In November 2017, the West Virginia Partnership for Elder Living (WVPEL) partnered with the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority (CURA) to assess the interest in various aspects of a possible residential facility in downtown Charleston. An assessment was conducted involving a survey, focus groups and interviews with key informants. This report is based on that assessment and will provide insight into the interests of area residents in a housing facility in downtown Charleston, West Virginia that could house both elders and younger people, with a possible emphasis on artists.

In the first phase of the assessment, WVPEL Director Phil Schenk and Consultant Nancy Tyler met with an ad hoc group, including Ron Butlin, CURA Executive Director and Terry Pickett, the originator of the project concept, to develop a survey reflective of the issues to be addressed and to refine the questions that would comprise the survey. Ms. Pickett brought ideas on the draft survey from other participants in an ad hoc committee she had formed around the concept. Once finalized, the survey was distributed utilizing the “snowball” method, which utilized the committee members to distribute it through their email, while asking recipients to share the survey link with others in their contact lists and so on. The survey was also posted to various social media websites and a link appeared in The Charleston Gazette newspaper. Nearly 500 respondents completed the survey, and from among those, about 120 volunteered to become a part of one of five focus groups that were scheduled.