Last week, the US Department of Commerce announced plans to cut the 2020 Census count short by one month, setting a deadline of September 30. Shortening the Census count  in the middle of a pandemic risks undercounting communities of color, immigrants, renters, and people with low incomes living in urban and rural areas.
 
A full and fair Census count is crucial for the public’s health: for example, Census data helps determine investments in schools, transit, parks, clinics, and other health-promoting resources that can also help address health inequities. The US Census Bureau collects data every 10 years that provides a wealth of information about who lives in the US. This data is used to determine political representation, distribute federal funding, and understand the demographics (including health status) of people living in the US.
 
Call or write your senators today and ask them to support a four-month extension of the 2020 Census reporting deadlines to ensure a full and fair count.
 
A Census undercount means communities will lose political representation and federal funding for safety-net programs like Head Start, the National School Lunch Program, food assistance, Medicaid, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, public transportation, special education grants, housing assistance, substance abuse treatment and prevention, social services for families with low incomes and domestic violence survivors, and much more—resources that are more vital than ever right now.
 
Unsurprisingly, the communities that would be most affected by an undercount are those that already face long-standing inequities in political representation, federal funding, and health-supporting resources. An undercount would only exacerbate these issues.
 
Please contact your senators and demand a full and fair Census count today!

*Photo credit: Village of Richton Park