Caribbean L 8 ife, Aug. 2–8, 2019 BQ
2020 Census planning
Continued from Page 1
county in all of New York State.”
In the 2010 Census, he said 33
percent of Brooklyn households did not
mail back their census forms, resulting
in the lowest mail return rate in the US
among counties with population over
500,000.
He said ensuring a full and complete
count has been a priority for the Office
of the Public Advocate.
Since he took office in March, Williams
said he has “continuously engaged with
advocates who aim to ensure vulnerable
communities are counted.”
“Given this current federal
administration, many of our previously
undercounted communities in New
York City have expressed an inherent
fear of responding to the Census,
and many of our efforts have been to
mitigate said fear,” he said. “Further,
underrepresented constituents have
expressed their uncertainty on the
overall importance of this upcoming
Census.”
But while New York State has
challenged and successfully eliminated
the citizenship question, Williams said
“the fear instilled in our immigrant
community has already had a profound
impact.”
He said New York city advocates
have dedicated their time in
emphasizing the importance of the
Census to vulnerable communities in
specific spots in New York City.
The Public Advocate noted that the
State of New York provided $20 million
into funding for the Census, but added
that “there is a lack of transparency on
how that money is spent.”
Williams said he strongly believes
that the State of New York focus on
allocating the funding towards
community-based organizations that
have spent years advocating for and
providing services to these vulnerable
populations in concentrated immigrant
communities.
“Each undercounted population often
go unnoticed due to lack of resources,”
he said. “By putting resources in the
hands of communities, community
members and local activists will be able
to stress the urgency and importance
of the Census directly through word-ofmouth
and door knockings.
“A hyper-local approach will yield
a fuller and more complete count, as
community organizations best know
their constituents and can de-stigmatize
the fear around the Census,” he added.
As the upcoming census will have a
digital component for the first time in
history, Williams wants to ensure that
all New Yorkers are prepared for the
“pitfalls” that may arise.
In neighborhoods like Chinatown,
Hunts Point, Kensington and Jamaica,
he said up to 50 percent of homes do not
have internet access.
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