Everyone Counts in East Hartford 2020 Census
Once a decade, our nation comes together to count every resident in the United States, creating national awareness of the importance of the Census and its valuable statistics.
On Monday, I was honored to join Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, representatives from the U.S. Census Bureau and state and local officials to announce the start of East Hartford’s 2020 Census efforts titled “Everyone Counts in East Hartford.” As part of our Census efforts, I have put together a Complete Count Committee, comprised of local community members who proudly stepped forward to raise awareness of the importance of the Census.
First taken in 1790, the decennial census is mandated by the Constitution and it gathers important data on our population, which provides the basis for reapportioning congressional seats, redistricting, and distributing more than $675 billion in federal funds annually to support vital programs and services throughout the states, counties and communities.
Connecticut annually receives nearly $11 billion of federal funds, while East Hartford gets anywhere between $450,000 to $500,000 under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) alone, which is one of the major federal programs that heavily relies on Census data to assist with housing rehabilitation for low-income homeowners as well as offer public services and community-facility improvements. Additional critical funding sources that rely on Census data include the Federal School Lunch Program, Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), energy assistance program for seniors, transportation and highway projects and many more. Inaccurate Census data will have significantly negative impacts on federal funds received by the Town, because for each undercounted individual East Hartford would lose $2,200 in funding.
Historically some of East Hartford’s undercounted areas have included households with residents who live in renter-occupied housing, those who don’t speak English and families that fall below poverty level income. It is critical that everyone gets counted in East Hartford in 2020 so that we don’t miss out on federal and state funding for instrumental programs that support our residents. Our town’s Complete Count Committee will put forth every effort to make sure that those who are at risk of being undercounted know the importance of answering the Census.
For the first time in history, in 2020 the Census will allow online participation. Please know that the East Hartford library will serve as a hub of Census activity, offering assistance and resources needed to help and encourage Census participation. It’s evident that response rates for the Census Bureau surveys have declined over the years as residents became concerned with sharing information. It’s important to know that all data collected by the Census Bureau is strictly protected and is only used for statistics. Counting an increasingly diverse population is a massive undertaking, but the success of the Census depends on everyone’s participation. I urge all residents in East Hartford to take the time to participate in the 2020 Census and I am counting on you to help us in our goal of reaching every segment of our diverse community.