July 22, 2001 – The University of the Virgin Islands is asking for the public's cooperation as interviewers carrying UVI identification go door to door throughout the territory conducting the 2001 Virgin Islands Community Survey.
The survey is the first in what is expected to become an every-other-year collection of data similar to that gathered in the 2000 Census, but drawn from just a sample of households.
According to a UVI release, "complete confidentiality of the information" is assured. "As with the census, the anonymity of respondents is a cornerstone of this survey," it stated.
All 50 states conduct a similar American Community Survey annually. It is hoped that the V.I. survey "will be the beginning of a process for the Virgin Islands to join other U.S. communities that are obtaining and maintaining detailed, up-to-date housing and population data," the release said.
Interviewers are collecting such information as the number of rooms, age, utilities, ownership and mortgage of respondents' residences, and demographic information such as ethnic origin, age, sex, education level, employment and income.
In keeping with the practice in many states, there are also plans to gather information for an "Economic and Political Opinion Supplement," seeking residents' views on "a number of local government and social issues," the release said.
The data obtained in the V.I. Community Survey will be utilized in the public and private sectors for planning to respond to the territory's needs in educational, health, economic, social and other areas. Such statistics are essential in the writing of proposals for federal grants.
Funding for the survey was obtained from the federal Office of Interior Affairs and the V.I. Office of Management and Budget. Further information may be obtained by calling the UVI Eastern Caribbean Center at 693-1037 or 693-1032.
