The Decennial Census is the driving force behind American public policy, and our most informative data set. The federal government dictates a state’s entire needs from the data received from the census. The effects of this data can include the determination of a community’s infrastructure, the amount of funding allotted for vital grants like the Community Development Block Grants and low-income programs like SNAP and Medicaid, what schools will be able to hire additional teachers, scientists understanding of public health issues and what cities a company elects to conduct its business. Data results from the Census impact every resident and for this reason, the Census Bureau must conduct an accurate and equitable count.
An undercount would have far-reaching implications for local governments, particularly to municipalities in this region which have seen considerable growth in racial and ethnic demographics since the 2010 Decennial Census. To help local governments obtain an accurate count the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus has formed a 2020 Census Peer Advisory Group of municipal Complete Count Committee’s. The PAG provides a platform, connecting local leaders to the necessary resources, tools, and networks to properly engage their communities, especially their diverse hard to count populations, from our aging populations, renters, low-income families to several immigrant groups. This page is a bricolage for our partners and community members that seeks to identify all necessary tools for a successful 2020 count, including valuable engagement strategies, community partners, Census Bureau updates for the region and state, grant information, implementation plans and much more.
TOOLS & RESOURCES
United States Census Bureau
General Resource Page
https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/2020-census/library/fact-sheets.All.html
How the 2020 Census Will Invite Everyone to Respond
https://www.census.gov/library/fact-sheets/2019/dec/2020-invites-everyone.html
2020 Census Tagline in Multiple Languages
https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/factsheets/2019/dec/2020-tagline-logo-languages-graphic.pdf
The 2020 Census & Confidentiality
https://www.census.gov/library/fact-sheets/2019/dec/2020-confidentiality.html
Why Census Questions are Relevant to Your Residents
https://www.census.gov/library/fact-sheets/2018/dec/why-we-ask.html
Complete Count Committee 2020 Census Timeline
https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/factsheets/2018/comm/ccc_1.jpg
US Census Bureau Career Site
https://recruitment.2020census.gov/ats/careersite/census.aspx?site=1&c=census
Census Bureau Plan Language Writing Tool
https://www.census.gov/about/policies/plain_writing.html
How to Customize and Download Tables Using data.census.gov
https://www.census.gov/data/academy/data-gems/2019/customize-download-tables.html
Complete Count Committees 2020 Census Timeline
https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/newsroom/press-kits/2018/ccc.pdf
Local Update of Census Addresses Operation – (some topics are listed below, click the link to see additional topics)
- LUCA Participants
- LUCA Schedule
- Training Webinar
- LUCA Address Count Listhttps://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/about/luca.html
Cook County Resources
Cook County Census Outreach Application
https://www.cookcountyil.gov/sites/default/files/updated8.22.19census_outreach_application.pdf
Interactive Maps & Data – Hard-to-Count Areas
https://maps.cookcountyil.gov/census2010mailreturnrate/
National League of Cities
Municipal Action Guide: Preparing for the 2020 Census
https://www.nlc.org/sites/default/files/users/user89/CS_CENSUS_MAG_FINAL_1116_0.pdf
City 2020 Census Checklist
https://www.nlc.org/sites/default/files/users/user89/Census_Checklist%202.pdf
Census Timeline for Cities
https://www.nlc.org/sites/default/files/users/user125/NLC%20Census%20Timeline.png
Fast Facts & Talking Points for Local Governments
https://www.nlc.org/resource/census-fast-facts-and-talking-points
Municipal Action Guide: Preparing for the 2020 Census
https://www.nlc.org/sites/default/files/users/user89/CS_CENSUS_MAG_FINAL_1116_0.pdf
- City 2020 Census Checklist
- Fast Facts & Talking Points for Local Governments
https://www.nlc.org/resource/census-fast-facts-and-talking-points
Service Provider 3-1-1 Template for Municipalities
https://www.nlc.org/sites/default/files/users/user125/2020%20Census%20Knowledge%20Base.docx
Forefront: IL Count Me In 2020
General Resource Page
http://ilcountmein2020.org/resources/
- 2020 Census Fact Sheets (some topics are listed below, click the link to see additional topics)
- 2020 Census and Confidentiality (Spanish)
- 2020 Census Children Under Counted
- Why the Census Matters for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities
- Estimating Outreach Costs for Hard-to-Count Populations
http://ilcountmein2020.org/factsheets/
- 2020 Census Tool Kits (some topics are listed below, click the link to see additional topics)
- Toolkit for State and Local Officials
- Online Training Series on Digital Organizing for Census
- IL Count Me In 2020 SCOTUS Decision Response Toolkit
- Census Day Action Tool
http://ilcountmein2020.org/toolkits/
- 2020 Census Research
- 2020 Census Barriers, Attitudes, and Motivators Study Survey (CBAMS) Report
- Race and Ethnicity in the 2020 Census: Improving Data to Capture a Multiethnic America
- GW Counting for Dollars: The Role of the Decennial Census in the Geographic Distribution of Federal Funds – Illinois
- Urban Institute: Administrative Records in the 2020 US Census Civil Rights
http://ilcountmein2020.org/research/
- IL Count Me In 2020 Statewide Advocacy Coalition Webinars
http://ilcountmein2020.org/webinars/
American Library Association
How Community Leaders Can Partner with Libraries to Achieve a Complete Count
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/govinfo/CensusDecisionmakers.pdf
Resources for Hard to Count Groups
How Cities Can Count their HTC Populations
https://citiesspeak.org/2019/05/03/census-2020-how-to-count-hard-to-count-communities/
HTC Tracts in the Nation
http://www.censushardtocountmaps2020.us/
Homeless Populations
https://psmag.com/social-justice/why-cant-we-count-the-homeless-population
The Low Response Score (LRS): A Metric to Locate, Predict, and Manage Hard-to-Survey Populations
https://academic.oup.com/poq/article/81/1/144/2649123?guestAccessKey=b8ecff7b-e929-400d-a35c-6a434a094fd0
Census 2020 Now: Hard to Count Populations
https://www.census2020now.org/faces-blog/2018/3/9/hard-to-count-populations
Berkley: Hard to Count Populations National Scale
http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~sombiri/final_proj/
Black Communities Are at Risk of Being Undercounted
https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/following-long-history-2020-census-risks-undercounting-black-population
Households WITH Low Income in the 2020 Census
http://www.georgetownpoverty.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Low-Income-Families-HTC.pdf
LEARN MORE
- Why an Accurate Census Count is Vital (Brookings Institute)
- Harvard Kennedy School: “Can Cities Save the Census”
https://shorensteincenter.org/can-cities-save-census/
- Counting for Dollars 2020: The Role of the Decennial Census in Illinois Distribution of Federal Funds
https://gwipp.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2181/f/downloads/IPP-1819-3%20CountingforDollars_IL.pdf
- Public Libraries Online: How Libraries Can Help in Hiring the Necessary 100 million People Necessary for the Census
- 2020 Census Resources and Legislation
http://www.ncsl.org/research/redistricting/2020-census-resources-and-legislation.aspx
- Middle Eastern and North African Americans (MENA)
http://civilrightsdocs.info/pdf/census/2020/Fact-Sheet-MENA-HTC.pdf
- Assessing Miscounts in the 2020 Census
https://www.urban.org/research/publication/assessing-miscounts-2020-census
- Who Is Missing? Undercounts and Omissions in the US
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-10973-8_1
- Counting Everyone in the Digital Age
- Consequences of the Young Child Undercount in the 2010 Decennial Census by State
https://countallkids.org/resources/consequences-of-young-child-undercount-by-state/
- Synopsis of the Supreme Court Question & the Ultimate Decision
https://www.nlc.org/the-citizenship-question
- Governing the States and Localities: 6 Ways Governments Are Preparing for the 2020 Census
https://www.governing.com/topics/mgmt/gov-2020-census-count.html
- Synopsis of the Supreme Court Question & the Ultimate Decision
https://www.nlc.org/the-citizenship-question
CONTACT INFO
Kyle Smith, Director of Housing & Community Development
Email: KSmith@mayorscaucus.org
Office: (312) 201- 4507
Latiyfa Fields, Housing & Community Development Fellow
Email: LFields@mayorscaucus.org
Office:(312) 386 – 8687