City Council urges extension of 2020 Census reporting deadline

The US Census Bureau is required by the US Constitution to conduct a count of the population every ten years. The 2020 Census will determine the allocation of more than $16 billion in federal funds that support important sectors like healthcare, education, childcare and more.



As a result of undercounting in the last Census in 2010, Massachusetts was severely undercounted leading to 20,000 missed children, an average loss of $2,372 per person that went uncounted.



As of August 13, 2020, Boston has a response rate of 54%, ranking at 304 out of Massachusetts’ 351 towns and cities, falling short of the state and national response rates of 65.7% and 63.5% respectively.



The US Census Bureau recently declared that the deadline to complete field data collection and self-response submission is September 30, 2020, despite indicating in April that they would need until October 31, 2020, to ensure every person in the US was counted, as a result of major setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic.



The new 2020 Census deadline increases the risk of leaving out many people of color, immigrants, homeless individuals, and other historically undercounted groups, denying them the funding they need for essential services, especially during the ongoing pandemic.



This week, the Council adopted a resolution urging the US Census Bureau and the federal government to extend the 2020 Census reporting deadline to October 31, 2020, in order to accommodate delays and ensure a fair and complete count of all residents in the City of Boston during the COVID-19 pandemic.



To find out more information regarding the 2020 Census and how you can be counted, visit 2020census.gov.