What Does Quality of Life Mean to You?

What does "quality of life" mean to you? Is it the services you have available? Perhaps the parks where your children play? The hikes you can take in nearby open space preserves? What about jobs, housing and childcare?

Santa Clara County's General Plan Health Element Project, the 2012 Community Assessment Project and San José State University are offering Los Altos and Los Altos Hills residents, as well as residents throughout the county, a chance at being represented in their 2012 Quality of Life survey.

The purpose behind this survey is to better help the county, local governments and community organizations understand what "community-building" priorities are that will in turn lead to better policies and programs.

“This effort will not only provide a picture of where our community is, but it will also result in better alignment of resources by government, community-based service providers, healthcare providers, and other organizations,” said Patrick Soricone, Community Assessment project manager and vice president for Community Impact at United Way Silicon Valley in a release. “This will enable us to have more focused progress in making this a community where everyone has opportunities for a good life.”

In the end, the idea is: improve health, wellness, safety, equity and overall quality of life in the county.

The Quality of Life survey is one of four parts that make up the 2012 Community Assessment. U.S. Census data at the local level from 2010, secondary sources including reports from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, Hispanic Foundation, Kids in Common and Joint Venture Silicon Valley, and more than 100 "kitchen table” community conversations.

The 2012 Quality of Life survey is available in English, Spanish and Vietnamese and can be completed online here.