User:Zes26/Brooklyn

Table of Contents

• Description of the 2020 Census and the Impact on Brooklyn
• Results in Brooklyn
• New York's Loss in Congressional Seats

Description of the 2020 Census and the Impact on Brooklyn

The 2020 United States Census is a survey used to collect data on households in the U.S. by the means of age, sex, number of members in the household, etc. This critical information is used to determine apportionment of seats in the United States House of Representatives, helps decide the allocation to funds in the federal budget, determines local and state district lines, and highlights the problems in our communities. In Brooklyn, a major borough in New York City, it is very important to collect Census results in order to receive statewide and local funding designated to help our communities, schools, businesses, and essential services that Brooklynites need. It is said that Kings County in Brooklyn is the hardest place in New York (state) to collect results, due to many citizens residence in "hard to reach areas" and is consistently known to be undercounted. During the 2010 Census, only 67% of households did not mail-in their Census results, the lowest turnout ever. The Brooklyn Complete Count Committee and the #MakeBrooklynCount campaign, created an initiative to support Brooklynites in completing the Census in partnership with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams (politician). According to the Brooklyn Complete Foundation, these efforts, based a $100,000 fund, supports New York Immigration Coalition and the Center for Law and Social Justice towards the "NYC Black Leadership Action Coalition for Census 2020 (NYC BLAC)" with $40,000 funds and gives an additional $20,000 to the New York State Census Equity Fund.

Results in Brooklyn

While, the results of the 2020 United States Census have not been used towards legislature, we can evaluate its response and lack of responses by certain groups to evaluate its effect on Kings County and Brooklyn as a whole. According to Quick Facts produced by the United States Census Bureau, the population of Kings County contains over 2,559,903 individuals. However, this is not an accurate account of all people living there. Since this was the first time a Census has been held online, many groups faced problems with obtaining Internet access, despite efforts by the YMCA and the Brooklyn Public Library system to avoid the divide. While the results state that 85.8 percent of households had a computer and 77.6 percent of households had a broadband Internet subscription, there is reasonable belief that these number are overstated. With over 73 billion dollars needed to fund programs that support the community in New York, many efforts have been put in to relieve the populations that are typically miscounted: children under the age of five, elderly individuals, low income families, and renters. By the development of the Reaching Hard-to-Count Communities across Long Island, the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island can use their grant of $75,000 towards spreading awareness through social media, maintain more trainees who may deliver the Census, and put an effort towards a complete count in miscounted populations in the Nassau and Suffolk counties. The Providing Internet Access Committee will use their grant $100,000 from, the Digital Equity Laboratory at The New School to assist help public libraries secure the resources like computers and have volunteers who can assist others with the process statewide. While surveys may face Non-response bias, due to these groups, many efforts are put in to fix the gap.

New York's Loss In Congressional Seats

The 2020 United States Census is a tool used to determine congressional seats in the House of Representatives, since it a legislation body based on population. In New York, it is said we will be losing a seat due to the ever changing population. In the 2010 Census, this information was used to reassign seats based on population and is a general procedure upheld during each decade the Census is made. According to predictions made for this year the states Arizona, Colorado, Florida, North Carolina, and Oregon would each add one seat in the House and Texas would gain two. However, our main focus is on the seven states that lose a seat which are Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia. As stated before, the power that each individual has in regards to Census is undeniable. Predictions made back in 2018 stated that New York could potentially lose over 3 seats, which would shift the power of Congress, before the 2030 Census is counted. The fragile communities we see in Kings and Nassau County are ever important to representing all of its citizens. The Census does not only determine Congress and the budget, but we see its impact on local businesses. Also, the Federal government of the United States uses this data to redistrict our local representatives. Among the reasons stated before, the Census has an effect on what laws are passed locally. Under the rule of Federalism, we see each state's distinction in public health, schooling, and business practices. Overall, we see the effects of the Census in our everyday lives.