BALTIMORE, MD.  — April 1 marks the 1 year countdown to Census 2020. Our goal, in Baltimore City, is at least a 73% response rate, and we are urging all Baltimoreans to participate. The Decennial Census is responsible for political representation and boundaries, and allocation of over $400 billion. You can do your part to participate by commenting on the Complete Count Committee Action plan, and attending the April 23 open house at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.

The Baltimore Complete Count Committee Action Plan is available for public comment throughout the month of April. The Plan outlines how and where Census outreach will be delivered, with a focus on our hard-to-count communities such as: children under the age of 5, low-English proficiency residents, homeless citizens, senior citizens, and Black males between the ages of 18 and 29 years-old. This is a living document, which will change and grow during the campaign, thus public input is very important. The Baltimore Complete Count Committee Action Plan can be viewed here.

“Essential to the success of Baltimore City is ensuring we receive all of the Federal resources we are due,” said Mayor Catherine E. Pugh. The only way for us to achieve this goal is by having each and every Baltimorean participate in the 2020 Census and be counted. These Federal resources are critical to essential programs and initiatives, in Baltimore, that serve all citizens.”

On April 23, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Poly, Baltimore City residents will have an opportunity to learn more about the 2020 U.S. Census, markup the plan in person, ask local, state and federal partners questions, and find out how to get involved and ensure their community is counted.

Some people don’t fully understand the importance of the Census. It will define both political boundaries and political representation for the next decade. The government uses the Census to decide how to allocate over $400 billion in state and federal funds. For every person not counted in the 2020 Census, Baltimore will lose $1,800 per person per year. In FY16 alone, over $16 billion was budgeted throughout 53 Large Census-guided Programs across the state, with the majority of those funds going to Baltimore. Census participation is non-partisan and should be viewed as our constitutional duty to give an accurate count of our city.

If you wish to become more involved with the Baltimore City Complete Count Action Plan, you can sign up here.