Several community-based organizations in Queens will receive funding from the City Council to help ensure a complete count in the upcoming 2020 Census.
Council Speaker Corey Johnson announced an early allocation of $4 million in this year’s budget will go towards providing support in planning for the census, especially in hard-to-count communities. This is part of the overall $14 million the Council is dedicating to ensure every New Yorker gets counted.
“This funding is just the beginning, a first step toward getting an accurate count in order for us to receive the federal funds and the number of political representatives we deserve,” Johnson said. “TheCity Council recognizes the vital work community-based organizations will contribute to help ensure every New Yorker gets counted in the 2020 Census. It is important that these organizations start working now.”
Asian Americans for Equality in Flushing, CHAZAQ Organization USA in Flushing and Make the Road New York in Jackson Heights are the borough-based organizations that the City Council is funding.
“The census is a monumental opportunity for our communities to make our voices heard and get our fair share of federal funding and congressional representation,” Make the Road New York Co-Executive Director Javier Valdés said. “Today New York is sending a clear message: all communities will be counted.”
The self-response for the 2010 Census in New York City was more than 10 points below the national average. Acting as city-wide partners, the groups receiving this first allocation of funding will be able to offer training messaging development, focus group coordination, and other planning and capacity-building resources to lay the groundwork for get-out-the-count efforts in 2020.
“As our community-based organization are among the most trusted institutions serving New Yorkers on the ground every day, this investment will ensure that out City’s census engagement efforts are as effective and efficient as possible,” NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin said, “We eagerly look forward to working in close collaboration with these city-wide partners, and the Council, the city’s library systems, city agencies and others to ensure we achieve a complete and accurate count of all New Yorkers in the 2020 Census.
Additionally, Council Members will spread the word about the importance of the census and help mobilize communities in their districts to participate and get counted.
“As an organization serving hard-to-count residents, including immigrant and low-income New Yorkers, and households with unrelated adults living in overcrowded housing, we know all too well the steep barriers to full participation in the 2020 Census,” Asian Americans for Equality Co-Executive Directors Jennifer Sun and Thomas Yu said in a joint statement. “This funding will provide community-based organizations with critical tools to counteract the Trump administration’s blatant attempts to disenfranchise immigrants and communities of color.”
