The 2020 Census opens on March 1st, but Michigan communities are already preparing to make sure every person gets counted. Officials said the census could have a big impact on individual communities for the next ten years.
The 2020 Census is using an online-first model which has cut down on the number of local and regional census outreach centers in the state.
Officials said limiting the number of centers is creating a barrier for counting vulnerable populations including children under the age of five, elderly individuals, and racial and ethnic minorities.
Great Lakes Bay Regional Census Hub Coordinator, Chloe Updegraff, said communities could lose out on funding for programs including healthcare, food assistance, and school funding.
“The state of Michigan as a whole, just a 1% undercount in Michigan could cost the state a billion dollars. If we are looking locally, all of the four counties I am working in have a lot at stake.
Updegraff said for every person that isn’t counted in the 2020 census, their community could lose out on 1,800 dollars every year for the next decade.
She said census data goes beyond just dollars, it also gives underrepresented populations a voice.
“We want to make sure that those vulnerable populations within a community have a strong voice and we are bringing back those dollars back to the community and bringing that voice to Lansing and Washington D.C.”