As the country prepares for Census 2020, Washtenaw County is working to reach out to groups that have been historically undercounted, such as college students, children, people of color, low-income individuals, and more. Given the importance of the Decennial Census in determining political representation, allocating billions of dollars from the federal government, and more, an accurate count in 2020 is critical to Washtenaw County over the next decade and beyond.
One key outreach strategy is funding organizations, businesses, and individuals in undercounted communities to lead these efforts. Funds, which were allocated by the Board of Commissioners to the Office of Community and Economic Development to manage, will support informational events, promotion campaigns, and other initiatives seeking to educate residents and increase participation rates across the county.
Applications for projects are being accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis through January 2020. Proposals will be evaluated based on the proposal's impact on increasing census participation in Washtenaw County for under-counted populations, and project feasibility. The application can be found here. All individuals, organizations, and businesses are welcome to apply.
You can learn more by visiting washtenaw.org/census2020 or by following @washtenawOCED on twitter.