Human Services Community Needs Assessment

What Is a Community Needs Assessment?

A Community Needs Assessment is a structured process used to identify the needs, service gaps, and available resources within a community—such as a neighborhood, town, or city. The goal is to better understand current conditions and determine where targeted efforts can improve residents' quality of life.

2025 Community Needs Assessment – Executive Summary

The 2025 Sky Valley Human Services Needs Assessment updates the region’s understanding of current resident needs across Monroe, Sultan, Gold Bar, and Index. Commissioned by the City of Monroe, the study refreshes the 2021 assessment and is intended to help inform policy, programming, and funding decisions.

This report combines data from relevant secondary sources, a resident survey with 289 responses, 18 key informant interviews from 13 organizations, and six focus groups (Seniors, Youth, Unhoused, Disabled, Hispanic/Latino, and LGBTQ+). Based on the data collected and analyzed for this report, human services priorities were determined based on frequency, severity, use, gaps, and barriers to access. The following priorities were identified as the greatest areas of need and in demand of focus:

  • Affordable Housing
  • Mental and Behavioral Health Services
  • Health and Dental Care Access
  • Transportation Services & Safety
  • Affordable Childcare
  • Food and Nutrition Supports
  • Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment and Prevention
  • Employment, Educational, and Legal Services

Recommendations based on these prioritized needs include:

  • Support programs that encourage affordable housing production, housing stability, and emergency housing services
  • Improve the continuum of care for behavioral health and substance use disorder (SUD) services
  • Increase access to physical health services, including medical care, dental care, and food/nutrition support
  • Improve regional public transportation services for at-risk groups and improve traffic safety
  • Expand affordable childcare and after-school programs
  • Provide more educational and vocational training opportunities and low-cost legal services
  • Consider a Drop-in Day Center for Basic Needs, Housing Navigation, and Pop-up Services

While this report does not make specific funding recommendations, it will inform the City of Monroe staff and Community Human Services Advisory Board (CHSAB) in their budgetary and strategic planning recommendations to the City Council.

Click Here to view the Full Report