Census subcommittee calls on local businesses to mobilize community for 2020 count
The Harris County and City of Houston Complete Count Committee is asking business owners to get involved in making sure every resident is counted in the 2020 Census.
The Business Subcommittee is tasked with attracting, organizing and mobilizing key members of the business community to support the effort of ensuring a complete count for the Census.
The Subcommittee has gathered more than twenty (20) no-cost ways that business owners can assist with a commitment to inform their staff, customers and colleagues about the importance of the Census. From displaying posters and flyers inside brick and mortar business locations, to sending emails and posting to social media, there is something that every business can do to encourage the public to complete the Census.
Companies of all sizes are being asked to complete a survey which challenges them to commit to at least five of the methods.
“Whether you have a boutique or dry cleaner or even an online business, if you’re touching Houston residents, you have the ability to help mobilize them to fill out the Census,” said Denise Hamilton, Business Subcommittee chairperson.
The U.S. Constitution mandates that a Census count must take place every ten (10) years. Information from the Census count is used to determine how billions of dollars in federal funding is distributed to support programs such as health care, education, employment, transportation and infrastructure. The Census is also used to determine the number of seats each state gets in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“It’s important that every member of our community is counted. We can’t afford to miss one person,” Hamilton said. “If we don’t count our residents, we won’t have the resources to adequately serve them. There’s no business too small to get involved.”
The Complete Count Committee is comprised of the City Mayor Sylvester Turner, County Judge Hidalgo, Houston in Action Facilitator and selected community leaders, who have access to the undercounted communities and/or resources to support the work. They are representative of diverse sectors and provide resources to decrease the undercount. The committee will inform and drive the overall strategy to ensure a complete 2020 Census count.