Houghton Resident are Feeling Satisfied

Houghton residents seem to be very satisfied with the progress the city has made over the past five years. At a special meeting of the planning commission last night, Houghton City Intern Stephanie Franco presented the results of the recent Quality of Life survey. Franco’s Michigan Tech advisor, Dr. Junhong “Jun” Min, was also present. Franco reported that Houghton sent out 1,922 surveys to residents. A third of them were returned. Min noted that the age range of respondents was very similar to the age range reflected in the latest U.S. Census. Most of the responses came from residents who had either lived in the city for more than 35 years, or less than five years. A majority of the respondents work in education, notably at Michigan Tech. Of those who have lived in Houghton for less than five years, the number one response for coming to the area was for Michigan Tech, then for other employment, followed by retirement. A written portion of the survey asked residents to communicate their desires for future projects or goals. Some of the top responses included keeping the historic feeling of Houghton, mindful snow removal by public works, improved accessibility for the disabled community, more sidewalks, and more ethnic food options. A copy of Franco’s presentation to the city will be available on the Houghton city website. The quality of life survey will be used to help guide Houghton’s work on the new city master plan over the coming weeks.