What’s at stake?  Federal funds.  Congressional seats.  Support for social services.  Public infrastructure.  Private Investments.  If that isn’t enough to grab your attention then the next question might, why should we care?  Because each of these things are key to all of us living a healthy quality of life.  And what will dictate this? One word: Census. 

In the new year, the government will launch a massive effort around the 2010 Census. Every 10 years, the government conducts a Census of the American population by sending a form in the mail to every household in the country.  The Census counts everyone who is living in the U.S. regardless of citizenship.  Census forms will be mailed to households in March, 2010, only 3 months away.  So be on the look out! 

Many people do not realize how critical the Census is especially to vulnerable populations.  Census data is used by the government in a variety of important decisions, including allocation of $400 billion in federal funds.  Depending on how many persons are counted in each area of the country, this will determine where roads, bridges and schools are built and how to allocate federal, state and local government representatives. 

For every 100 persons not counted, a community risks losing an estimated $1.2 million over the next decade in federally funded programs.  Programs at risk include Medicaid, maternal and child health, public housing assistance, Community Development Block Grants, Head Start and grants for special and vocation education.  Paying attention now?

All of us must make a concerted effort to fill out our own Census form and to encourage family, friends and colleagues to do the same.  Census forms must be mailed back on or before April 1, 2010.  For people living in group quarters such as nursing homes, student dormitories, or prisons, a Census Bureau worker will visit those facilities in April and May 2010 to count those persons.  Households that do not return their Census form by mail will be called or visited by a Census worker.  Therefore it’s important to take 5 minutes to drop it in the mail so that Census workers do not have to track you down. 

Next year’s count faces many special challenges including how to track down the families who have moved due to the foreclosure crisis, the ramifications of Hurricane Katrina and the thousands of Gulf Coast residents still displaced, and a heightened sense of paranoia among immigrants that the government will use the Census to crack down on illegal immigration. 

Because the Census will dictate the funding levels for many social and health programs, minority and vulnerable communities are especially at risk if they are not accurately counted.  There are growing concerns that people of color could be undercounted because historically the Census has missed many African Americans and Hispanics, especially those living in big urban cities.  In the last Census in 2000, an estimated 4.5 million people of color were not counted. 

Other populations at risk of being undercounted include the elderly, non English speakers, those on public assistance, those who’ve recently moved or live in temporary housing, and the unemployed.  All of these populations risk losing critical services if their programs face cutbacks because the Census indicates any group has decreased in number. 

What happens in this next Census could haunt or help many of us for future years to come.  As a New Orleanian, I am keenly aware that it will have far reaching ramifications on our city, as we risk losing a Congressional seat and millions of dollars because of a smaller population. 

Take the Census seriously and encourage others to do the same.  It’s important that everyone gets counted.