Douglas County launches confidential survey for residents at risk of poverty

Douglas County launched a confidential survey aimed at residents who are experiencing poverty or are at risk of it, posting the request on its news page on February 20, 2026 and asking for “firsthand experiences from individuals and families who are living in poverty or at risk of it.” The county said responses will inform its federally required 2025 Community Needs Assessment, calling the CNA “a federally required process that identifies the most pressing needs facing residents experiencing poverty” and adding that “The CNA plays a critical role in shaping how federal funds are invested locally.”

The county described the questionnaire as “a short survey” and urged participation through its website and social channels, with posts by PUBLIC AFFAIRS DOUGLAS COUNTY on Nextdoor, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. One Nextdoor post repeated the headline question: “Are you or do you know someone at risk of poverty? Share your voice to help guide future programs,” and directed residents to the county news page and to sign up for Live Town Hall notifications for future community conversations.

The new survey arrives against a backdrop of local anti-poverty work documented by the University of Kansas Center for Community Health & Development. The center’s “Douglas County Anti-Poverty Survey Fall 2020” recorded that 787 Douglas County community members completed surveys and that “Two focus groups held in organizations in Douglas County were also conducted.” The Fall 2020 report captured local sentiment, quoting a Douglas County resident: “COVID has taught us all that we cannot live in a society where people do not make a living wage and have benefits [or] help if they lose their jobs or the economy falls down. We need to rethink all of this for a long-term solution and that includes how we help and view poverty in our county.”

Public health data cited in the county’s anti-poverty literature underscores the stakes. The 2018 Health Equity Report, quoted in the University of Kansas capture, found that “residents earning less than $35,000 are 6.6 times more likely to be uninsured and to be diagnosed with asthma. They are more likely to not go to the doctor due to cost and to have poor mental and physical well-being.” Earlier local work funded by the Kansas Health Foundation’s Healthy Communities Initiative identified employment barriers in 2019, noting that “the most common employment barriers were educational opportunities and prejudice for those most at risk of marginalization in Douglas County.”

The county’s outreach came alongside other resident-engagement pushes. Douglas County Government social posts referenced a Region 12 Prioritization Survey tied to opioid settlement funds with a March 9 deadline, and a separate post reassured the public about benefit oversight, stating that “In 2025, intentional fraud represented less than 0.1% of benefit recipients in Douglas County, and recovered funds were returned to taxpayers.” The county news page also carried an alert that Sheriff Darren Weekly had ordered Stage 1 Fire Restrictions under Ordinance No. O-012-004 for unincorporated areas.

County posts say the new survey will feed the “2025 Community Needs Assessment,” even though the survey launch is dated February 20, 2026 in the county’s own posting. The publicly captured news item did not include the survey link, estimated completion time, privacy statement, language availability, or specific open and close dates in the truncated copy available on the news page, and the county continues to encourage residents to register for Live Town Hall notifications and follow county channels for updates. Responses, the county says, will be used to shape local anti-poverty programs and inform how federal funds are invested across Douglas County.