Photo Courtesy of Bruce Adler/Office of the Borough President
“The challenges Queens faces are significant, but I am confident these civic-minded community partners will help ensure the borough is counted completely and fairly,” Borough President Katz said.
By Forum Staff
Queens Borough President Melinda Katz announced on Friday the first 70 appointments to her Queens Complete Count Committee for the 2020 Census.
First announced by Katz in her 2018 State of the Borough address, the Queens CCC will bring together trusted community leaders and activists to learn about key 2020 Census issues, report back to their communities and strategize how to ensure everyone in Queens is counted accurately, Katz said.
Many of the appointees are also members of the Borough President’s Queens General Assembly and Immigration Task Force, the borough president noted. Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton and CB 10 member Rosemary Ciulla-Frisone have been named to the committee.
“From federal funding to representation in the U.S. House of Representatives, so much is at stake with the 2020 Census. That’s why we need to be as prepared as possible to ensure every Queens resident is counted accurately, as an undercount would have negative impacts across our borough for at least the next decade,” Katz said. “The challenges Queens faces are significant, but I am confident these civic-minded community partners will help ensure the borough is counted completely and fairly.”
Katz pointed out that the 2020 Census brings with it new challenges, including 80 percent of respondents being asked to complete the Census form online.
The federal government also announced last year its intention to add a citizenship question to the Census, which has raised concerns about the possibility of substantial undercounts in communities where residents fear being targeted over their immigration or residency status.
On January 15, U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled the federal government’s attempt to add the question is unlawful.
“The legal battle is likely far from over, and Queens will continue to speak out against the proposed Census citizenship question for as long as there is active litigation. But today’s court ruling is a tremendous victory in the fight against a reckless policy targeting our thriving immigrant communities in Queens and across the country,” Katz said last week. “Including a citizenship question would undermine the goal of the Census: a complete count of all persons living in the United States. Here in Queens, a borough of nearly 2.4 million people of all races, ethnicities and faiths, an undercount would lead to fewer federal dollars for countless vital programs and initiatives.”
Katz also noted that the 2010 Census saw significant undercounts in parts of Western Queens, particularly those with high immigrant populations. As a whole, the count reported the population of Queens increased by only 1,300 people over the prior decade. Katz said she’ll work with government agencies, nonprofits, and civic groups to prevent these inaccuracies from recurring.
As part of the effort to avoid another undercount, Katz hosted a Census Town Hall in November — featuring presentations from Deputy Mayor J. Phil Thompson, Department of City Planning Population Division Director Dr. Joseph Salvo, Census Bureau New York Regional Director Jeff Behler and others — to keep the public informed as the 2020 Census nears.
The second round of appointments to the Queens CCC will be conducted later this year, Katz said.
