With Wednesday, Sept. 30 – the deadline to respond to Census 2020 – less than a week away, neighborhood elected officials are making one last plea for the city’s residents to participate and be counted.
“People are living here, and they should be counted as Boston residents,” State Rep. Jay Livingstone said. “It only takes a few minutes to complete, and can be done by the internet, over the phone or by filling out the form.”
And while responding to the Census takes only minutes, completing this easy task can make a huge difference for Boston, Rep. Livingstone said, in terms of the federal funding ultimately allocated to the city.
“It’s so important because every single additional person who fills it out would mean whether thousands of dollars will come to the City of Boston or not,” he said.
Rep. Livingstone encouraged anyone seeking a Census form to contact his office at 617-722-2013 or via email at [email protected].
City Councilor Kenzie Bok also underscored the importance of Boston residents completing the Census for the welfare of their city.
“The Census is critical to everything we fund in the city, from schools to streets to parks to healthcare, and right now, some of out neighborhoods – the West End, for example – has one of the lowest participation rates [citywide],” she said.
In 2010, around 70 percent of West End residents self-responded to the Census, Councilor Bok said, while as of Sept. 15, only around 32 percent of the neighborhood residents had participated.
“We really need everyone to respond,” Councilor Bok said.
Boston residents can still respond to Census 2020 online at https://my2020census.gov/, or over the phone at https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond/responding-by-phone.htm.