Count People Where They Are: Census Miscounts Undermine Essential Funding for Homelessness Prevention

by , , and | Oct 5, 2020 | Report

The Census Bureau has struggled to accurately count people experiencing homelessness in decennial censuses. Due to the unprecedented challenges of conducting the 2020 Census during the COVID-19 pandemic, people experiencing homelessness were likely undercounted and miscounted at even higher rates than in previous decades. These undercounts and miscounts may undermine the fair allocation of federal funding for public programs and services—such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers—that help people experiencing homelessness attain a decent standard of living. This report, published jointly with the Center for American Progress and the National LGBTQ Task Force, explains why the 2020 Census may have undercounted people experiencing homelessness, outlines consequences for public programs, and offers preliminary recommendations for how to improve counts of people experiencing homelessness for the 2030 Census.

The Risks & Rewards of Conducting a Census in the Digital Age

by and | Jul 27, 2020 | Article

As the nation’s first “digital” census, the 2020 Census will employ cutting-edge methodologies and technologies to improve the efficiency, cost, and accuracy. With consequences for determining the allocation of political power and financial resources, it is essential that the Census Bureau complete a fair and accurate count, particularly in communities historically missed in the census. This article, published in the Georgetown Law Technology Review, provides census stakeholders an overview of some of the opportunities and challenges presented by the use of big data and digital technologies in census taking.

Fulfilling a Constitutional Mandate: An Overview of How Census Data are Used to Apportion the House of Representatives

by and | Apr 22, 2020 | Fact Sheet

The decennial census is key to the distribution of political power in the United States. The count is the basis for the apportionment–the distribution of seats in the House of Representatives to the states according to their populations. In this joint fact sheet from the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality and Asian Americans Advancing Justice, we provide an overview of the official apportionment process and timeline as a resource for census stakeholders.

The 2020 Census & the Environment: How Census Data Are Used for Environmental Justice & Climate Action

by and | Nov 6, 2019 | Fact Sheet

Census data are critical for advancing environmental justice and climate action. Researchers, advocates, and policymakers rely on accurate census data to identify the disparate impacts of the climate crisis, enforce an array of environmental protections, and ensure programs meet the needs (both short- and long-term) of diverse communities. This fact sheet is published jointly with WE ACT for Environmental Justice and the Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation.

Why the Census Matters for People with Disabilities: A Guide to the 2020 Census Operations & Challenges

by , and | Jun 26, 2019 | Brief

This issue brief, published jointly with the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), describes the importance of counting people with disabilities in the 2020 census. The brief also explores how people with disabilities will be counted and related challenges. If this population is not counted accurately, the result may be unequal political representation and unequal access to vital public and private resources for people with disabilities and their communities.