Description
We have chosen the city of Hawthorn I will shared information gather about the city survey responses and links to information that can be used in the letter if needed.
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Civic Engagement Letter
CHDV 3210
Due Dates
Draft due Friday, 11/10 by 11:59pm
Final Submission due Friday, 12/8 by 11:59pm
Letter must be mailed or emailed to representative by Saturday, 12/16
Instructions: Students will write a one-page advocacy letter to an elected official about an
important community issue. Students must use the template provided or receive approval in
advance for another format.
Your letter should:
a) Identify an important issue that affects families within a chosen community. What issue
are you addressing?
b) Identify an appropriate elected official at the county, state, or national level; appropriate
meaning someone in a position that can address your issue. In your letter, note the
official’s correct title and their full name.
c) Describe how the issue affects children and families. Be specific!
d) Provide at least ONE key statistic AND empirical research to support your argument.
Must include APA citation within your paragraph and include the reference at the bottom
of the letter.
e) Describe specific actions you would like the elected official to take to address this family
centered issue. What solution(s) are you proposing they take?
f) Date should be included at top of letter; at bottom of letter sign and print your name
g) Letter must meet appropriate length requirement of one page with 4 paragraphs,
following the provided template.
h) Letter must be spell-checked and make grammatical sense.
i) Letter should be typed, single-spaced, use appropriate font (Times/Times New Roman,
12 point). Note that the appropriate spacing for each paragraph should follow the
template: do not indent the start of each paragraph and use one line spacing in between
paragraphs.
*The formatting guidelines for a letter are different from what I usually require for a paper.
**Use the template on the following page.
_________________________(Your full name)
_________________________(Your mailing address)
_________________________
Month day, year
Dear _________________ ___________________,
(Person’s Title)
(Person’s Full Name)
Paragraph 1 – The Introduction: Briefly describe the problem and what action(s) you want your
political representative to take to address it. (Three to four sentences).
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2 – The Issue: Describe in detail how the problem affects children and families. Be
specific by giving a(n) example(s)! Include one statistic AND empirical research to support your
argument. Use APA format. (Four to five sentences).
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 3 – The Solution: In detail, state what your proposed solution is and how it will
specifically address the problem. (Four to five sentences for each paragraph).
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 4 – Call to Action: Describe what action you want the representative to take (e.g.,
provide funding, vote a certain way, endorse this cause publicly, etc.) Describe how this action
will benefit children and families within your chosen community. (Four to five sentences for
each paragraph).
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Sincerely,
__________________________ (Your signature)
__________________________ (Your printed name)
Cal State LA Student
Reference
Include your APA reference for any statistics/facts discussed above. Do not move to a separate page unless your
letter carries onto a second page.
CHDV 3210
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Community Analysis Project & Civic Engagement Letter
Survey Data & Interpretation
Purpose:
The purpose of this assignment is to compile the data you/your team collected from the
Community Analysis Project survey. This data will be used to analyze the trends of concerns
within your chosen community regarding your chosen topic. You will use this data to create an
intervention plan. The intervention plan will be presented in PowerPoint and a letter to a
designated government representative.
Criteria for Success:
This assignment is worth 15 points total.
Breakdown of points:
•
•
•
•
•
Updated consent form & survey link (1 point)
Data from 15-45 participants (15 per team member) (1 point)
Table(s) of data (must include questions and statistics of responses) (3 points)
Interpretation of how this data will help create your intervention plan/suggested
solution for the community problem (5 points)
Advocacy Letter Proposal (5 points)
Only ONE partner should submit the assignment. Partners will receive the same grade for the
assignment. Points will be deducted for spelling and grammatical errors.
Due Date:
Friday, November 3, 2023, by 11:59 pm.
Submission Format:
Re-upload this template. Must be submitted as .doc, .docx, or .pdf – Other formats (rtf, .pages,
.gdoc, .xls, .txt, etc.) cannot be opened with Canvas and will not be graded.
Tasks:
Copy/paste updated survey consent form and survey link below [1 point]:
https://qualtricsxm265n6yp5g.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6R1ycQDQDMgFRcy
**This should only be one link. The consent form MUST be included in the survey!
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Data [1 point for 15-30+ participants; 3 points for completed table(s)]
***You may choose to organize the data as you see fit (or use the template I have provided), but
please be sure to include all required components. Require components include: title of the
survey, survey questions, survey answer choices, the number of participants that chose each
answer choice, and the total number of participants.
Survey Template:
Perceptions of Shifting Housing Affordability in Hawthorne, CA
Question
#1
Question
#2
Question
#3
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Question
#4
Question
#5
Question
#6
Question
#7
Question
#8
Question
#9
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Question
#10
Question
#11
Question
#12
Question
#13
Question
#14
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Question
#15
[Note:
Statement #3
reads in full,
“I know at
least one
person who
has
experienced
housing
insecurity in
Hawthorne at
some point
from 2015 to
now.”
Question
#16
Total number of participants: 8
Interpretation of Data (5 points):
***Points will be deducted for spelling and grammatical errors.
Please use the chart below when responding to the prompt.
Prompt:
•
•
What can you conclude from the data collected?
How will this data will help create your intervention plan/suggested solution for the
community problem?
Questions
Interpretation of Data
1.
Q#1 is the consent form and is not relevant to this table.
2.
Which racial/ethnic group do
This question helps us understand how our surveyed
you identify with?
population compares to the larger city population.
Our sample size is small, but it somewhat reflects
what we know of Hawthorne’s racial/ethnic
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3.
What is your current monthly
income? Select a number from
$0 to $10,000.
4.
Select your connection to
Hawthorne, CA.
5.
–
I currently live in
Hawthorne.
–
I lived in Hawthorne for
any duration from 2015
to now.
Select your current housing
situation:
–
I currently rent an
apartment, room, or
home in Hawthorne.
–
I currently own a home
in Hawthorne.
–
I currently reside in
Hawthorne but do not
have a permanent
address.
background. Most survey participants were
Hispanic/Latino (75%), and 25% of participants
were Black (only a 1.6% difference from the city’s
percentage). However, our survey did not include
any participants who were Multi-racial, Asian or
Asian American, White, or American Indian or
Alaska Native. These three demographics make up
30.5% of Hawthorne’s population; therefore, it is
significant that our survey lacks input from these
demographics.
Participants’ monthly income allows us to compare
their income with their rent to have a better idea of
how accessible/inaccessible their current housing
situation is. Additionally, it also helps steer our
solution approach, as we now have an idea of what
Hawthorne residents make; therefore, we have a
clearer idea of what housing cost would be
reasonable within that framework. Our survey found
that the average monthly income was nearly $4,000.
This question ties back to participant demographics.
It is meant to help us better understand who is taking
our survey and how recent their housing experiences
in Hawthorne are. The majority of survey
participants currently reside in Hawthorne, so their
experiences are recent and reflective of the current
state.
This question similarly ties back to demographics.
Half of the participants currently rent. Therefore, our
solution will focus on increasing renting
affordability.
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–
I do NOT currently
reside in Hawthorne.
6.
If you currently live in
Hawthorne, what is your total
household size? Select a number
from 1 to 10. (Please include all
individuals who live in your
current residence. This includes
roommates and yourself.)
7.
Have you lived continuously in
Hawthorne from 2015 to now?
8.
If you currently rent in
Hawthorne, what is your
apartment’s total monthly rent?
Select a number between $0 and
$5,000.
9.
From 2015 to now, how many
times have you experienced a
rent or mortgage increase?
Select a number between 0 and
10.
10.
From 2015 to now, how many
times have you moved homes or
apartments due to increases in
rent or mortgage? Select a
number between 0 and 10.
11.
From 2015 to now, have you
experienced housing insecurity
due to rising rent or mortgage?
12.
At any point from 2015 to 2023,
did you ever consider moving
out of Hawthorne due to
increases in rent or mortgage?
Initially, this question was meant to gauge whether
renters must live with multiple roommates to meet
rent. However, the question was not worded
appropriately to capture this. Regardless, we can
infer that participants do not live alone, and most
live with upwards of 3 other individuals. Therefore,
our solution should address the needs of families
and roommate clusters in affordable renting.
Like Q#4, this question intends to establish
participants’ level of familiarity with Hawthorne.
Most participants did not live continuously in
Hawthorne from 2015 to now, so we can infer that
they moved to Hawthorne within the last eight years
and have recent experience navigating rental
prospects in Hawthorne.
Like Q#3, this question is meant to help us
understand how participants’ monthly housing costs
compare to their income. The average monthly rent
among participants was just short of $3,000. We can
now infer that, on average, over half of a
participant’s monthly income goes to rent.
Q#9-13 are meant to gauge the severity of rising
housing costs in Hawthorne and the extent to which
our participants have been impacted. Q#9 revealed
that all participants had experienced more than one
mortgage/rent increase, establishing that decreasing
rent/mortgage increases is something our solution
should touch on.
Q#10 found that 6/8 participants had moved homes
or apartments due to increases in rent or mortgage.
This establishes the severity of rising housing costs
in Hawthorne. Our solution would seek to limit the
amount of moving due to the inability to afford
newly raised rent.
Q#11 found that 63% of participants have
experienced housing insecurity due to rising rent or
mortgage; this is a significant percentage. It further
establishes the need for affordable renting prospects
in Hawthorne.
Q#12 is meant to be one measure of participants’
perceptions of Hawthorne’s housing affordability.
75% of participants have considered moving out of
Hawthorne due to rising rent or mortgage; this helps
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13.
From 2015 to now, have you
ever moved out of Hawthorne
due to rent or mortgage
increases?
14.
For each statement, please select
a response:
15.
16.
–
I find it challenging to
meet my monthly rent/
mortgage payments.
–
I am scared my rent or
mortgage will increase.
–
If my rent or mortgage
increases, I will have to
move.
For each statement, please select
a response:
–
I have noticed an
increase in Hawthorne
homelessness from 2015
to now.
–
Due to rising rent or
mortgage costs, I am at
risk of being homeless.
–
I know at least one
person who has
experienced housing
insecurity in Hawthorne
at some point from 2015
to now.
For each statement, please select
a response:
establish a need for housing affordability in
Hawthorne.
Q#13 is meant to measure the severity of affordable
housing inaccessibility in Hawthorne. 0% of
participants have needed to move out of Hawthorne
due to an increase in rent or mortgage. Our solution
would seek to maintain this by increasing
accessibility to affordable housing options within
the city so residents will not be forced to leave.
Q#14 is meant to capture further participants’
perception of housing affordability in Hawthorne
and how much of a role rising housing costs play in
their lives. Half of the participants will need to move
if their housing costs increase.7/8 participants find it
challenging to meet monthly housing costs. All
participants are scared their housing costs will
increase. Q#14 further indicates the necessity of
lowering monthly housing costs to fit reasonably
within the renter’s monthly income.
Q#15 is meant to gauge the risks of Hawthorne’s
housing unaffordability continuing. It further
establishes the need for a solution. If housing costs
in Hawthorne continue to rise, homelessness and
housing insecurity are likely to increase. 1/8
participants are at risk of being homeless due to
rising housing costs. 6/8 participants have noticed an
increase in Hawthorne homelessness, and all
participants know someone who has experienced
housing insecurity in the past eight years.
Q#16 is meant to gauge participants’ receptiveness
to city government initiatives to address the lack of
housing affordability in Hawthorne. 7/8 participants
believe it is not affordable to own or rent a home in
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–
I believe it is affordable
to rent or own a home in
Hawthorne.
–
I believe it is the city’s
responsibility to ensure
affordable housing in
Hawthorne.
Hawthorne. All participants believe it is the city’s
responsibility to ensure affordable housing in
Hawthorne. Therefore, our solution will focus on
legislature/city law rather than community or
organization approaches.
Advocacy Letter Proposal (5 points):
•
•
•
•
•
Based on the collective data, briefly describe what problem you will want the focus of
your letter to be.
What solution are you proposing?
How will this solution address this problem?
What will you ask of your government representative to help alleviate this issue?
Identify the name, picture, and contact info for the government representative you plan to
contact.
Describe your proposal below:
Rising rent, a crisis gripping much of the nation, is alive and well in Hawthorne, California. As
rent continues to rise, so does housing insecurity. Without proper intervention, the rising cost of
rent in Hawthorne will displace many. Therefore, we will contact Council Member Katrina
Manning and ask that she advocate for the implementation of city-wide incentives that motivate
realtor companies and private landlords to launch soft, affordable housing revitalization projects
for their apartment buildings. Motivating landlords and realtor companies with city-led
incentives, such as tax breaks and grant programs that require affordable rent prices, will initiate
a much-needed shift in Hawthorne’s current unaffordable rental prospects.
Government Representative Information
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Name & Photo
Council Member Katrina Manning
Email Address
[email protected]
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