Haitian Community Survey
Listening to Haitian families in Waterloo
In August 2026, World Grace Project conducted a community listening survey with 40 Haitian households in Waterloo, Iowa to better understand what families are experiencing and what kinds of support may be most helpful.
The survey was developed in response to increasing uncertainty affecting Haitian families, including changes related to Temporary Protected Status (TPS), employment and work authorization.
Our purpose was simple: listen first, identify patterns, and share what participating households told us with the organizations and people in a position to help.
[DOWNLOAD THE FULL HAITIAN COMMUNITY SURVEY REPORT]
What we heard
The survey identified concerns across several areas of daily life, including food, housing, employment, transportation, immigration legal access, community information, and confidence accessing services.
72% did not always have enough food
Among respondents who answered the food question, 72% reported either not having enough food or only sometimes having enough food.
When participants were asked what food support would help most, 80% of those answering selected fresh food or meat.
78% reported housing or utility concerns
Among respondents answering the question, 78% said they were worried at least sometimes about paying rent, mortgage, or utilities.
The survey did not ask whether households were currently homeless or facing immediate eviction. The finding does, however, indicate substantial concern about housing and household expenses.
57% reported household job loss related to TPS or work authorization
Among the 21 respondents who answered the employment question, 57% (12 of 21) reported that they or someone in their household had experienced job loss due to the loss of TPS or work authorization.
Because respondents could skip questions, the survey does not tell us why the remaining participants did not answer this question.
84% said they could not afford an immigration attorney
Among the 32 respondents who answered the attorney-affordability question, 84% (27 of 32) reported that they could not afford an immigration attorney.
This finding points to a significant access gap and an opportunity for collaboration around affordable, qualified immigration legal services and trusted referral pathways.
Fear may be keeping some people from seeking help
Among the 19 respondents who answered the question about fear and access to services, 79% said fear or uncertainty had caused them to avoid seeking help or attending activities.
The survey did not ask respondents to identify exactly what they feared or which services they avoided. Additional listening is needed to better understand those barriers.
For providers, however, the responses raise an important question:
Are people who need services comfortable accessing them?
Confidentiality, language access, cultural understanding, trusted relationships, and clear communication about what information organizations collect may all be important considerations.
Immigration information is a major need
Among respondents identifying information needs, 72% selected immigration news and government policy updates, making it the most frequently requested type of information.
The survey also identified an important difference between how people currently receive information and how they would prefer to receive future community updates.
Currently:
79% selected social media or YouTube
46% selected church, family, or friends
17% selected WhatsApp
Preferred communication:
43% selected WhatsApp or text
38% selected church announcements or flyers
38% selected Facebook, social media, or YouTube
24% selected phone or email
19% selected in-person meetings
The response categories differed slightly between the two questions, so these should not be treated as exact one-to-one comparisons. They do suggest an opportunity to expand direct communication through text and WhatsApp while continuing to use social media, churches, community networks, and other channels.
Basic household needs
Participants also identified practical household needs that can help guide community donations and purchasing.
Among respondents answering the Goods Store question, the most frequently selected items included:
74% kitchen and household goods
65% adult clothing and shoes
65% bedding and towels
58% children's clothing and shoes
58% paper and cleaning supplies
39% personal-care and school supplies
35% diapers, wipes, and formula
Respondents could select more than one option.
These results are already helping World Grace Project better stock its Goods Store and coordinate community donations around the items families say they are most likely to use.
About the survey
This community listening survey was completed by 40 Haitian households in Waterloo, Iowa, in August 2026, with one survey completed per household.
The survey was provided in both English and Haitian Creole, and Haitian Creole translators were present to answer questions and assist participants as needed.
Participation was voluntary and anonymous, and respondents could skip any question. Percentages are calculated based only on respondents who answered each individual question. Questions allowing multiple selections may total more than 100%.
This was a community listening effort and was not designed to be a scientific or statistically representative survey of the entire Haitian community. The findings should be understood as the experiences and concerns reported by participating households.
What comes next
These findings are not intended to speak for every Haitian family. They are intended to help service providers, churches, employers, legal providers, nonprofits, funders, and community leaders better understand what participating households are experiencing.
World Grace Project hopes the survey can support stronger coordination around:
Food and household assistance
Employment and economic stability
Housing and transportation
Affordable immigration legal access
Accurate immigration and community information
Language-accessible and culturally responsive services
Outreach to families who may be hesitant to seek help
No single organization can address these needs alone.
We welcome conversations with organizations interested in responding collaboratively to what participating Haitian households have told us.
Connect with World Grace Project
World Grace Project
Waterloo, Iowa
go@worldgraceproject.org
worldgraceproject.org
goodneighbors.network
We gratefully acknowledge our organizational supporters!
