provide wages that enable employees to live in the community if they choose.”
— More than half of the respondents agreed that “I can run most of my errands within my community.”
Kewanee received high marks in the survey for its educational opportunities, banking services, health services, pharmacy care services and post-secondary education.
Lower marks were received for “affordable nutritional food,” “job training and education,” “legal services” and “mental health services.”
Recreational opportunities, dining establishments and community involvement received more positive responses than did nightlife, employment and shopping and retail.
And 42.3% of respondents disagreed that “Kewanee is working to create a positive environment for the development of the community.”
Amy Bashiti, community revitalization services manager for the state housing development agency, presented the survey results during Monday’s City Council meeting.
Bashiti said her agency has funding programs to promote development in cities in Illinois.
