Southeast Queens Census push seeks to reverse dismal 2010 results

Eagle file photo by Rachel Vick

By David Brand

Southeast Queens organizations are teaming up to encourage local residents to complete their 2020 U.S. Census forms and reverse a dismal response rate during the 2010 count.

The Southeast Queens 2020 Census Coalition and Southeast Queens Fights COVID will host a “Day Of Action” at Springfield Park Monday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to promote the census — which takes only a few minutes to fill out. They will also supply neighbors with face coverings, sanitizer and census-related prizes.

Click here to visit Census2020.gov and complete the brief form entirely online.

“Communities like Southeast Queens have the highest numbers of essential workers but traditionally have the lowest counts in the Census, meaning running the risk of being undercounted, underfunded and under-resourced,” said Melva Miller, executive vice president at the Association for a Better New York and a former official in the Queens Borough President’s Office. “Full participation in the 2020 Census will ensure resources to fight future crises and support communities for the next decade.”

Since the census began March 12, about 60 percent of U.S. households have responded, but only about half of New York City households have completed their forms.

In much of Southeast Queens, the response rate is even worse. Neighborhoods like Springfield Gardens South and Rosedale have response rates below 40 percent.

Overall, 61.9 percent of New York households self-responded to the 2010 census, compared to a nationwide average of 75.8 percent, according to federal data.

But a map of 2010 census response rates compiled by the city showed disproportionately low response rates in much of Queens. A number of census tracts in Southeast Queens specifically had response rates below 55 percent of households 

St. Albans had a response rate of 54.3 percent, Rosedale had a response rate of 49.4 percent and South Ozone Park was at 48.5 percent during the last decennial census. 

During a November town hall event, Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman urged her neighbors to submit their forms to ensure New York receives its fair share of federal funding and retains its seats in Congress.

 “Every community member must be counted,” Hyndman said. “We need to keep our Congress members here.”