Don’t be a Grouch — fill out the census

By Rachel Vick

The census is for all New York City residents — even trash can-dwellers. 

Oscar the Grouch is urging New Yorkers to fill out their Census, part of an all-hands-on-deck partnership between the New York City Department of Sanitation, NYC Census 2020, F.Y. Eye and the Sesame Workshop.

The Sesame Street appeal is part of a strategy to engage families with young children, who have represented one of the most undercounted demographics in censuses past. 

Photo courtesy of DSNY

“Children under five are one of the populations most at risk of an undercount in the 2020 Census,” said NYC Census 2020 Director Julie Menin. “We need to make sure this doesn’t happen again, because the more of us who fill out the census, the more money we get for NYC’s schools, roads, bridges, hospitals, housing, and more.”

“That’s why this campaign is such an important reminder that however you live and whoever you live with, we need to count everyone in our households—no matter how young or old, and no matter how much of a grouch!” she added.

The posters with Oscar the Grouch encourage New Yorkers to “Make your family count — even the grouches” and will be placed on the sides of over 2,500 sanitation trucks and street sweepers that travel through every neighborhood.

 “Our Sanitation trucks are some of the most recognizable parts of the NYC streetscape, and we are proud to put them to work in support of this important cause,” said Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia.

Oscar and other characters from the iconic children’s show are unofficial Queens residents — Sesame Street films at Kaufman Astoria Studios near Steinway Street. The self-response rate in 2010 for New York’s 14th congressional district, which includes Astoria, was 64 percent below the national and city average.