Nov. 9 2015 - First Selectman James Cosgrove has announced the townwide Basic Needs Assessment questionnaire is now available. 

Approximately two months ago, a consultant was hired to organize, design and oversee a Basic Needs Assessment for the town to provide a broad and deep analysis of the needs in our community.  The first step in this process was to develop a comprehensive questionnaire using data collected from various community wide organizations. The questionnaire, which is anonymous and confidential, is now available on line at http://www.basicneedsproject.org/ and in paper form at Town Hall, James Blackstone Memorial Library and the Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library.

An important part of the research study is to conduct a random sample. Nearly 500 households will be selected at random to be surveyed.  If you are contacted, as a part of that random sample, please respond to ensure that the survey will have the most accurate data.  If you are not a part of the random sample, we encourage you to fill out the survey as a part of the expanded sampling.

Research assistants from Southern Connecticut State University, Branford High School, and community volunteers will be in local neighborhoods collecting the data and will be available to help anyone with the survey.  All volunteers working on this project will have a Branford Police Department issued picture identification card.

First Selectman Cosgrove said, "I encourage all of our residents to participate by filling out the confidential survey.  The information collected is valuable in helping us identify and understand the needs of our community."

This study is funded by the Town of Branford, Branford Cares, The Branford Early Childhood Collaborative, and The Branford Rotary, with the generous assistance of Connecticut Southern University. The data collection will continue throughout November and an executive summary will be available early in January.