On March 12 the first mailing of the 2020 U.S. Census went out. Shortly thereafter the COVID 19 Crisis began taking the limelight.
But you can make that up to the U.S. Census today, as April 1, 2020 is Census Day.
If you happen to be reading this on another day, make that day your own personal Census Day. Even though the form says, “by April 1” this is not a deadline. You can respond after that date until mid- August. Due to COVID 19 this deadline was extended two weeks, but it is encouraged to submit your data as soon as possible.
Filling out the U.S. Census is one of the most important things you can do as a community member, because the number of people counted in a community are what determines the percentage of tax dollars and services that community gets.
Brooklyn was massively under-counted during the 2010 Census, and it took a hit. Due to the lower than actual numbers the borough lost government funding. With COVID 19 doing its own damage to government funding, Brooklyn needs the 2020 count to reflect the number of its residents more than ever to provide funding for hospitals, fire departments, school lunch programs, and other critical programs and services.
As of this writing, submission rates are 9% lower than those received at this point during the 2010 Census. Granted COVID 19 has something to do with this, as much of the personal outreach has been shutdown as they don’t comply with Stay Home or Social Distancing guidances.
Who gets counted? Everyone who lives here: adults, children, babies, citizens, documented and undocumented immigrants.
Your identity is protected, the 2020 Census does not ask whether you or anyone in your home is a U.S. citizen.
The law also prevents the Census Bureau from sharing your information with law enforcement. Your answers cannot be used to impact your eligibility for government benefits. Your answers are only used to create statistics about our country. The Census Bureau is bound by Title 13 of the U.S. Code to protect your personal information and keep it strictly confidential. That’s every answer, to every question.
If you have received your letter and have your Census ID you can respond here: https://my2020census.gov/
The Greenline 