NYC-Feature Story

$4 Trillion? Count Me In!

By Percy D. Lujan

What are you doing April 1? Whether or not you have plans, Uncle Sam is asking you (and whoever you live with) to take a few minutes to fill out the 2010 census, a form the federal government is trying to distribute to every single person living in the United States so all residents can be counted.


	Practice for Regents Exam Reading Section

What is the census, and what’s in it for we, the people?

Confidential Answers

The census is not something proposed by some legislator with a sense of humor; it actually has roots in the holy book of U.S. government, the Constitution. The very first article of the Constitution decrees that there should be an “enumeration” of the people every ten years to determine how many seats each state gets in the House of Representatives.

Most people aren’t comfortable with the government knowing too much about them. However, the information gathered by the Census Bureau is confidential, and by federal law it can’t be shared with any other government agency. Nor can it be made public for 72 years after it’s gathered. Immigration authorities, housing authorities, and other government authorities have no access to the information you provide.

Everybody—And That Means You

The Census Bureau intends to count every individual living in the country, and that means everybody. It doesn’t matter if you are an immigrant or a citizen; if you are undocumented or your family has been living here since the dinosaurs; if you live in a mansion or in a subway tunnel. The census counts the current population of the United States, period.

Since this is New York City, a place that knows how to renew itself every decade, the Department of City Planning has been working to produce an up-to-date list of addresses for the 2010 census. (For example, in a 50-unit building every apartment would be its own address, and its own household.) The goal is for every household to get a census form in the mail this spring.

On March 15, census forms will be mailed to every address on the Census Bureau’s list. One person should fill out the form for the household, listing their address and every resident in that household as of April 1, 2010. College students living away from home should not be counted (they should be counted at their college address instead). Visitors to the household should be counted where they normally live. However, anyone who lives in the household but is away on a trip should be counted. If more than one family lives in the household (in other words, at the exact same address), all members of both families should be listed on the form.

The forms should be returned by April 15. If you don’t get a form, your parent or guardian should call 311. If you don’t return it promptly, Census Bureau workers will pay you a visit to ask you the census questions personally. They are very persistent and will visit your home up to six times.

You Only Count if You’re Counted

If you aren’t counted by the census, said Joe Salvo, director of the Population Division at the Department of City Planning, “It’s almost like you don’t exist.” What’s wrong with that?

If you like getting what you need, the answer is, “Plenty.” Seats in the House of Representatives and on local Community Boards are allotted based on census numbers. Areas where the census shows a higher population get to elect more people to represent them in Congress. So having someone to argue for your interests in Washington and City Hall depends partly on being counted.

And over the next 10 years, the federal government will divvy up more than $4 trillion in funding for things like schools, hospitals, and public transportation based on census numbers. If your community’s population has been underestimated, your community is likely to get shortchanged.

Data from the 2010 census will be used to calculate all kinds of estimates about need. For example, if the Department of City Planning is asked how many New Yorkers ages 18-29 are unemployed and without high school diplomas, the department will come up with a number based on census data.

However, if segments of the population with high rates of unemployment are undercounted by the census, the data will be skewed. The need for important resources like GED and job training programs will be underestimated, and funding won’t flow to places where it could best be used.

In other words, not being counted means saying “No, thanks” to your piece of the pie.

On Your Block

The Census Bureau keeps track of response rates in your own neighborhood. In 2000, 67% of the population nationwide mailed back their questionnaires. The response rate was considerably lower in New York City—only 55%—with some of the lowest response rates in Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, Richmond Hill in Queens, and Williamsbridge in the Bronx.

Especially if you live in a low-response area, don’t be surprised to see city officials and community leaders promoting the census on your block.

When all’s said and done, the 2010 census will cost an estimated $13-15 billion and involve the efforts of 3.8 million workers. Census forms will be sent to 145 million addresses.

Nationwide, there will also be 70,000 Questionnaire Assistance Centers and Be Counted sites—places people can go for face-to-face help completing the census.

Did You Know?

• Lost Money: Historically, the census has undercounted poor people, non-white people, and non-English speakers. These populations make up most of the 6.4 million people who were missed by the 2000 census. The Census Monitoring Board estimates that those undercounts cost places like New York $478 million that they would have received in federal funds for the period 2002-2012.

• It’s Your Money: Here are a few federal assistance programs aimed at children and teens that distribute funds based partly or wholly on census statistics:

—Title I grants: Used to pay for additional teachers, tutors, and after school and summer programs in schools where many students perform poorly

—YOUTHBUILD: Helps youth who have fallen behind in education to get their high school diploma or a GED

—Head Start: Provides health check-ups and services, pre-kindergarten education, and social services to low-income pre-school children and their parents

• Counting the Homeless: The Census Bureau wants to count you, even if you don’t have a fixed address. So specially trained Census Bureau staff visit shelters, soup kitchens, and other places where homeless people receive services to count people in person. In the past, they’ve also put aside a few days in March to visit such out-of-the-way places as subway tunnels and highway underpasses to count the people living there.

• Speaking to You: Both English and Spanish Census forms will be mailed to areas with large Spanish-speaking populations. You can also request a census form in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, or Russian. Printed guides are available in 59 languages, and the city can arrange for staff to provide help in 101 languages at Questionnaire Assistance Centers. For more information, dial 311.

• Jobs, Jobs, Jobs: The Census Bureau will hire several thousand temporary workers in New York to collect information in person during the late spring and summer. These jobs pay well but the Bureau expects many applicants. If you’re interested in applying, visit 2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs or call 1-866-861-2010.

You can get more information on the 2010 census by dialing 311 or by visiting census.gov/2010census.

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