Mayor Fenty Calls For Citywide Participation in the 2010 Census

WASHINGTON, DC—Mayor Adrian Fenty, joined by District of Columbia Office of Planning Director Harriet Tregoning and US Census Bureau Philadelphia Regional Office Director Fernando Armstrong, today announced the DC Counts Campaign, and the city’s efforts to mobilize District residents to participate in the 2010 United States Census.

Purpose of the DC Counts Campaign
The US Constitution mandates a count every ten years of everyone residing in the United States. The 2010 Census is quickly approaching and it is important for the District of Columbia to have an accurate count of its residents, capturing quality data about the nation’s people and economy.

Census data is used to:

• Determine distribution of Congressional seats to states
• Make decisions about what community services to provide
• Distribute $400 billion in federal funds to local, state and tribal governments each year

“The 2010 Census will touch so many aspects of the public over the next decade with the largest impacts on medical assistance and insurance, transportation funding, employment assistance, Section 8 housing, and education funding,” said Mayor Fenty. “It is critically important for the District of Columbia to have as complete and accurate a count as possible so that we can secure our share of the federal funding in order to provide the vital public services that our residents so greatly deserve.”

Over 400 billion dollars is allocated annually to state and local governments for schools, hospitals, roads, social services programs, public safety, housing and community development based on census data.  In order for the District to receive its fair share of federal funds based on population data, residents must be made aware of the census and the importance of participating by completing the census questionnaire and mailing it back by April 1, 2010.  

“What’s at stake is nearly $2.5 billion in federal funds that could potentially go to the District,” said Director Tregoning. “A low response rate equates to millions of dollars lost over a ten year period for vital community services and development, over $3,500 per resident per year, while a high response rate will ensure we can fund needed services.”

DC Counts Campaign and the US Census Bureau Process
District residents will receive census questionnaires via direct mail in March 2010 from the U.S. Census Bureau. Federal Census workers, called enumerators, will contact households in person that have not yet responded. DC Counts and the U.S. Census Bureau will provide assistance at District based schools, places of worship, recreation centers, and other centralized locations where the public gathers to provide assistance to those who need help completing the questionnaire. A list of these Questionnaire Assistance Centers sites will be provided closer to the 2010 Census mailing.

To encourage a high response rate, the District has created a DC Counts Complete Count Committee (DCCCC). The DCCCC is a volunteer committee working to raise awareness about the 2010 Census and motivate residents to participate. DCCCC will partner with community organizations, businesses, faith-based communities, government agencies, schools and civic organizations to educate residents on the importance of completing the census questionnaire.  DCCCC will also develop and implement plans to engage populations who have historically been undercounted in the U.S. Census.

"We are proud to partner with the the District.” said Fernando E. Armstrong, United States Census Bureau Philadelphia Regional Director. “This city’s Complete Count Committee brings together a cross-section of the community, who will assist the Census Bureau in conducting the most efficient, complete, and representative decennial census.”

Reaching Out to District Residents, Agencies, and Organizations
DC Counts has engaged District agencies to promote the 2010 Census. The following outreach has already been conducted:

• The DC Counts (www.census.dc.gov) website is linked from the DC.Gov homepage and will soon have a link on every District agency’s homepage.

•  DC Counts has identified nearly 500 community partners to help promote Census 2010.

•  DC Counts has trained employees from over 14 District agencies to act as 2010 Census ambassadors. They will educate fellow employees and the constituencies that they serve about the importance of full and complete participation.

•  Nearly every District property has DC Counts posters and information visible in public areas.

In coming months, DC Counts will expand its outreach efforts to include:

•  Placing DC Counts materials in every DCPS school, DCPL library and DPR recreation center by the end of November.

•  Working with the US Census Bureau to identify To Be Counted and Questionnaire Assistance Centers. To Be Counted and Questionnaire Assistance Centers, which will be located in schools, churches and recreation centers citywide, will offer residents support in completing the form.

•  DC Counts is working with the US Census Bureau, its community partners and the Bureau's national marketing team to create targeted messages that will be disseminated through various media platforms, with the national media launch beginning in early 2010.

The 2010 Census is short and confidential. It consists of ten questions that take only ten minutes to complete. By law, the Census Bureau is prohibited from sharing an individual’s answers with anyone including federal, state and local agencies.