Loyola Marymount University Quality of Life Survey Reveals New Attitudes Toward Life in the Southland

August 29, 2001





Los Angeles, CA – An overwhelming majority of Southern Californians believe it is difficult to find a home to rent or purchase in their community (80%), according to a new survey by the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. Most believe that the dream of homeownership will be out of reach for Southern California’s children once they become adults. With a limited amount of developable land, most Southern Californians (61%) would be more likely to prefer that new residential development projects are more dense and compact if such developments enabled people to live closer to jobs and services and reduce commute times.

The public opinion research project also found that more Southern Californians are optimistic than pessimistic about the quality of life in their community 20 years into the future. Latinos are most optimistic that the quality of life will improve (54%) and whites are the most pessimistic that the quality of life will erode (47%).

The poll was conducted by 15 minute phone interviews in English or Spanish with 1,200 adult residents selected at random from across the six-county SCAG region (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and Ventura counties).

“Over the next two decades, an additional 6 million people will reside in Southern California. That’s like adding the population of two cities the size of Chicago on top of the region’s current population, notes Dr. Mara Marks, associate director of the Center. “Population growth magnifies every challenge the region faces.” When asked what they believe will be the main factor causing the quality of life to increase or decrease in the future, “growth” was the factor cited most often by both those who feel the quality of life will increase and by those who feel it will decrease.

Other key findings:

Important issues in region: “Improving education” rated first followed by “improving air quality,” “improving public safety,” “building new schools,” and “improving job opportunities.” Lower on the list were “increasing the supply of housing” and “modernizing or building airports.”
  • Strong sense of shared identity across the region: respondents are more optimistic about the direction their individual communities are headed than about the direction of Southern California as a whole, two-thirds also believe that residents across the metro region have a shared identity that can be cultivated.
  • Willingness to pitch in to decrease energy consumption: Nearly 91% claim to have made efforts to decrease energy usage in their home in recent months. In addition, although most residents would be unwilling to sacrifice low energy rates for reliable service or price stability, sizeable minorities would be willing to pay higher rates to prevent blackouts or wild price swings. Disillusioned with the private market, two-thirds favor the creation of a state power authority to generate, purchase, and sell power.
  • Contentious issues around growth: Nearly two-thirds believe that growth is inevitable and that improvements to freeways, ports, and airports must be made in support of the infrastructure to accommodate growth. Only a quarter believe that developing or modernizing major infrastructure encourages people to move to the region and should thus be slowed or stopped.
  • Mistrust of water quality: Fewer than half -- 44% -- believe their drinking water is safe to drink.
In its annual State of the Region report, SCAG tracks a number of regional indicators including transportation, housing, the environment, energy, and education. “By gathering information about how residents think, feel, and act in relation to these topics,” notes Dr. Marks, “this poll complements the indicator data tracked by SCAG.” The Center hopes that the information will help policymakers develop priorities for local communities and for Southern California as a whole.

Since its creation in 1994, the Leavy Center for the Study of Los Angeles has been a respected source of information and analysis of critical issues facing the greater Los Angeles area. In addition to the quality of life poll, other recent research by the Center focus on development issues including trade infrastructure, housing, and urban revitalization projects.

Loyola Marymount University is one of the premiere Jesuit universities in the country emphasizing liberal arts. The University enrolls more than 4,000 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students.

For more information and further details, contact: Dr. Mara Marks, (310) 338-1794, Dr. Fernando Guerra (310) 338-4565, Ms. Janis Johnson