City of Grand Rapids issued the following announcement on August 15.
The U.S. Census Bureau soon will begin its first major field effort in Grand Rapids in advance of the 2020 census. Census officials recently announced that address canvassing would begin later this month.
Address canvassing improves and refines the Census Bureau’s address list in communities nationwide and is essential to ensuring a complete and accurate count for the 2020 census. The Census Bureau needs the address and physical location of each residential space in the U.S. and Puerto Rico to conduct and tabulate the census.
An accurate address list helps to ensure all Grand Rapids residents are invited to participate in the census and are counted in the correct location. Canvassing is one of several ways the Census Bureau maintains and updates its address list. It also uses address lists from the U.S. Postal Service and tribal, state and local governments.
During address canvassing, field staff – known as listers – visit specific geographic areas in Grand Rapids where in-office efforts can’t provide a complete and accurate address list. Listers identify every place where people may live or stay, comparing what they see to the existing census address list and verifying, correcting or adding address and location information. Listers knock on doors at every place of residence in those specific geographic areas to verify or update information and inquire about additional living quarters on the property. If no one is home at the time, the lister verifies or updates address information via observation.
Residents will see address canvassers with Census badges, laptops and bags walking through neighborhoods over the next two months. For more on address canvassing, CLICK HERE.
The City, in partnership with the Grand Rapids Complete Count Committee, is working to ensure historically hard-to-reach residents are included in the Census. This includes residents of color and individuals who do not speak English as a first language. For more on these efforts, CLICK HERE.
“It’s important we welcome the census listers into our neighborhoods,” said Lou Canfield, the City’s Development Center manager and Complete Count Committee liaison. “Many of them are local residents. They are part of our community and they have a vested interest in our success.”
By April 1, 2020, all households will receive an invitation to participate in the census. Residents will have three ways to respond: online, by phone or by mail. For a detailed timeline of 2020 census activities, CLICK HERE.
The results of the 2020 census will help determine federal funding that flows into the community for vital services such as health care, education and transportation. The results also will determine the community’s representation in the Michigan Legislature and U.S. Congress.
Original source can be found here
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