Fill out census by May 9

NORTHEAST IOWA - The big news in today’s world is coronavirus. People are feeling helpless during this pandemic and don’t know what they can do.

What else is important? Filling out the 2020 census! By filling out the census, residents can help secure the future of Howard County, and it is a way to be “pro-active” during this “in-active.” 

The numbers calculated by answers on the census will determine how much state and government aid Howard County will be getting for the next 10 years.

In mid-March, packets were mailed to all residents in the United States. Filling out the census questions takes about five minutes or less. The easiest way to fill out the paperwork is online. If a person does not have access to a computer, it can be filled out over the phone or by mail. Instructions are in the packet.

About half the residents in area counties have already filled out the census (as of April 16):

Allamakee  42.7%

Buchanan  56.7%

Chickasaw  55.0%

Clayton       48.5%

Fayette       51.6% 

Howard       56.4%

Winneshiek 58.9%

For those who haven’t filled it out by May 9, census takers will have to go door to door for answers. 

 

Census results affect planning and funding for employment and training — including programs for vocational rehabilitation state grants and dislocated workers.

The results of the 2020 Census will help determine how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding flow into communities every year for the next decade. That funding shapes many different aspects of every community, no matter the size, no matter the location.

Think of our local schools: census results help determine how money is allocated to special programs.

Some of the major programs impacted by census numbers include Medical Assistance Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicare Part B Physicians Fee Schedule Services, Highway Planning and Construction, Federal Pell Grant Program, National School Lunch Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher, Title 1 Grants to Local Educational Agencies, Special Education Grants to States and Head Start.

Do your duty and participate in the 2020 census.