ANOTHER VIEWPOINT: Counting Hoosiers in the new normal

<p>South Bend Tribune</p><p>In normal times, trying to persuade everyone to stand up and be counted in the once-in-a-decade census presents a challenge.</p><p>But these are not normal times. And in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, that challenge is multiplied, particularly when it comes to reaching certain hard-to-count groups.</p><p>The need for social distancing and stay-at-home orders means that going door-to-door simply isn’t an option. The U.S. Census Bureau has suspended all in-person census surveys. All of this has forced officials to look to other ways of doing things.</p><p>Locally, the city of South Bend and St. Joseph County Public Library unveiled a new outreach effort last week. Fourteen local nonprofits and institutions were tapped to join a group called South Bend Census Champions. Each received a $2,500 award from the city to buy equipment, upgrade internet access, and support staff and volunteer outreach efforts. Outreach will focus on telephone and online contact throughout April and May.</p><p>The agencies chosen are in or near areas that had a less than 73% response rate in the 2010 census, earning them a classification as “hard-to-count” tracts on the city’s northwest, west and south sides.</p><p>The city also is launching a series of public service announcements highlighting the local campaign.</p><p>Such adjustments are necessary, because something that hasn’t changed is the importance of getting an accurate count.</p><p>The information collected in the census is used by the federal government to determine how to distribute hundreds of billions of dollars — toward Medicaid, food stamps, highway projects and other programs. The Indianapolis Business Journal has noted that nearly $18 billion is on the line for Indiana, which is how much in annual federal funding the state receives based on population data from the U.S. Census Bureau.</p><p>It’s estimated that for every person missed in the count, Indiana will lose about $10,000 in federal funds over the next decade.</p><p>By last week’s National Census Day, forty-two percent of Indiana residents had responded, 36% of them online. That’s better than the national average— but there’s still a long way to go</p><p>With so much at stake, it’s critical that Indiana residents participate in the census, which is still taking place online and over the phone.</p><p>It’s critical that every Hoosier be counted.</p><p><em>Send comments to <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>.</em></p>