Why do advocates want $40 million in state funding for census outreach?

The nonprofit DePaul Properties has opened a new supportive housing complex in the upstate village of Geneseo. Half of the apartments in the 60-unit, $17 million development are reserved for formerly homeless people, according to a March 11 press release. Gov. Andrew Cuomo was on hand for the opening.

The Maramont Corporation has received a new contract from the New York City Department of Social Services. The $2.2 million deal will fund “on-call mass feeding services” over two years, according to the City Record. Urban Justice Center will provide non-residential services through March 2021 for domestic violence survivors, per a $2.8 million contract renewal with the agency. Sheltering Arms Children and Family Services and The Hudson Guild have both received Connections to Care contracts, for $244,800 and $283,200, respectively.

One nonprofit board chair just became a hall-of-famer. Bonnie Litt was admitted to the Futures Industry Association Hall of Fame in honor of her work as an attorney at Goldman Sachs. She worked at the investment bank from 1989 until 2018, most recently as a managing director. She is now the board chair at the education nonprofit Breakthrough New York and is general counsel at Success Academy, a major New York City charter school network.

Why do advocates want $40 million in state funding for census outreach? Advocates have been calling for that amount in the upcoming state budget. Citizens Committee for Children of New York lays out the case in a new blog post. The plan divides the state population into three groups, based on the level of difficulty in making sure people within each group participate in the 2020 U.S. Census.

Tens of billions of dollars in federal funding depend on New York having more people compared to other states. “There are many barriers that could prevent people from being counted,” reads the blog post. “For example, children under five are sometimes not listed by parents or guardians on census forms. Sometimes there are language barriers or a general desire to not share private information – particularly with the government.”

Here’s how the proposed outreach funding breaks down:

$10 million – Public forums and fliers

$12 million – Canvassing, staff training

$18 million – Individual assistance and interpreting