roosevelt park

Transforming neighborhoods through resident involvement all began with Roosevelt Park.

how can this information be used?

Learn how your neighborhood compares to the City of Grand Rapids, Kent County, State of Michigan, and the United States.
Encourages discussions and collaboration with neighbors and community leaders to identify needs and priorities for improving the neighborhood.
Talk with local health care providers and clinics about unmet needs in the neighborhood.
Work with groups within the neighborhood to apply for funding to address gaps in the community.
Develop and expand partnerships within the neighborhood to develop, implement, and evaluate programs and initiatives to address unmet needs.
Share with neighborhood, city, county, state, and federal leaders to advocate to address gaps in the neighborhood.

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stakeholders & advisory board

Learn more about the Our Neighborhood, Our Health Roosevelt Park Stakeholders & Community Advisory Board.

asset map & community profile

Map of the Roosevelt Park neighborhood

Roosevelt park neighborhood demographic data:

Roosevelt Park Compared to Grand Rapids City Total Population

Roosevelt Park Population by Census Tract (Total: 11,513)

Assessment Data

SUMMARY

The assessment phase of data collection included conducting focus groups, a community conversation, and community prioritization conversations.

In June 2022, three focus groups were conducted with community residents to gather their insights and opinions on the neighborhood’s strengths, concerns, and views on health. These discussions were instrumental in ensuring that the initiative was grounded in the lived experiences and perspectives of community members.

Thirty-two residents participated in focus groups. The demographic information of residents is as follows:

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A summary of findings includes:

What do people like about this neighborhood? What are the good things you have found about living in the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood?

Various community and neighborhood resources (organizations, services, parks, activities)

3/3 focus groups and 16/32 participants referenced this theme

Walkable neighborhoods/things are close by and accessible

3/3 focus groups and 13/32 participants

Quiet/peaceful neighborhood

3/3 focus groups and 09/32 participants

Business district

3/3 focus groups and 07/32 participants

People know each other, support each other, and watch out for each other and there is a family atmosphere in the neighborhood

3/3 focus groups and 06/32 participants

Diversity

2/3 focus groups and 05/32 participants

Neighborhood schools

2/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

What kinds of things do people in Roosevelt Park Neighborhood worry about?

Safety of children crossing the street, particularly to school

3/3 focus groups and 10/32 participants

Housing (high cost, overcrowding, availability, environmental concerns such as pests, mold, and lead)

2/3 focus groups and 07/32 participants

Undocumented resident concerns (employment, fear, transportation, housing legal assistance)

2/3 focus groups and 06/32 participants

Cost of living / daily living expenses

2/3 focus groups and 03/32 participants

Employment

2/3 focus groups and 02/32 participants)

Lack of transportation

1/3 focus groups and 03/32 participants

Where do people in this neighborhood go when they need health care? Are there healthcare providers available in the neighborhood?

Clinica Santa Maria

3/3 focus groups and 17/32 participants

The hospital / ER / urgent care

3/3 focus groups and 07/32 participants

Cherry Street

3/3 focus groups and 06/32 participants

Exalta Health

1/3 focus groups and 03/32 participants

What keeps people from receiving the health care that they need?

Cost of care/insurance

3/3 focus groups and 07/32 participants

Long wait for appointments

2/3 focus groups and 07/32 participants

Lack of transportation

2/3 focus groups and 02/32 participants

Language barriers

1/3 focus groups and 05/32 participants

What are the biggest health problems people face in the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood?

Mental Health

3/3 focus groups and 09/32 participants

Diabetes

2/3 focus groups and 06/32 participants

Obesity/overweight

2/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

Violence /domestic violence/suicide

2/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

Nutrition for children

2/3 focus groups and 03/32 participants

Lack of preventative care

1/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

COVID and stress connected to COVID

1/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

Environmental health concerns (mold, lead)

1/3 focus groups and 03/32 participants

What are people’s concerns with the neighborhood as a whole?

Crime and feeling unsafe

3/3 focus groups and 13/32 participants

Liquor stores and concerns about public intoxication

3/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

Traffic and pedestrian safety

2/3 focus groups and 10/32 participants

Lack of enough streetlights

2/3 focus groups and 08/32 participants

Lack of green space

2/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

Lack of a pharmacy in the neighborhood

2/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

Streets need repair

2/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants)

The GRPD (makes people in the neighborhood feel unsafe, they don’t respond, or come late)

2/3 focus groups and 03/32 participants

Concern about safety for kids both at home and at school

1/3 focus groups and 05/32 participants

Racism/discrimination

1/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

Lack of activities for kids to do including lack of childcare centers

1/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

Increase in the number of unhoused individuals noted in the neighborhood

1/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

Neighborhood stigma

1/3 focus groups and 03/32 participants

When people need help, what prevents people from getting the help that they need?

Lack of information about resources

2/3 focus groups and 07/32 participants

Language barriers and inability to read and/or write

2/3 focus groups and 06/32 participants

What would encourage residents to play a more active role in community improvement?

Amplify resident voices

2/3 focus groups and 06/32 participants

Seeing community change/community improvement

2/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

Support residents in playing an active role (share information about opportunities, increase opportunities, remove barriers such as transportation and childcare, offer opportunities outside of work hours)

2/3 focus groups and 04/32 participants

If you could make one wish, what would you change about living in Roosevelt Park’s Neighborhood?

Safer Community

Subtheme: The solution to traffic safety and/or a crime is more video surveillance and /or more police presence
Subtheme: Solutions to increasing the safety of children crossing the street is a bridge, a crosswalk, more lights, more people to help kids cross safely
Subtheme: The solution to lack of safety is social support/community cohesion

3/3 focus groups and 19/32 participants

More activities for kids/youth and more childcare

3/3 focus groups and 08/32 participants

Everyone can be heard/have a voice / and it drives community change

Subtheme: More door-to-door work or surveys to hear the resident voice

3/3 focus groups and 07/32 participants

More bilingual support from community / ESL classes

3/3 focus groups and 06/32 participants

More mental health resources

2/3 focus groups and 03/32 participants

Equality

2/3 focus groups and 02/32 participants

More pharmacies in the neighborhood

1/3 focus groups and 05/32 participants

More information/communication about resources

1/3 focus groups and 03/32 participants

wishes for the neighborhood

"To me, it would be the ability like what we're doing right now. Everybody in the neighborhood or community could have a voice to be heard from the kids to older people (yep, everyone nodding yes). "

"My wish -I have many- but one would be to have safer communities."

"My wish is that everything we talk about for the future is something we can have access to here in the community."

"That's what's good about this neighborhood, we help each other, that we give rides to each other… we help."

"I like the organizations; they are always here offering help."

"Everything is within walking distance, grocery stores, laundry mats, and food."

survey data

SUMMARY

Next a door-to-door community survey was conducted between August and November of 2022.

112 people were surveyed, with questions in the areas of:

housing

Physical Health

Transportation & environment

Economic Stability

demographics

HOUSING

20.6%

of residents reported some level housing related stress

“…there are not a lot of private landlords anymore. So, it makes it hard for people and the price is so high.”

Roosevelt Park Focus Group Participant

Per household

Home Ownership-Rental Status

“…the quality of the house like they don’t fix them they are infected with roaches or rats…”

Roosevelt Park Focus Group Participant

27.5%

of residents reported one or more housing concerns

Housing Concerns

PHYSICAL HEALTH

112 Total Respondents

Top 5 Conditions

Source: Based on survey data of Roosevelt Park residents collected by Corewell Healthier Communities

transportation

Top 5 Requests for neighborhood Resources to have within an accessible distance

“The difficult thing is when people don’t drive, or, well, it’s hard to get a ride there. ”

“…There are no jobs close by. And we always have to go to something far away, we need a ride and some of us don’t drive, right? And we have no one to take us all the way there. Yes, that’s true…”

economic stability

40%

of respondents reported they have just enough finances to make ends meet.

“And now with all that’s going on, prices going up, gasoline, rent, bills, trash, everything. [another resident says] everything went up.”

Roosevelt Park Focus Group Participant

Employment

Want to learn more about the Roosevelt Park survey findings?

Priorities

SUMMARY

Based on the results of the survey and focus groups, residents identified three priorities in the areas of health, mental health, and public safety.

Health

Mental Health

Public Safety

Health

Roosevelt Park residents are Seven times more likely NOT to have health insurance than Kent County Residents.

31 percent of all respondents report they do not have health insurance.

4.2 percent of Kent County residents report not having health insurance.

Nearly two-thirds of Residents Report that at Least One Person in their Household has a Chronic Health Condition.

64 percent of survey respondents indicated they have at least one person in their household with a chronic condition.

The top five health conditions identified were:

High Cholesterol
Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
Obesity
Mental Health Concerns

Half of all Roosevelt Park Residents do NOT Receive Medical Care When Needed.

50 percent of the survey respondents indicated they do not receive medical care when needed.

One in Five Roosevelt Park Residents Report Language Barriers when They Access Medical Care.

20 percent of respondents reported language barriers with health systems when they tried to access medical care.

Mental Health

Nearly 40 percent of Roosevelt Park Residents Report Signs of Mental Health Conditions.

38 percent of respondents indicated that they have signs of depression, anxiety, worry, and/or lack of interest.

18 percent of respondents indicated feeling anxious or nervous every day.

15 percent report fighting depression every day.

Public Safety

Nearly Half of Roosevelt Park Residents Feel Public Safety is an issue in the Community.

46 percent of respondents indicated that they felt public safety was either a major issue (23%) in the community or somewhat (23%) of an issue.

Two-thirds Identify Traffic as a Public Safety Community Issue.

66 percent of respondents report that traffic is a major issue (35%) in the community or somewhat of an issue (31%).

Nearly Half of Roosevelt Park Residents Identify Gun Violence as a Community Issue.

48 percent of respondents indicated that gun violence was a major issue (29%) within the community or somewhat of an issue (19%).

Half of Roosevelt Park Residents Believe More Policing is Necessary to Address Public Safety.

50 percent of respondents indicated that more policing was necessary in the neighborhood for them to feel safe.

Some questions on the Our Neighborhood Our Health survey were written to match the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). Below is the county and state level BRFSS data for the questions that align with the ONOH survey.

Percentage of adults who have been told by a doctor that they have the following conditions:

*Our Neighborhood Our Health survey asked about diagnosis of any mental health condition; comparison data include diagnosis of a depressive disorder only

**County and state comparison data for obesity is based on BMI classification, not “obesity” diagnosis

Housing

Health Care/Access

*Kent County and MI BRFSS estimates based on question: “do you have one person you think of as your personal doctor or health care provider?”