IE Census Count reaches 60%, en route to a complete count

The Inland Empire is on track to surpass the 2010 self-response rates and secure equitable funding and representation for Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Despite the fact that the 2020 Census self-response period began the same week COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic, local partners have been unwavering in their commitment to seeing the Inland Empire counted. The Census IE table, facilitated by the Inland Empire Community Foundation, has ushered the region towards this 60% benchmark and charts a path towards a complete count of all Inland Empire residents. 

The Inland Empire is home to some of the hardest to count communities that have been hit hard by COVID-19 pandemic and continue to work and sustain.

Key highlights for Census Count in the Inland Empire:

• Over 50% of the hard to count census tracts in the IE have been counted. 
• Trusted messengers from non-profit organizations continue to do outreach to educate and motivate communities to fill out the census through phone banking, social media, food bank distributions, and local car parades. 
• 161,575 of IE residents have pledged to fill out the census 
• 700 trusted messengers from HTC communities have been trained 

“Despite COVID-19, we have received a very positive response to filling out the census, with four months to go we have already passed the 60% count mark. We want to keep the momentum going, and are looking forward to ensuring our communities are fully counted and we receive the federal dollars we deserve,” says Mariana Lopez, Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice.  

Kisha Collier with Community Health Action Network expressed that, “Our communities are dealing with so much right now, so it is very encouraging to continue to see an increase in local response rates. We want to encourage individuals to fill out the census early and get counted. We have invested so much in our community over the years, it is critically important that we stand up and be counted so that those funds come back and help the people who need them.”

With the enumeration period set to begin mid-August, the push to get our hardest-to-count census tracts are going to be the focus for the next few weeks.  The goal is to encourage residents to self-respond by visiting www.my2020census.govto complete their census questionnaire.

Background: 

Census IE is a project of The Inland Empire Community Foundation, which has been selected by the State to serve as the Administrative Community Based Organization to lead Census 2020 outreach efforts in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, or what they refer to as Region 7. Building on the growing collaborative capacity of the Inland Empire, Census IE has formed a broad coalition of community-based organizations with deep roots in under-served areas to coordinate Census awareness and outreach. Each individual organization has a unique mission and expertise, and through working together and sharing resources, we as a collective can best ensure our community is counted fully and accurately in the 2020 Census.

Census IE hit the ground running in October with a spectrum of outreach activities that fit the diversity of geography, landscape, languages, and experiences in Riverside and San Bernardino counties’ 2,700 square miles. The 50 participating organizations have engaged the Inland Empire online, at the door, and in the community with remarkable success.