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Households can still respond to census through September

DGKN staff report

Some eastern Wayne County residents may have noticed census takers in their neighborhoods recently.

Throughout the United States, more than 92 percent of housing units have been accounted for in the 2020 Census as of last week, with 26.6 percent counted by census takers and other field data collection operations, and 65.9 percent of housing units responding online, by phone or by mail, according to 2020census.gov.

Residents can still respond to the census at 2020census.gov through the end of this month.

The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data.

The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.

It’s also in the Constitution: Article 1, Section 2, mandates that the country conduct a count of its population once every 10 years. The 2020 Census will mark the 24th time that the country has counted its population since 1790.

Every day, the U.S. Census Bureau releases the 2020 Census housing unit completion rate for the nation, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In addition, the Census Bureau releases the completion rates for the Nonresponse Followup operation by area census office.

The Census Bureau is committed to a complete and accurate count, and urges every household to respond when a census taker visits or to respond on their own by using their census ID online, by phone or by mail.

According to www.2020census.gov, count everyone who was living and sleeping at your home most of the time as of April 1, 2020. This includes young children, foster children, roommates, and any family members or friends who are living with you, even temporarily.

The website notes that if someone was staying with you temporarily on April 1 because of the COVID-19 situation, they should be counted where they usually live. This includes college students, who should still be counted at school, even if they are home early because of the COVID-19 situation. If they live in student housing, the college will count them. If they live off campus, they should complete the census for their off-campus address and include any roommates or other people living there. If someone is staying with you on April 1 who doesn’t have a usual home elsewhere, please include them in your response.

In July, census takers began interviewing households around the country that have not yet responded online, by phone, or by mail to the 2020 Census.

The U.S. Census Bureau is working to complete data collection as quickly and safely as possible, while ensuring a complete and accurate count as it strives to comply with the law and statutory deadlines, the website states.

How to identify a census taker:
* Check their badge: All Census Bureau employees will present an official ID badge, which will include name, photograph, a Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date.
* What to look for: An official 2020 Census bag or Census Bureau issued iPhone
* If you are unsure, you can contact the U.S. Census Bureau. Upon request, the census taker will provide their supervisor’s contact information and/or the phone number for the local Census Bureau regional census center, which supervises activities of all census takers who canvass communities.

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