Senator Shelley Mayer Teamed Up with the Census Bureau to Target Hard to Count Westchester Communities Heading into the Last Month to be Counted

On Saturday, September 26th, Senator Shelley Mayer (D-Westchester) hosted three events—one in Port Chester, New Rochelle, and Yonkers—to do Census outreach. Senator Mayer and her Youth Advisory Council partnered with the Census Bureau and local Complete Count Committees to help residents get counted on the spot. The three locations target Hard to Count communities in Westchester before the October 31st deadline to be counted. Completing the census is confidential, and information will not be shared with other agencies. 

State Senator Shelley B. Mayer said, “Census data determines funding for government programs that lift up our communities including for schools, roads, healthcare, housing, and so much more. I am so proud that my Youth Advisory Council spearheaded and staffed this event in the multiple communities at greatest risk of undercount. With the deadline only one month away, I am glad I was able to coordinate with local Complete Count Committees and the Census Bureau to get more residents counted in Hard to Count communities in Port Chester, New Rochelle, and Yonkers.”

Senator Mayer’s office had tables at the Purdy Avenue Port Chester Housing Authority, Feeney Park in New Rochelle, and in front of the Aisling Irish Community Center in Yonkers. 

Senator Mayer continued, “There were unique challenges these communities faced this year to ensure residents were counted in the Census including allaying fears about confidentiality of information and not being able to do traditional, door-to-door outreach due to the threat of COVID-19. I am grateful to all of our partners for the Census outreach events, and we will continue to promote until the very last day of the deadline.”

There are over 50 government programs that rely on Census data for fund disbursement. Some of the largest government programs that allocate federal funding to states based on Census data include:

• Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid),
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),
• Medicare Supplemental Medical Insurance (Medicare Part B),
• Federal Pell Grant Program, and
• Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers.

This past week, a Federal Judge ruled that the Census needed more time to get an accurate count, and the original deadline of October 31, 2020 would stay in place. Everyone must be counted in the Census every ten years regardless of immigration status or age. Filling out the Census is safe and secure, and information provided will not be shared with immigration enforcement, law enforcement agencies, or used to determine eligibility for benefits. Visit my2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020 to be counted.