Case Study
With public concern around homelessness high and policy debates ongoing, Multnomah County leaders needed a clear understanding of how residents think and feel about the issue. Focusing on the outcomes that residents value and the services that resonate the most, our work guided communications and policy decisions that were inclusive of community perspectives, ideas, and opinions.
DHM created an 800-person, bilingual survey of Multnomah County registered voters, including an oversample of residents outside of Portland. To ensure appropriate demographic and geographic representation, quotas were established, and the collected data was weighted accordingly. This helped DHM uncover the priorities of residents regarding homelessness and housing services. For example, while residents’ feedback indicated that most were satisfied with their own neighborhoods, they were concerned about homelessness in Multnomah County as a whole.
The survey revealed which messaging would resonate most with Multnomah County residents, and DHM’s findings provided actionable guidance for their communication strategy and outreach.
When Portland’s City Council had to navigate difficult budget shortfalls, they partnered with DHM to conduct a multilingual, citywide survey asking residents to make real-life tradeoff decisions between essential services and revenue options. Facing difficult spending cuts in the Spring of 2025, DHM yielded nuanced insights that helped leaders make decisions with community values in mind.
Over a multi-year partnership, DHM has helped the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) develop and evaluate its public education campaigns, ensuring that messaging regarding forest management, sustainability, and replanting are hitting home across the state.