SWFL among least counted in the census

COVID-19 pandemic may cause an undercount in census responses

NEW DATA SHOWS SOUTHWEST FLORIDHAS ONE OF THE LOWEST CENSUSRESPONSE RATES IN THE STATE ANDTHIS COULD BE BE A DEVASTATINGFOLLOW UP BLOW FOR OUR ECONOMY..

THAT’S ALREADY GETTINGPUMMELED BY THE PANDEMIC.4 IN YOUR CORNER’S MIANA MASSEYSHOWS YOU WHAT IT COULD COST US..

IF WE DON’T MAKE SURE EACH OFUS IS COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.18-24IT’S ANOTHER GRIM REALITY FORTHE SUNSHINE STATEBACK IN 2010 FLORIDA WAS RANK3RD IN THE COUNTRY FOR THENUMBER OF PEOPLE FAILING TOCOMPLETE THE CENSUS.AND TO BREAK IT DOWN EVENFURTHER, SOUTHWEST FLORIDARANKED AMONGST THE LOWESTCOUNTED IN THE STATE"we missed 1.4 million peoplethat cost our state 20 billiondollars"SUSAN RACHER OF FLORIDA COUNTS,SAYS THE STATE IS OFTENOVERLOOKED BECAUSE OF ITS EVERCHANGING POPULATION"we have significant populationgrowth and 80 percent of thatgrowth is immigration from otherstates and other countries"SHE IS STRESSING THE IMPORTANTOF THE CENSUS REGARDLESS OFCITIZENSHIP"its heavily protected by lawhether they are documentedundocumented they ccomfortably complete the census"NOW MORE THAN EVER ITS CRUCIALTO MAKE SURE EVERYONE ISCOUNTED.

THE CENSUS DETERMINESFEDERAL FUNDING TO BUILD ROADS,BRIDGES, SCHOOLS, AND OTHERASPECTS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

THEMONEY IS BASED ON THE AMOUNT OFPEOPLE WHO COMPLETE THE CENSUS"one person will bring in 14500in federal money to the stateover the ten years between 2020and 2030"THIS YEAR, ZERO DOLLARS INSTATEWIDE FUNDING HAS BEENALLOCATED TO CENSUS OUTREACHAND WITH THE CURRENT COVID-19PANDEMICEXPERTS WORRY THERECOULD BE AN A SIGNIFICANT UNDERCOUNTCURRENT NUMBERS ARE LOWER THANPREVIOUS YEARS*GRAPHIC*Collier County is at a 47.9%completion rateGlades County is at an alarming26.4% completion raHendry County is at a 33.6%completion rateLee County is at a 51.9%GRASSROOTS EFFORTS HAVE BEEN PUTON HOLD"much of the census outreachrelies on the trusted messengersmaking person to person contact"RACHER SAYS ORGANIZATIONS ARENOW HEAVILY RELYING ONTECHNOLOGY"phone banking, contest onfacebook and virtual town halls"AND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER YOUCAN CHOOSE TO RESPOND TO THECENSUS ONLINE, BY PHONE OR BYMAIYOUR RESPONSE MATTERS.IN CAPE CORAL, MIANA MASSEY FOX4 IN YOUR CORNERTHE CENSUS DEADLINE HAS BEENEXTENDED TO OCTOBER 31 IN THEWAKE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.YOU CAN HEAD FOX 4 NOW D