We’ve talked about it here before, but in case you need a little refresher…
Every 10 years the US government conducts a census to get an accurate count of everyone living within our borders, regardless of citizenship status.
Numbers compiled during the census will determine how much federal funding is allocated to our region for exactly the type of programs we’re seeing a huge need for during this COVID-19 crisis. These include healthcare services, SNAP (which helps supplement the food budget of families in need), and the National School Lunch Program, which provides free and low-cost meals to children.
So far, only about 60 percent of Austinites have responded to the census. That’s why Travis County is leading an initiative to try and get 50,000 more Austinites counted for the census, which could bring in an additional $185 million in federal funding each year for our region.
Want to help? Here’s how:
If you haven’t already done so, take the census online here.
Sign up to volunteer with the Travis County Census Outreach group to help make sure everyone in Austin gets counted.
