City awards $19 million in census prep funds to community groups

The city allocated $19 million to community-based organizations as part of a Census preparation initiative. Photo via nyc.gov.

By Victoria Merlino

Queens community groups were among 150 organizations that received a cash infusion from the city as part of an ambitious census preparation initiative. Overall, the city allocated a combined $19 million to fund the New York City’s first-ever community-based awards program focused on census-related organizing and education. 

Sunnyside Community Services Inc, the Rockaway Youth Task Force, Make the Road New York and Merchant Association of Rosedale, Laurelton and Springfield Gardens were some of the Queens organizations that received thousands of dollars each in funding.  

A complete 2020 census count is a joint initiative by the Mayor’s Office, the City Council and CUNY, with $40 million going toward census programming and counting efforts. 

"New York City will not be intimidated. We must stand and be counted. This historic investment in grassroots organizing will help mobilize New Yorkers to fight for the resources we are owed," said Mayor Bill de Blasio in a statement. 

The awardee organizations will build census-related education into their current services to the community, and emphasis hyper-local messaging, on-the-ground mobilization and greater digital access, according to the Mayor’s Office. 

Organizing around the census has been a major focus for city lawmakers as the Trump administration’s hardline stance over immigration continues to frighten the city’s large immigrant population, possibly suppressing turnout. Queens, where immigrants make up 47 percent of the population, may face challenges in encouraging immigrant communities to respond to census questions.

The census count determines federal funding and subsequent redistricting, directly impacting how much representation areas of the city have in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

A U.S. Census Bureau report discovered that distrust in government and privacy concerns prevent many people from responding to the census.

"Today's important announcement marks a critical step to ensure every single member of our community gets counted," said Deputy Director of Make the Road New York Theo Oshiro in a statement. "Immigrant communities and communities of color who we represent are often the hardest to count and require concerted outreach from trusted messengers to achieve a full, fair count.”