The piece of evidence that best supports the personal response regarding the residents' lack of empowerment is:
"The residents do not feel empowered and instead are content to wait for decisions to be made for them, as illustrated by their 'undeniable sense of relief' when the petition gets refused."
This evidence directly illustrates how the residents feel passive and relieved by the absence of change, reinforcing the idea that they are not taking action and are waiting for others to make decisions for them.