Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer called on the Census Bureau to send more personnel to New York City for the Census count in the face of response rates significantly lower than both state and national averages. Some New York City neighborhoods have census participation rates as low as 35%, despite the fact that New York State’s response rate is 66% and nationally the response rate is 71%. In his letter to Census Director Robert Groves, Schumer called on the Census Bureau to provide additional workers to New York City as it begins phase II of the Census count, the Non-Response Follow-up (NRFU) operation. It is estimated that over 200,000 New Yorkers did not participate in the 2000 Census count, resulting in New York State losing out on millions in federal funding over the last decade.

“It is vitally important that we count every New York City resident in the 2010 Census to ensure they receive every bit of federal aid they are entitled to,” Schumer said. “The Census Bureau should immediately prepare to send more workers and I am urging the Bureau to hire and train additional workers for hard-to-count populations in across the city.”

According to the Census Bureau, interviewers will do a door-to-door canvass, starting May 1, of households that have not returned their forms by April 16. Based on preliminary response rates it appears that a more serious door-to-door effort will be necessary to bring certain New York City neighborhoods in line with New York State response rates. Schumer is calling on the Census Bureau to prepare to hire additional Census workers to accurately count New York City.

All local governments in New York rely on three sources of revenue: local revenues, state funding, and federal funding.   Schumer added, “New York City residents already pay some of the highest taxes in the nation. An accurate and fair Census count will help provide neighborhoods across the city with their fair share of federal aide, ultimately helping to keep the local tax burden as low as possible.”

As of April 21, some New York City communities have census participation rates nearly 40% lower than the national average:

·In Bronx County, Lacona has a participation rate at 43%, Schuylerville at 48%.
·In Queens County, Jamaica has a participation rate at 35%, Flushing at 41%, and South Richmond Hill at 42%.
·In Richmond County, St. George and Stapleton have a participation rates at 43%.
·In Kings County, Bed-Stuy has a participation rate at 35%, Gravesend, Brownsville, and Downtown Brooklyn at 36%, and Sunset Park at 44%.
·In New York County, parts of midtown have participation rates at 38%-48%.

The Census is a constitutionally mandated initiative to count every person living in the United States. Census data are used to apportion Congressional seats, distribute more than $400 billion in federal funds to state and local governments each year, and make decisions about what community services to provide. Low Census response rates result in communities losing out on essential federal funding for things like highways, schools, hospitals, and first responders.

(YWN Desk – NYC)