Pioneer Valley 2020 Census Complete Count Committee

The 2020 Decennial Census, a critically important attempt to count all residents of the United States, is quickly approaching. Here in the Pioneer Valley, the results of the census will affect our political representation as well as our ability to qualify for a wide array funding opportunities from public, private, and non-profit sources that support development in our region. In anticipation of the Decennial Census, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) is organizing a Pioneer Valley region 2020 Census Complete Count Committee (CCC). The CCC is a team of local people representing a cross section of government, community organizations, schools, and businesses in the Pioneer Valley who can use their cultural and community insights to build awareness about the 2020 Census, promote the value of accurate and complete census data, and have a positive impact on the questionnaire response rate.

Why the 2020 Census is so critical

With the 2020 Census fast approaching, it’s important that all people in the Pioneer Valley understand the importance of completing and returning their 2020 Census forms and know how to do so. Experts estimate that thousands of people were not included in the 2010 Massachusetts state population count. We know that these polarizing political times pose a significant challenge to a large-scale government outreach effort such as this, but we also know that these challenges make an accurate count for the Pioneer Valley no less important to those of us who live and work here. The data collected through the Decennial Census is important for several reasons:

Census data affects funding in your community - Census data directly affect how more than $16 billion in funding are distributed throughout the state of Massachusetts for education, neighborhood improvements, public health, transportation, and more. Additionally, many private and non-profit foundations use census data to evaluate eligibility for grants they disburse. These funding decisions are based on counts of population and socio-economic statistics that come directly from the decennial census.
Census data affects your voice in Congress - Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the census is also used to apportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and to redistrict state legislatures.
Census data affects your representation in state and local government - Census data are used to define legislative districts, school district assignment areas and other important functional areas of government.

Role of the Complete Count Committee

The Pioneer Valley region CCC will be charged with influencing members of the community to complete the 2020 Census questionnaire in a timely and accurate manner and to lead the community in the promotion of a 2020 Census awareness campaign. The campaign will focus specifically on outreach to those members of the community who are harder for the government to reach or less likely to complete and return the census questionnaire.

For further information, or to attend a CCC meeting, please contact Allison Curtis at acurtis@pvpc.org.

PVPC

PIONEER VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION

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Pioneer Valley 2020 Census Complete Count Committee

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