Complete Your 2020 Census Today
The deadline is coming up for completing the 2020 Census data. We’ve all received the letters and post cards and other reminders, and yet only about 70 percent of 19th Ward households have returned their forms.
If you don’t respond by mail, phone or online at my2020census.gov, the Census Bureau is obligated to send a census worker to your home to collect the information.
Census information is collected every ten years. All information is kept anonymous and only used to provide statistics that are essential for determining how important community programs, infrastructure and services will be funded for the next decade.
The Chicago Urban League estimates that for every uncounted resident, $1535 in federal funding is lost annually. The next census will be in 2030 so the total impact of every uncounted resident for the 10 year period will be approximately $15,350. Using the 2010 reported census population of the 19th. Ward — 51,525 – if just 1% of the residents go uncounted (515), ward would lose $790,525 of federal funding over the next 10 years.
In order for the 19th Ward to receive all of the funding it deserves, all households need participate in the 2020 Census.
The results of the 2020 Census will inform decisions about allocating hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding to communities across the country for hospitals, fire departments, school lunch programs, and other critical services. Data will also determine which communities need new schools, new clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults and children.
The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives and how to draw congressional and state legislative districts.
Census data helps determine how federal funding will be allocated for programs such as medical services, unemployment insurance, emergency food and shelter programs, family violence prevention services, historic preservation, voting access for people with disabilities, Pell grants, small business assistance and many more.
Participating in the census is required by law, and the law also protects the confidentiality of your answers. The Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement or government agencies.
For more information and to complete the 2020 Census online, visit my2020census.gov. You can also complete and return the census form you received in the mail or complete the census via phone at 844-330-2020.
