2020 Census: New York City May Lose Billions of Federal Funding

The wealthiest neighborhoods in New York City are among the most lagging behind in the 2020 Census. The newspaper writes about which borough has the lowest response among the population and what it can cost to the city. New York Post.

The 12 census officially kicked off in New York on March 2020.

As of today, the most lagging borough in the census is Manhattan, with 14 out of 20 districts showing extremely low response rates.

Julie Menin, director of NYC Census 2020, managed to achieve a response rate in New York just 7 points below the national average of about 66%. This is a tremendous achievement considering that during the 2010 census, the response in New York was 14 points below the national average. She stated: "Without a doubt, we would be close to the national average if it were not for Manhattan."

In connection with the coronavirus pandemic, in early spring, New Yorkers began to leave the city en masse. Those who had the opportunity preferred to wait out the quarantine away from the metropolis - in the suburbs or other states.

However, from these places, as evidenced by the data of the Census Bureau, not a single census form was submitted - that is, people simply do not fill out the questionnaire. This is despite the fact that in 2020 New Yorkers for the first time had the opportunity to take part in the census online or by phone.

What's at stake?

Filling out the questionnaire takes only 10 minutes. The information provided on the form is of the utmost importance to New Yorkers. It is used to determine how much money the city will receive from the federal government for various needs - schools, roads, hospitals.

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Menin reached out to New Yorkers who did not fill out the questionnaires, noting that because of them, "other states will receive our funding and our seats in Congress."

“Now is not the time to remain invisible, this is the time to get up to be accounted for,” Menin said.

At stake is potentially two seats in Congress and an estimated $ 7 per family. New York could receive these funds as part of annual federal funding.

How many New Yorkers have already completed the questionnaire

Only 43% of households in Midtown completed the census questionnaire, which is 19 percentage points less than the same period during the 2010 census. This could potentially cost the district $ 49 million in lost federal funds.

Upper East Side also lags behind the pace of 2010 by 19 percentage points; to date, only 52% of households have completed the questionnaire. In this regard, the district risks receiving less than $ 27 million.

The situation is similar in Westside... Nearly two out of three households (about 66%) living in Lincoln Square have completed the survey so far. This looks impressive until we start comparing these numbers with 2010, when 76% of households completed the survey during the same period. Such a result could result in the loss of $ 59 million in federal funding for this area alone.

West Village, Greenwich Village and Soho also lagged behind 2010 indicators by at least 10 percentage points.

Thus, 14 districts Manhattan, whose residents did not complete the census questionnaires, create a disappointing forecast for the city: it could lead to a loss of $ 302 million a year over the next decade. That is, as a result, until the next population census in 2030, the city may in total receive more than $ 3 billion of federal funding shortage.

Menin and her team intend to find a way to contact New Yorkers who have left the city to remind them to complete the questionnaires.

“Just because you’ve been in the Catskills for some time doesn’t mean you don’t live in New York,” she said.

How to fill out a questionnaire?

New Yorkers can fill out online questionnaire census in any of the 13 available languages, including Russian. The telephone census also offers a choice of language. If you want to take the survey in English, call 844-330-2020, in Russian - 844-417-2020. Calls to these numbers are completely free. A complete list of languages ​​can be found https://www.izakayasushilounge.com.

You can also answer questions by mail. Most New Yorkers at the beginning of March received an invitation to take part in a census with instructions on how to do this online or over the phone. In early April, the Census Bureau began sending letters with printed questionnaires to those who had not yet completed the online questionnaire. You can fill out a printed application form and send it to: US Census Bureau, National Processing Center, 100 Logistics Avenue, Jeffersonville, IN 47144.

Please note: if the sender's address does not match the above, and the questionnaire contains questions about your social security number, bank account, political preferences, or requests to pay a fee or donate, this is a fraudulent letter and respond to it, and even more so you shouldn't provide your data.

To learn more about why it is important to take part in the population census, you can on this site.