WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES AUGUST 13, 2020 9
Six weeks left to fill out 2020 Census
BY JULIE MENIN
Listen up, NYC. The next six
weeks will define the next 10
years.
The 2020 Census is set to end on
Sept. 30, which gives us just a few
weeks left to be counted. And right
now, almost half of our city is in
danger of being left out. If these New
Yorkers aren’t counted, it will cost
our communities hundreds of billions
of dollars in funding we need
and deserve over the next decade.
As we recover from COVID-19, we
will need all the aid we can get.
Let’s break the numbers down.
Right now, NYC has a census
response rate of just about 55 percent,
trailing the national average
by nearly 10 points. 1.7 million NYC
OP-ED
households are at risk of going undercounted,
which would mean New
York could only get half of our fair
share of the $1.5 trillion in federal
funding distributed according to the
census count every year.
Not only that, but we could also
lose two representatives in Congress,
weakening our voice in government
at a moment when we need it most.
And now, we only have six weeks left
to get our numbers up.
We’re facing a critical moment
in our history, and the census will
shape the direction we take. The
funding we need for our schools,
for our affordable housing, for our
health system and emergency services,
senior centers, and so much
more all depend on the census. In
fact, when a COVID-19 vaccine is
developed, the census will help
determine how those vaccines are
distributed to communities across
the country.
We cannot afford an undercount.
Every single New Yorker counts,
regardless of age or immigration
status, and we need every single
one counted to make sure we get
the resources and representation
we deserve.
The 2020 Census is only 10 questions
and takes less than 10 minutes
to complete. Fill out the 2020 Census
now at my2020census.gov or call
any of the phone numbers below to
complete the questionnaire over the
phone with a Census Bureau representative.
You can fill it out online or
over the phone in 13 languages — all
you need is your address.
Time is running out fast. Make
sure that you are not counted out.
English: 844-330-2020
Spanish: 844-468-2020
Chinese (Mandarin): 844-391-
2020
Chinese (Cantonese): 844-398-
2020
Vietnamese: 844-461-2020
Korean: 844-392-2020
Russian: 844-417-2020
Arabic: 844-416-2020
Tagalog: 844-478-2020
Polish: 844-479-2020
French: 844-494-2020
Haitian Creole: 844-477-2020
Portuguese: 844-474-2020
Japanese: 844-460-2020
Julie Menin is Director of NYC
Census 2020 and Executive Assistant
Corporation Counsel, NYC Law
Department.
SNAPS
A VIEW FROM CUNNINGHAM PARK
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY JAVIER FOJO
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