Rep Nadler, Kathryn Wylde, community organizations, call on Gov. Cuomo to fund Census outreach for fair and accurate count in 2020
Fiscal Policy Institute releases cost analysis of community outreach
NEW YORK, NY - On Monday, October 29th, the New York Counts 2020 coalition, business leaders, and elected officials held a press conference calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature to commit $40 million to fund outreach efforts for the 2020 Census. Proponents argue that sufficient funding is necessary to prevent an undercount in the upcoming Census and to ensure that New York secures its fair share of federal funds and political representation.
The Fiscal Policy Institute released its report on the cost analysis for statewide Census education and community outreach. In order to maximize participation and ensure a fair and accurate count, community organizations require sufficient funding to reach marginalized populations. The report takes the Census Bureau’s “hard to count” populations, and proposes a cost estimate of just $2 per person if all residents in hard to count groups receive basic community outreach.
“Between a proposed citizenship question and reduced federal resources for the 2020 Census, our chances at producing an accurate count look dim. New Yorkers are at risk of losing not only their political power, but millions of dollars in federal funding needed to support the growth of our communities. It is critical that Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature invest in education and outreach around Census participation, in order to ensure a fair and accurate count of all our communities across the state. New Yorkers will not lose a dime to Washington D.C.,” said Steven Choi, Executive Director of the New York Immigration Coalition.
“The Census will take place in 2 years - no matter what. It is our responsibility to prepare New Yorkers for the count in 2020 because the data that the Census collects is the data that every level of our government will use, it’s the data that business and universities will analyze, and it’s the most important data that New York State will have about its residents for the next 10 years. After listening to the outreach plans that community organizations from upstate and downstate have, I am convinced that allocating $40 million is the least we can do to for our future,” said Shamier Settle, Policy Analyst at the Fiscal Policy Institute.
“Heightened fears among immigrant populations will make it especially difficult to get a complete census count. Unless we all step up to support unprecedented outreach to New York’s lower income communities, there will be severe undercounting and a consequent loss of federal funds and representation for our state,” stated Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO, Partnership for New York City.
“All New Yorkers benefit from a fair and accurate census count and it is the responsibility of every New York legislator and the Governor to work to ensure we have one. We will be traveling to Albany this session and talking with leaders from both parties about the urgent need to take all the steps they can to ensure a complete census count,” said Rachel Bloom, Director of Public Policy & Programs at Citizens Union.
Background
The New York Immigration Coalition, together with over eighty partners, has formed New York Counts 2020, a coalition to maximize participation in the census and therefore counter the expected impact of the Trump administration’s efforts to add a citizenship question to the census. If included, a citizenship question will stoke unnecessary fear in immigrant communities and could result in a significant undercount, particularly already under-counted racial and ethnic minority groups.
The NYIC filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York in conjunction with the ACLU and four other immigrant rights groups against the administration’s attempt to target immigrant communities, challenging the addition of the citizenship question by adding an intentional discrimination claim. The lawsuit argues that adding a citizenship question to the 2020 Census violates the Constitution and reverses seven decades of precedent without a factual justification.
With immigrants constituting nearly 1 out of 4 New Yorkers, an undercount in the 2020 Census will have catastrophic consequences – costing all New Yorkers political power and millions of dollars in federal funding for key services.
The New York Counts 2020 coalition includes:
Academy of Medical and Public Health Services
ACCESS WNY
ADL and 67th Precinct Clergy Council
African Communities Together
African Services Committee
American Immigration Lawyers Association - New York Chapter
American Jewish Committee
Arab American Association of New York
Asian American Federation
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF)
Association for Better New York
Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development (ANHD)
Bangladeshi American Community Development and Youth Services (BACDYS)
Bronx Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc
Brooklyn Public Library
Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of New York
Catholic Migration Services
Center for Law and Social Justice, Medgar Evers College
Center for Bronx Nonprofits
Charles B. Wang Community Health Center
CHHAYA CDC
Chinese-American Planning Council
Chinese Progressive Association
Christopher Rose Community Empowerment Campaign
Cidadão Global
Citizens' Committee for Children of New York
Citizens Union Foundation
Common Cause NY
Community Legal Advocates of NY
Community Voices Heard
Cooper Square Committee N-NORC
Church Women United in New York State
Desis Rising Up and Moving
Digital Equity Laboratory, The New School
EducatedVoter.net
Educational Alliance's Manny Cantor Center
Emerald Island Immigration Center
Engage New York
Fiscal Policy Institute
Forestdale
FPWA
Garifuna Coalition USA, Inc.
Goddard Riverside Community Center
Health and Welfare Council of Long Island
Human Services Council
Humanities New York
Indivisible Nation BK
Indo-Caribbean Alliance, Inc.
Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing
Japanese American Social Services, Inc.
JCC Harlem: Initiative of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan
Jewish Community Relations Council
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York
LatinoJustice PRLDEF
Legal Services NYC
Literacy Assistance Center
LiUNA Local 78
LSA Family Health Service
Masa
MinKwon Center for Community Action
Mixteca Organization, Inc.
Movement for Justice in El Barrio
NAACP-New York Branch
NALEO Educational Fund
New America
New York Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
New York City Employment and Training Coalition
New York Housing Conference
New York Immigration Coalition
New York Legal Assistance Group
New York Library Association
New York State Council on Children and Families
New York Portuguese American Leadership Conference
NMIC
Nobody Leaves Mid-Hudson
OCA-NY
Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow
Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts
Planned Parenthood of New York City
Pratt Center for Community Development
Russian Speaking Community Council of Manhattan and the Bronx, Inc.
SEIU32BJ
Sisters of St. Joseph of Rochester
Social Responsibility at Marlene Meyerson JCC
Sunnyside Community Services
SUNY Rockefeller Institute of Government
The Black Institute
The Door - A Center for Alternatives
Tiny Panther Consulting
Treatment Action Group
Queens College, CUNY/Social Explorer
Queens Library
UJA-Federation of New York
United Neighborhood Houses
Vision Urbana, Inc.
Volunteer Lawyers Project of Onondaga County
Wayne Action for Racial Justice
Women's City Club of New York
Worker’s Center of Central New York
YMCA of Greater New York
Young Invincibles