Collecting Census responses will be tough, especially in 10 counties that include Ingham

LANSING — Ingham County is among the communities that might not get a fair shake in the next decade, state leaders warned.

Ingham is seventh of 10 counties highlighted as likely to be undercounted in the 2020 Census, members of a statewide Census educational campaign said Wednesday.

Nearly 61,000 people in Ingham County are considered at risk of being undercounted. Across Michigan, about 1.8 million people are likely to be undercounted.

The once-a-decade U.S. population survey will determine the amount of federal funding sent to Michigan through 2030 and the number of representatives we send to Congress. That's why members of the "Be Counted" coalition say it's important to fill out the survey.

"These are our federal tax dollars we are already paying to the federal government, and the Census is one way we can draw those back into our communities for very important programs," Michigan Census Director Kerry Ebersole Singh said.

People who live in areas of high poverty, who lack internet access or are homeless, immigrants, young children or people of color are less likely to be counted in Census surveys. That's also true of people who live in group housing, like apartment complexes or dormitories.

Former East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows warned of undercounting almost a year ago in an op-ed he wrote for the State Journal. He urged Michigan State students to fill out forms accurately so East Lansing can get its full due.

"Census forms are 100 percent confidential, so students are urged to be honest about where they reside, even if they are living in a rental home or apartment that is over-occupied," he wrote. "It's also important for parents to understand that if their college student is counted in East Lansing, it will not impact their ability to claim them as a dependent on their taxes or include them under any insurance coverage."

Meadows is now a council member.

Leaving people uncounted dings local budgets, warned Rep. Tyrone Carter, D-Detroit. He said if 3% of Detroit residents go uncounted, the city would lose approximately $1 billion in federal funding over the decade.

"Every person not counted will negatively impact our city for the next 10 years," he said.

Carter joined state and nonprofit leaders to announce the "Be Counted" campaign from a room in the Capitol building on Wednesday.

The coalition announced a widespread campaign to teach Michigan residents about the value of filling out Census forms. It will spend $16 million of state dollars on advertising and outreach to Michigan residents, blanketing the state with radio, television and digital ads, hosting a series of town hall events and setting up Q&A centers at libraries and Department of Health and Human Services offices throughout the state.

"Our goal is to inform every person living in Michigan, and we want to reach every organization about the importance of the 2020 Census," Michigan Census Director Kerry Ebersole Singh said. "These are our federal tax dollars we are already paying to the federal government, and the Census is one way we can draw those back into our communities for very important programs.”

Coalition steps in amid federal shortfalls

The "unprecedented" effort is an attempt to fill in for U.S. Census Bureau shortfalls, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist said.

The Government Accountability Office released a troubling report on the Census Bureau’s preparation for the upcoming survey this month. Auditors found the bureau was behind in recruiting staff, finding partners in hard-to-count communities, testing technology and strengthening cybersecurity.

"Federal changes have really left some serious gaps," Gilchrist said. 

Distrust in the government, lack of internet access and lack of time are some of the reasons people don’t fill out the surveys. That's especially true in immigrant communities, Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services President Hassan Jaber said.

"We know it’s a concern," Jaber said. "We're going to have a very frank conversation with those communities, why we need to be counted and remind them that the law… protects privacy and confidentiality.

"We have to engage our communities in the most sincere, most transparent way to make sure that everyone is counted."

Fears about confidentiality rose last year when President Donald Trump's administration pushed for a question about citizenship to be included on the Census with little time to study the impact it could have on participation.

Questions about citizenship status will not be on the 2020 Census. Federal law prohibits Census responses from being shared with law enforcement or immigration enforcement agencies and from being used to determine eligibility for public benefit programs.

The 2020 Census: The basics

Start checking your mailbox. In a few weeks, an envelope with information about the 2020 Census should arrive.

The 2020 Census survey includes nine questions and will take about 10 minutes to complete, Ebersole Singh said. It can be completed online, over the phone or through mail.

The Census Bureau kicked off its survey efforts in remote Alaska in January. They'll reach out to the rest of the country starting in March.

Here is a timeline for 2020 Census activities: 

• March 12-20: Households will begin receiving official Census Bureau mail with detailed information on how to respond.
• March 30-April 1: The Census Bureau will count people who are experiencing homelessness.
• April 1: Census Day. By April 1, every home will receive an invitation to participate in the 2020 Census.
• Throughout April: Census takers will visit college students living on campus, people living in senior centers and others who live in institutions or group settings. They also will begin doing quality check interviews to ensure accuracy.
• May - July: Census takers will visit homes that haven't responded.
• December: The Census Bureau will deliver counts to the President and Congress.
• March 31, 2021: The Census Bureau will send redistricting counts to states on or before March 31, 2021. The information will be used to redraw legislative districts based on population changes.

Contact Carol Thompson at (517) 377-1018 or ckthompson@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @thompsoncarolk.