FAQS for How to Ask Survey Questions and Listen for Understanding

1. How long does the survey take to complete?
   • The full survey should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.
     • Questions relating to a person’s personal identity may have longer responses to which it’s important to “ask and listen.”
   • The observational survey should take approximately 1-5 minutes to complete.
2. How do I ensure safety and approach folks respectfully during the survey?
   • Remember that people experiencing homelessness may not be expecting you. Knocking on anyone's space can be quite alarming.
     • Remember to kindly announce yourself from afar.
     • Ask permission to approach folks.
     • If you encounter someone in a car, knock gently on the front end of the car rather than a window. This gives enough eye distance for the community members to see you.
     • If you’re using flashlights, do not shine them in peoples’ faces or into car windows or tents.
   • Do not climb fences or enter tents, vehicles, or other structures.
   • Unzipping tents and/or removing items to get into spaces is unacceptable.
   • If you are surveying people near highway on and off ramps, please use caution both for parking your vehicle and walking around busy traffic areas.
   • Always have at least two people surveying, never go out alone.
   • Team model: person asking and person writing answers on their phone.
   • Leave the “flash” at home. Avoid wearing anything that may distract you from connecting with the community. This includes jewelry, clothing, and shirts with quotes or “funny” sayings.
   • Bring masks, hand sanitizers, weather appropriate clothing, comfortable and protective shoes
3. How do I decide between conducting a Full Unsheltered survey, an Observational Tally, or a Vehicle/Structure Tally?
   • Full Unsheltered Survey
     • Full survey is they opened door, said hello and said yes (they are allowed to abandon survey anytime, this includes even if they’ve only answered a single question).
   • Observational Survey
     • If you see a person, but you are unable to talk to them for a full survey.
   • Vehicle/Structure Tally
     • If you see a vehicle or structure (or proof someone might be occupying the space).
       • For example, if there is evidence of trash, footprints, etc...
     • If it looks like someone lives there, but it doesn’t seem like they’re home at the moment or if you can see inside to determine the number of people in there.
     • If you saw a vehicle but couldn’t confirm a person was there.
4. What are some example questions on the surveys?
   • Critical questions that must be answered:
     • Have you already been interview for the PIT count?
     • Where were you sleeping on the night of the count?
     • Is this an individual or household/ how many people in household?
   • Everything else is optional
5. When should I read all the survey options out loud, ask and listen, or show them the options?
   • For time saving purposes, sometimes it’s easier to read all questions out loud
   • Questions relating to a person’s gender, racial, sexual, demographic identity, or reasons for homelessness can be sensitive.
     • When asking these questions, be respectful and remember that they are the experts of their own lives.
     • Keep in mind that folks are allowed to stop taking the survey at any point.
     • In general, these questions fall into the “ask and listen” category.