Census response is vital for Atlanta

By Jennifer Ide
Atlanta City Council member

Today is Census Day — a key reference date that will have a long-term impact on our community. April 1 is known as Census Day because as you complete the census, you will include everyone living in your home on this date.

So what’s the actual aim of the census? Fundamentally, it’s about counting everyone living in the United States. As part of this count, the census asks a set of general questions such as where you live, how many people live in your home, their age, birth date and other basics. The questions that are asked are easy and only take a few minutes.

It’s important to remember that all the information that’s collected is used for statistical data only. Completing the census is safe and, in many ways, a civic duty.

This year, you can respond online, by phone, or by mail. It’s also important to know that the census can’t be filled out through a social media site such as Facebook and it won’t be sent to you through an email, app, or text message.

So how is the data from the census used?

The data helps determine decisions such as the distribution of Congressional seats for each state, how local planning decisions are made for community services, and ultimately how $1.5 trillion gets allocated every year.

In many ways, the census data shapes the level of opportunity that’s available in our community, particularly for young people. That includes access to incredibly important resources such as health care and the quality of education through the construction of hospitals and schools.

So if there’s an undercount, it will truly cost us in the long run. If you don’t get counted, our community misses out on funding for these essential services, which is a definitive problem. There is an undercount when the count is conducted and people either don’t respond, get overlooked, or hide out of fear for how the information will be used.

Please know that all the information that’s collected through the census is confidential. If you’re thinking about skipping the census, keep in mind that it only happens every 10 years, so if you’re not counted, you’ll essentially be invisible for those 10 years, which has a real, consequential impact on the community. They don’t come back and do the count again for another decade.

That’s why there’s a real need for people to respond. People need to be counted because that’s how we invest in the future. If everyone participates, imagine the kind of resources that can be provided and the opportunities that can be funded in our city. The census impacts items such as school lunches, the construction of new roads, and Medicaid and Medicare dollars. It shapes funding for so many critical services that impact all generations.

The bottom line is that your participation is extremely important. Make sure you’re counted. To learn more about the census, visit the U.S. Census Bureau’s website here.