2020 Census: Why An Accurate Count Is More Important Than Ever
April 14, 2020
Coming out of the COVID-19 crisis, an accurate count for the 2020 Census is more critical than ever in Detroit and Michigan. As the city and state eventually return to work and the economy is rebuilt from the ground up, our communities will depend on the federal funding that the census count supports will be more crucial than ever before.
Do your part in filling out the census and spreading the word. Businesses can help ensure an accurate count by encouraging employees and customers to do their part. Explore the Detroit Regional Chamber’s 2020 Census Business Engagement Toolkit to learn more.
$675 billion in federal funding is at stake
Michigan can only receive the amount of federal funding it deserves by achieving an accurate census count. Every dollar will be critical for the state coming out of the crisis, funding the following services:
- Medicare
- Free school lunches
- Bridge cards and WIC
- Special education
- Road construction
- Other state and local services
$18,000+ is lost over 10 years for every Detroiter not counted
After the virus hit the city hard, Detroit will need a reliable census count to prevent the city from losing $1,800 a year for every individual Detroiter not counted.
With COVID-19 Restricting Efforts, The Census is Different this Time Around
Over 70 million households across the county have responded to the 2020 Census to date, representing over 48% of all households in America.
As of April 13, 2020, Detroit and Michigan are still far behind on response rates.
In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. Census Bureau is adjusting 2020 Census operations in order to:
- Protect the health and safety of the American public and Census Bureau employees.
- Implement guidance from federal, state and local authorities.
- Ensure a complete and accurate count of all communities.
The Census Bureau temporarily suspended 2020 Census field data collection activities in March. Steps are already being taken to reactivate field offices beginning June 1, 2020, in preparation for the resumption of field data collection operations as quickly as possible following June 1.
In-person activities, including all interaction with the public, enumeration, office work, and processing activities, will incorporate the most current guidance to promote the health and safety of staff and the public. This will include recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) and social distancing practices.
Once th 2020 Census data collection is complete, the Census Bureau begins a lengthy, thorough and scientifically rigorous process to produce the apportionment counts, redistricting information and other statistical data products that help guide hundreds of billions of dollars in public and private sector spending per year.
In order to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the 2020 Census, the Census Bureau is seeking statutory relief from Congress of 120 additional calendar days to deliver final apportionment counts.
Under this plan, the Census Bureau would extend the window for field data collection and self-response to October 31, 2020, which will allow for apportionment counts to be delivered to the President by April 30, 2021, and redistricting data to be delivered to the states no later than July 31, 2021.