U.S. CENSUS EFFORTS
The United States Constitution mandates that the nation undertake a census of population every ten years. The purpose of a census is to conduct a count of population and housing and disseminate the results to the President, the states, and the American people. The goal of the 2020 Census is to count everyone once, only once, and in the right place, and the challenge is to conduct a 2020 Census at a lower cost per household than the 2010 Census. The Census requires years of planning and requires more than 500,000 temporary workers. The United State Census Bureau encourages all states to form a Complete Count Committee with the goals of heightening awareness about the 2020 Census and encouraging the populace to participate in the United State Census of Population.MISSOURI’S CENSUS EFFORTS
The State of Missouri is committed to ensuring Missouri has an accurate count of its citizens during the 2020 census. In December 2019, Gov. Mike Parson established the Missouri 2020 Complete Committee. The Missouri Complete Committee is a collaboration of volunteers from the government, businesses, non-profits, and community groups across the state. Its mission is to perform all efforts possible to ensure an accurate and timely count of all persons living in Missouri by focusing its resources on promoting local outreach, identifying hard to count population, and implementing an inclusive statewide outreach program.WHY THE CENSUS MATTERS
Low participation in the 2020 Census can have substantial negative consequences for our state. Missouri receives approximately $16.5 billion in federal funds in each year, which are directly calculated from census data. That means, for every person under-counted in the 2020 Census, Missouri forfeits an estimated $1,272 in federal dollars per year and $12,720 over 10 years! Achieving a complete count will be a challenge for many areas across Missouri, with 9 percent of the population living in hard-to-count communities. Households most at risk of being under-counted include those who are low-income, renters, people of color, young children, and immigrants. The new ability to respond online will also present hardships for the roughly 20 percent of Missouri households that lack access to broadband or any form of internet connectivity.Accordion….