Officials warn of less funding and representation if residents don’t respond to census: ‘The Southland cannot afford to lose any more’
By mid-March, most homes in the south suburbs and across America should receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census.
It's important for households to respond to the census questionnaire because the national headcount determines representation and federal funding, officials said Wednesday night in Markham.
"If we don't hear from you we will lose $1,400 to $1,800 per (uncounted) person every year for 10 years," U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson, told about 50 people at a forum on the census.
Local elected officials and Census Bureau representatives have been traversing the region, holding forums and pleading with people to urge family members, friends and neighbors to respond to census forms when they arrive in the mail beginning March 12.
That's because many areas in the south suburbs have high numbers of "hard to count" residents, including people who are low-income, senior citizens, children, renters and immigrants.
"We need to stand up and be counted," said state Rep. Debbie Meyers-Martin, D-Olympia Fields. "Reach out to your neighbors and friends. There's so much at stake."
U.S. Census Bureau representatives used an online database known as Response Outreach Area Mapper to show how parts of the south suburbs have historically been undercounted. The database showed the "low-response rate" exceeded 30% in parts of Blue Island, Chicago Heights, Dolton, Harvey, Riverdale, Steger and other communities.
"Learning about each hard to survey area allows the U.S. Census Bureau to create a tailored communication and partnership campaign and to plan for field resources including hiring staff with language skills," according to the Census Bureau website.
The Census 2020 count formally began this week with efforts to enumerate residents of remote areas of Alaska.
Mailers sent to 95% of U.S. households March 12-20 will invite people to respond in three ways: Online, by phone or by mail, said Cory Stevenson, partnership specialist with the U.S. Census Bureau.
"We have to acknowledge that not everyone is tech savvy," Stevenson told the Markham audience.
Not everyone has home internet access, he said. Census officials are partnering with public libraries and others to encourage people to respond online, Stevenson said.
The census form asks nine questions and typically takes less than 10 minutes to complete, said Jeanine Beasley, media coordinator for the Census Bureau. Responses are confidential, she said.
The Census Bureau, by law, cannot share personal information with landlords, immigration authorities, employers, banks or anyone else, Beasley said. Information collected from census forms is aggregated and anonymized, she said.
President Donald J. Trump sought to include a citizenship question on Census 2020 forms, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it would violate federal law to do so.
"It doesn't matter if you're documented or undocumented," Kelly told the audience. "I know there are some scary things going on. When you fill out the census (form), it does remain private. No one else sees it. I know a lot of people are afraid about that."
Illinois will lose at least one of its 18 seats in Congress due to shifts in population, according to Election Data Services, a political consulting firm. Others states also are expected to lose seats, while Texas is among several states expected to gain a seat.
The Illinois population losses that will diminish the state's representation in Congress would be compounded by a census undercount, officials said.
"The Southland cannot afford to lose any more," Kelly said. "We need more resources to do the things we need to do."
In addition to determining representation in Congress and the Electoral College, Census 2020 will determine federal funding levels for many state and local programs, officials said.
"It's important for roads, for hospitals, for schools — everything," Beasley said.
Kelly said Wednesday's session was the sixth informational meeting about Census 2020 she has sponsored in the south suburbs.
"We have to make sure we're getting the word out," Markham Mayor Roger Agpawa said. "It really does make a difference, being counted."
The Illinois General Assembly approved $29 million in spending for census-education programs, Meyers-Martin said. In addition to the statewide resources, Cook County has authorized $4 million for census programs and Chicago has allocated $2.7 million for census awareness.
"There is a massive advertising campaign about to launch," Beasley said.
Television commercials, billboards, radio spots and print notices are among the tools that will be used to encourage people to answer the nine questions, she said.
Households that do not respond to initial invitations via mail will receive follow-up letters and postcards until the end of April, she said. If the government hasn't heard from you by then, census workers will be dispatched to knock on your door, she said.
Ironically, people who are afraid of interacting with government representatives are more likely to be confronted by someone in person if they ignore the mailed invitations, officials said.
People may be reluctant to respond to the census for a variety of reasons other than immigration status.
"They may be in violation of their lease," Stevenson said.
If census workers come knocking later in the spring, they will be identified with badges and official identification, he said.
"You don't have to open the door if you don't feel safe," he said.