Census 2020

WHAT IS THE CENSUS?

The Census is safe, easy, and important. The goal is to count everyone once and only once, regardless of age or citizenship status, to determine where public funding and political representation should go. There are 4 ways to fill out the Census: online, by phone, by mail, or in-person.

Trusted community organizations like settlement houses are already embedded in hard-to-count communities and are best-suited to dispel fears around the citizenship question, mitigate concerns that the federal government will compromise census data, and encourage every New Yorker to be counted.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

The impact of an undercount in the 2020 Census would be devastating. An undercount would result in reduced funding for critical, community-based programs and services, and lessen New York’s representation in federal government. This means potential reductions to Medicaid, Medicare Part B, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Section 8 vouchers, Title 1 grants, Head Start, Children’s Health Insurance Program, and highway planning and construction. Census data also drives the location of hospitals, schools, and businesses.

WHO SHOULD BE COUNTED?

Every household should complete a Census questionnaire and include each person living in that household to ensure their community receives its fair share of resources. The Census counts everyone based on where they are living on or around April 1, 2020.

WHAT IS UNH DOING?

UNH is providing its settlement house members with education and skill-building opportunities for staff to promote the Census in their communities. The goals of the UNH’s Settlement Houses Get Out the Count program are to:

1. Provide education & skill-building for settlement house staff to promote the Census

2. Support outreach in settlement house communities to promote the Census

3. Activate community to respond to the Census and assist individuals filling out the questionnaire

IN THE NEWS

NY1:With Billions in Federal Funding on the Line, Census Workers Face 'Unprecedented Challenges'

Bronx Net: Bronx Census 101

RESOURCES

UNH has developed and gathered a toolkit of Census materials, including:

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (UNH)

GLOSSARY OF CENSUS TERMS (UNH)

TIMELINE OF 2020 CENSUS (UNH)

CENSUS ACTIVITIES IDEAS (UNH Flyer)

2020 CENSUS CONFIDENTIALITY (U.S. Census)

COUNTING PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS (U.S. Census)