March 28, 2024

Stand up and be counted

The 2020 census will affect funding for the next decade to come

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From Headstart and school lunches, which educate and feed some of the most vulnerable populations, to independent living programs for senior adults and the very roads that allow Iowans to engage in their way of life, census data is used to determine how much federal funding each community gets.

In a 2015 study of how the census helps communities, 132 programs and $675 billion relied on the data for distribution of funds. The U.S. Department of Agriculture alone distributed more than $26 million to programs based in part on population data.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce study, medical assistance programs topped the list at $311 billion, followed by food assistance programs at $71 billion. Wildlife programs, highway planning and rural water facilities were also impacted.

According to the census website, over the next decade, lawmakers, business owners, and many others will use 2020 Census data to make critical decisions, The results will show where communities need new schools, new clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults, and children.

In the 2010 census, 73% of Iowans responded to the census. As of Aug. 5 only 68.9% have participated in this year’s census. In Union County that number falls to 67.5% compared to 68.7% in 2010. In the city of Creston, 67.8% have responded versus 70.7% in 2015.

“I’d like to see us beat what we did last time,” Mayor Gabe Carroll said. “Especially since we have better access to filling those things out online. They don’t take very long.”

The lower response rates mean that Iowa, and the city of Creston, would lose some of its federal funding unless the rates are improved. It also means that Iowans are leaving 30% of the possible funding on the table.

Carroll estimated that funding at “tens of thousands of dollars per person” who isn’t counted.

“A lot of the funding we receive is based off the population count,” he said. I think last time we went through this, the difference in the people who actually live here and the people who were counted ended up costing us multiple millions of dollars over a ten year period.

Census data is also used to draw legislative districts and determine the number of representatives each one gets in the state and federal government. Areas with a low rate of response could lose out on the proper representation in their own goverment.

Important dates

Census takers are scheduled to complete gathering data by Sept. 30. Beginning Aug. 11 in most places, workers will begin a door-to-door campaign. The window for citizens to self-respond, online or by mail, has been extended to the end of the collection period to allow as many to participate as possible.

Questions

The census form asks 12 questions: who lives in the home, their ages, ethnicity and relationship to each other. It also asks whether the home is a house, apartment or other. This helps track how well the economy is doing.

The rates of homeownership serve as one indicator of the nation’s economy. They also help with administering housing programs, planning, and decision-making.”

Census takers will not ask for social security numbers, banking information or money.

All census data is confidential, and although the form does ask for a phone number, legally it can only be used ask questions about the census form or for official census business.

How to respond

Residents have several ways to respond to to the census. One is to visit the website at www.2020census.gov. They can also respond by mail if they still have the form sent out in March. The final way to respond is to answer the door and answer the questions.

Census takers are trained to conduct their survey safely in the era of COVID-19 including wearing masks and following the state and federal recommendations for social distancing and other health guidelines.

All census takers should be carrying a badge with their photo and an official department of commerce seal.

Those who need help or have questions about responding to the census can call 1-844-330-2020.