The Census
What is the Census?
The census is the count of every person in the United States, and it takes place once every 10 years. Information from the census determines the distribution of close to $1 trillion in federal funding -- and more than $1 billion dollars for New York City.
Why is it so important?
Data from the census determines the amount of money that New York City receives in federal funds for public education, infrastrucutre, affordable housing, and more. Census information is also used to determine the number of seats NYC has in Congress. If New York City is undercounted, we could lose up to two seats in Congress. And to put it into perspective, according to a recent Congressional report, “Missing just one person in the city could reduce education funding by $2,295, and job training by $281.”
What can you do?
Help get out the count! There are a number of ways to do this. You can ...
Call hundreds of New Yorkers in neighborhoods with the lowest self-response rates to date, and encourage them to fill out the census (Phonebanking)
Make sure your family has completed the census
Additional resources:
A very informative article in the New York Times: by Giovanni Russonello, Why an Accurate Census is So Important NYT 8/7/20
Terrific interactive online exhibit on the census at the Museum of the City of New York
