MILWAUKEE— The Greater Milwaukee 2020 Census Complete Count Committee announced that on, March 12, marked the start of the 2020 Census. The U.S. Census, a count of the entire U.S. population, is mandated by Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution and takes place every 10 years. The tally must include people of ALL ages, races and ethnic groups regardless of their citizenship status. Every household in the greater Milwaukee area is encouraged to participate.
This week, the U.S. Census Bureau will begin mailing letters inviting every household in the U.S. to participate. By April 1, 2020, Census Day, every household will receive the invitation and be encouraged to respond by this date. For the first time in history, the U.S. Census Bureau will accept responses online and by phone, but households can still respond by mail if they prefer.
“I want every household to participate and I want to engage as many residents as possible to make sure no one goes uncounted,” said Mayor Tom Barrett.
Census data will be used to distribute more than $675 billion in federal funds each year over the next 10 years to states and local communities to support education, housing, transportation, health services and more. According to the Complete Count Committee, Wisconsin receives $12.6 billion annually based on census data and will lose $1,600 every year over the next 10 years for every resident that goes uncounted. Census data will decide how many seats Wisconsin gets in the U.S. Congress and election wards.
Mayor Barrett formed the Complete Count Committee to raise census awareness among historically undercounted populations, including people of color, people who speak English as a second language, the homeless, people of low-income, the elderly, the disabled, and LGBTQIA+ individuals. The Complete Count Committee is led by the City of Milwaukee’s Department of Administration in partnership with other government and community leaders.
The census is a simple survey that will take about 10 minutes to complete. Every household will be asked:
· The number of people living or staying at the home on April 1, 2020
· Whether the home is owned or rented
· About the sex, age and race of each person in the home
· About whether a person in the home is of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin
· About the relationship of each person in the home
Households will NEVER be asked for social security numbers, money or donations, anything on behalf of a political party, or bank or credit card information. “Do not allow fear or false information to prevent you from completing your census questionnaire. Your information is safe and confidential, and it against the law for the Census Bureau to share census information with any person or government agency. This includes ICE, the IRS and law enforcement,” said Sharon Robinson, Director of the Department Administration and Chair of the Complete Count Committee. Wisconsin ranked #1 in responses in the 2010 Census. Filling out the survey and returning it on time will help maintain our state’s top standing and will reduce the need for door-to-door visits to non-responsive households by census workers. To learn more about the census, please visit milwaukee.gov/2020Census. To apply for census jobs, please visit 2020census.gov/jobs. Salaries for Milwaukee area workers range from $20.00 to $24.00 per hour.
