Washington, D.C. (June 22, 2020)—Today, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, joined Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, to release a new staff report prepared by the staff of the Committee on Oversight and Reform and Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties.  

The report highlights the potential costs of a Census undercount for New York City and stresses the importance of New Yorkers completing their Census forms. 

“Everybody must fill out the Census like your life depends on it because our quality of life absolutely depends on it,” said Chairman Jeffries.  “That means every child, every adult, every household, every block and every single neighborhood needs to stand up and be counted. The Census takes ten minutes to fill out and will lead to ten years of resources and legislative representation that will make a difference in our future.”

“This year’s Census comes at an unprecedented time,” said Chairwoman Maloney.  “As we face a public health crisis and work towards economic recovery, it is crucial for our community to be fully counted and to secure the funding we are entitled to for critical services like education, medical care, and job programs.  Every New Yorker can play a role in this effort by simply filling out their census form.”

Data collected by the Census is used to determine how much funding cities and states receive for critical services like education, medical care, foster care, roads, public transit, and job programs.  Census data also helps local governments enhance public safety and prepare for emergencies.  For example, each student who gets counted can account for an additional $2,295 allocated to public education. 

The new staff report details that if there is just a 1% undercount in the 2020 Census, the residents of New York City could lose: 

• $7.3 million in federal funding for schools that have a high proportion of students living in poverty, which is the equivalent of all the textbooks that 29,000 students would need in a school year; and
• $3.7 million in federal funding for job training centers and career counseling. 
  

Chairs Jeffries and Maloney urged all New Yorkers to help shape the city’s future by filling out their Census forms now—in the comfort of their own homes—by going online at https://2020census.gov/, calling (844) 330-2020, or filling out the forms they received in the mail. 

Click here to read the full report.

Click here to read the one-pager.