Achieving a Complete and Accurate Count 2020 CENSUS PLANNING Achieving a Complete and Accurate Count

CENSUS 2020 GOAL Ensure that everyone is counted once, only once, and in the right place.

IMPORTANCE OF THE CENSUS Summary: Census Data determine money and power Representation Census count determines Congressional Representation for each state and provides data to draw federal, state, and local legislative districts.  Funding Apportion more than $675 billion in federal grants to tribal, state and local government. Policy Governments use census data to make policy decisions for our communities such as school siting, libraries service, and transportation infrastructure. Planning Plan future locations for retail stores, new housing developments and other community facilities.

FISCAL SIGNIFICANCE TO OUR COMMUNITIES Potential alternative language for first bullet point:  An undercount would deprive Contra Costa County of significant federal funds per year –  $1,958 per resident per year, according to California Department of Finance estimates.  Example: Very small City in Wisconsin allocated $10,000 for targeted Census outreach and was able to track an addition $1,000,000 in money returned to community. Census outreach is a good investment.  An undercount would deprive Contra Costa County and its communities of millions of dollars in federal funds per year – an estimated $2,000 per resident per year, according to The George Washington University Institute of Public Policy.  For example, an undercount of just 5,000 residents, risks a potential loss of an estimated $10 million in funding per year.  This equates to an estimated $100,000,000 million over the next decade.

CENSUS BY THE NUMBERS Contra Costa County receives 42% of its revenue from Federal & State resources California receives $76 billion in federal funding, based upon the state’s population Each person not counted equates to a loss of about $2,000 in State and Federal funding PER YEAR Contra Costa County has 212,356 people living in “Hard-to-Count” Census Tracts If Contra Costa County undercounts by 5%, we’d lose an estimated $1.1 Billion over 10 years

EXAMPLES OF PROGRAMS WITH FUNDING DEPENDENT ON CENSUS DATA Transportation: Highway Planning and Construction Children: Foster Care, Nutritional School Lunch Program Health and Nutrition: Medicaid, Medicare Part B, Health Center Programs Schools: Head Start, Special Education Grants, Title I Grants Affordable Housing: Section 8, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Other: Community Development Block Grant

WHAT'S NEW IN THE 2020 CENSUS? The Citizenship Question is the same as the question asked on the American Community Survey The Survey does not ask if noncitizens are legally in the country There are significant concerns the question will reduce participation among immigrant communities, especially given the change in the social and political climate New Question regarding Citizenship Status

WHAT'S NEW IN THE 2020 CENSUS? This could all be incorporated into the notes for staff to discuss in the previous slide re: immigration Concerns about Citizenship Status Question If immigrants shun the Census, it could impact the number of congressional seats and the amount of federal funding in states and communities with a large number of immigrants.   Immigrants skipping the Census could also hurt health and social science research which depends on the Census for baseline population data.  On March 6, 2019 US Federal District Court issued an order to block the question as it violated administrative law. In January, a US Federal District Court order the administration stop its plans to include the question. in an earlier ruling The US Supreme Court is expected to hear the case in April and make a final decision by June.

WHAT'S NEW IN THE 2020 CENSUS? Other What's New to mention? Updates in technology that will allow Access to data the public has already provided, to reduce the need to make household visits and a more refined address list and automation of Census field operations, while maintaining the security and confidentiality of personal information Potential for State grant funds to support community outreach efforts Significant changes in social and political climate since 2010 First time the Census Decennial Survey will be online Pros New technology to make it easier than ever to respond to the census.  There are more options for self-response (online, by phone, and by mail), thus reducing door to door canvassing. Cons Inequitable access to internet. Concerns about cybersecurity.

KEY MESSAGES ABOUT THE CENSUS Note: I moved this all the way down as a summary slide instead to get to the juicy part about the importance of the Census right away. Easy:  Short census questionnaire.  Takes about 10 minutes to complete Safe:  By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents’ answers with anyone, including other federal and law enforcement agencies.  Census Bureau workers take an oath to protect the confidentiality of the data.  The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine up to $250,000 or imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both. Important: Census Data helps determine our political representation and funding for local roads, schools, and community improvement

February – March 2020   Census questionnaires are mailed or delivered to households.  March – April 2020    Be Counted program is implemented. Census questionnaires are available at     select public sites for individuals who did not receive one by mail.  April 1, 2020  CENSUS DAY May  – July 2020   Census takers visit households that did not respond.  December 31, 2020   By law, the Census Bureau delivers population counts to the President.  March 2021   By law, the Census Bureau completes delivery of redistricting data to states.