By now, you’ve most likely been receiving invitations to complete the United States 2020 Census. While you and your love ones hunker down and treat the COVID-19 pandemic with the utmost seriousness that the situation deserves, today is a good day to fill out your Census. April 1 is considered Census Day, and its observed nationwide. When you respond to the Census, you’ll tell the Census Bureau where you live as of April 1, 2020.
The 2020 Census kicks off a once-a-decade event in which every household in the United States, regardless of background, will be asked to answer a short series of questions. The data collected is crucial as it impacts the policies and planning in determining the distribution of federal dollars and how many seats the House of Representatives should get based on what the population is in your community and state. Local and state officials use the Census data results to help redraw congressional local and state boundaries.
Responding to the 2020 Census brings together resources for your community which identifies where and how much help is needed for the next 10-years that assist in funding for:
Education through grants that help schools serve special education and Head Start preschool programs.
Housing which can determine whether adequate housing is affordable for residents in your community, and provide statistics that can be used to enforce laws, regulations, and policies designed to eliminate discrimination in private market housing and government programs.
Transportation services comprising of construction and maintenance of roads and bridges in your community.
Healthcare that can provide more funding for hospital services and nutrition and health programs, as well as building new community health centers that offer more care for children and seniors in your community.
Fire departments and other emergency responders who are critical in the wake of disasters.
And environmental protection such as laws and policies that address drinking water and air pollution.
Ways to Respond
There are three ways to respond to the 2020 Census:
Online
By Phone, or
By Mail
Participating in the 2020 Census will help your community get its fair share of the more than $675 billion per year in federal funds spent on schools, job training centers, hospitals, roads, public works, and other vital programs. Also, businesses use this Census data to decide where to build offices, factories, and stores (such as grocery), which all create jobs in your community. So shape your future and participate!
Related Resources:
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Livia Kelly is the Author of Unmarried and Debt-Free. Livia's book has made Amazon's #1 Best Seller list in Personal Budgeting and Two-Hour Self-Help Short Reads. Her goal is to simplify finance by providing sound and useful guidance about budgeting, saving, tackling debt, and achieving financial success on your own. More information can be found at https://www.liviakellyauthor.com.