Q1
How would you rate your overall experience staying at the shelter today?
Why We Ask
Measures broad satisfaction with the shelter experience.
Deeper Rationale
Daily feedback captures real-time experiences for rapid response to issues.
About This Survey
Emergency shelters provide immediate, temporary housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. This survey focuses on fundamental needs: safety, dignity, and basic necessities.
Psychometrically Sound Design
This survey follows best practices for clarity, bias reduction, consistency, and anonymity. All questions use consistent rating scales, avoid leading language, specify timeframes where appropriate, and include "Not Applicable" options to ensure accurate feedback.
Star Rating Questions
Thinking about your stay today
Q2
How safe did you feel during your stay today?
Why We Ask
Safety is a core need in shelter environments.
Deeper Rationale
Physical and emotional safety is the most fundamental need in emergency shelter.
Q3
How clean was the shelter during your stay today?
Why We Ask
Assesses cleanliness and maintenance standards.
Deeper Rationale
Cleanliness affects health, dignity, and willingness to use services.
Q4
How well were your basic needs (food, bedding, hygiene) met today?
Why We Ask
Evaluates core service delivery.
Deeper Rationale
Emergency shelters exist to meet immediate survival needs.
Q5
How respectful were the staff during your stay today?
Why We Ask
Measures dignity and respect from staff interactions.
Deeper Rationale
Respect is essential for maintaining dignity in crisis situations.
Q6
How likely are you to use this shelter again if needed?
Why We Ask
Determines likelihood of future use.
Deeper Rationale
Willingness to return is a proxy for overall quality and trust.
Free Text Questions
Open-ended questions capture qualitative insights that ratings cannot reveal. These questions help identify specific strengths and actionable improvements.
FT1
What was the most helpful part of this service for you?
Why We Ask
Identifies key strengths that should be maintained.
Deeper Rationale
This strength-based question helps services understand what's working well from the participant's perspective.
FT2
What is one thing we could change to make this service better?
Why We Ask
Captures constructive suggestions for improvement.
Deeper Rationale
By asking for 'one thing,' we reduce cognitive burden while still gathering actionable feedback.
Demographic Questions
Demographic questions remain minimal and relevant to protect anonymity while enabling equity analysis. All demographic questions are optional.
D1
What is your age group? (Under 18, 18-24, 25-44, 45-64, 65+)
Why We Ask
Allows analysis by age group.
Deeper Rationale
Age correlates with different needs and experiences. Enables equity analysis.
D2
What is your gender? (Male, Female, Non-binary, Prefer not to say)
Why We Ask
Supports equity and inclusivity monitoring.
Deeper Rationale
Gender can affect service experiences. Inclusive options signal welcome to all.
D3
What is your race/ethnicity? (Select all that apply)
Why We Ask
Helps assess equitable service reach.
Deeper Rationale
Racial equity requires measurement. Enables identification of disparities.