Census 2020 is coming, but many East End residents are at risk of not being counted. Ten years ago, more than three- quarters of the households in the First Congressional District to which the Uniter States Census Bureau mailed forms did not respond. This meant costly in-person follow-up visits had to be conducted. Still, the 2010 census undercounted residents here by about 8 percent.
And this year will be the first that the census will ask most households to submit responses online. Complicating things, however, is that as recently as 2018, 11 percent of the homes in the district did not have internet service.
Based on the latest estimates, 158,000 people live in what the census called “hard to count” areas of the First District, including parts of Riverhead and Flanders and large areas of Brookhaven Town.
Given oddities with mail delivery on the Twin Forks, the census will have to be done differently, with hand-delivered packets going initially to most addresses in Amagansett, Wainscott, Bridgehampton, Shelter Island, parts of Montauk, and most of Water Mill. The census considers those areas at “very high risk” for an undercount of young children.
Those receiving packets will have the option to respond online, by phone, or by mail. In most of the rest of the First District the census will try to reach residents by bilingual email. While April 1 is official Census Day, the bureau will begin sending out information by the middle of March.
Among the local groups spreading the word about the census are OLA and SEPA Mujer, which are working with schools, libraries, and on social media to reach Latinos. And everyone living under the same roof should be included, such as renters, roommates, and newborns. People living in what the bureau calls “transitory locations,” such as converted motels or afloat at a marina, will be sought by in-person enumerators in April and early May.
The law requires everyone to take part in the population count, and everything is kept confidential. Your information is off-limits, even to law enforcement. An accurate count is important for planning and funding medical services, highways, fire departments, disaster response, water systems, public transit, wildlife restoration, child abuse services, housing, and education.
The 2010 census in the First Congressional District was okay, but not great. Let’s be sure to do better this time!