Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams issued the following statement after the U.S. Census Bureau announced it would end all counting efforts for the 2020 Census on September 30, a month earlier than the previous deadline.
"The Trump administration has been transparent, blatant, and shameless in its efforts to undermine the 2020 census, particularly by discounting metropolitan areas and disregarding black, brown, and immigrant communities. It has been rebuffed and rejected in every past attempt, and changing the deadline is a last-ditch effort toward these same ends. Ending the count early all but ensures an undercount for New York City, and a subsequent lack of resources and representation. In the midst of a global pandemic, we need more time to ensure an accurate count, not less, but this is an administration unconcerned by inaccuracy, indifferent to the consequences - particularly in communities of more color. "In New York City, an average of only 53% of residents have completed the census - lagging behind both the statewide and national average. If this trend continues, it could have a devastating impact on New Yorkers' voice in government and the resources that government provides. "The best way to combat this failure by design, this undercount by intention, is for each New Yorker to complete the census online and to encourage their neighbors to do the same. Many communities have had reason to be distrustful of governments seeking personal information, and it is incumbent on us to reassure people of the security and necessity of responding to the census in order to overcome that understandable obstacle. Completing this simple form takes less than ten minutes, but its impact - or the impact of not completing it - will be felt in New York City for more than ten years."
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